《Deviant's Masquerade: Get Ink'd (A Toon Villain Quest/RPG)》 Prologue (First Scene) Prologue (First Scene) --- Joshua --- His head throbbed, a mechanical beat of brutality echoing painfully in the back of his mind as he blinked the fuzziness out of his eyes. ¡°Good you¡¯re finally awake.¡± He forced himself to sit up as he turned to a blurry figure sitting across from him at the metal table. ¡°Who are you?¡± He tried asking, but his mouth was so dry and full of cotton that he barely made it through the first word. ¡°Mm, who I am isn¡¯t relevant, at least not yet.¡± The blur told him with what sounded like a masculine voice, though the pounding in his head made it hard to tell for sure. ¡°You on the other hand are far more important to this discussion.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He was a nobody, a side character in someone else¡¯s show. (Probably the victim that used to make the teen hero look more impressive, all things considered.) He was mildly surprised how clear his thoughts were despite the fuzziness filling his feeble limbs. ¡°Your bloodline for one.¡± The blur answered. That confused him a bit. There was nothing special about his family or his bloodline. In fact, he knew for sure everyone in his family could be considered small time by the standards of the world or even just the city¡¯s stage. The only one who might be an exception was- (He knows.) His eyes shot to the man across from him. ¡°Chris.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm, Christian Durand the hero of Santa Rosa.¡± The man nodded, opening a file with several pictures of his brother. ¡°At least until, the¡­ let¡¯s call it the ¡®incident¡¯.¡± (That¡¯s one way of putting it¡­) He purposely ignored the picture with two painfully familiar dead bodies and forced his attention onto the man across from him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want. I didn¡¯t inherit my brother¡¯s powers.¡± (Though I wish I did¡­) (They¡¯d put on one hell of a show.) He gripped his head as another wave of pain pierced through his mind. ¡°You may not have inherited them, but you still share the genetic markers for genetic Deviation. What that means is, even if you don¡¯t have powers yet, you could.¡± The man explained, before snapping his fingers. ¡°Especially with a little¡­ help.¡± A man in black wearing a mask placed a suitcase on the table and opened it, before placing a vial of some black and red substance on the table. ¡°What is that?¡± He asked, something instinctive both repulsed and attracted to the substance in front of him. ¡°Malice, or a consumable version of it at least.¡± The man answered. ¡°Theoretically, this should kickstart whatever powers you have.¡± ¡°Theoretically?¡± He didn¡¯t like the sound of that. ¡°The reason we wanted you specifically. You see we have a fair amount of data on how our Malice serum interacts with every Deviancy save those based in Madness. What we need is data on someone who has Madness powers but has yet to unlock them.¡± The man elaborated with a little more depth. ¡°Of course, at the end of the day it¡¯s your choice whether you drink the serum or not.¡± (My choice?) He scoffed, his glancing at the clearly armed guard next to the table. (Sure, we can call it that if you want. I don¡¯t mind. Really.) He eyed the vial on the table, before looking up at the man once more. ¡°What exactly is this going to do to me? I mean I know you said it¡¯d kickstart any powers I might have, but how is it going to do that?¡± ¡°Madness, begets madness.¡± The man shrugged. ¡°Your brother has madness-based powers ergo exposure to the¡­ let¡¯s call it liquid madness in the malice should trigger yours. Though it is admittedly far more likely that it¡¯ll merely send you on a¡­ trippy dream and leave you with a bad hangover afterwards.¡± ¡°Already feels like I¡¯ve got one from whatever you drugged me with.¡± He almost growled, at the steadily pulsing pain still pounding at his skull. ¡°The first dose.¡± The man admitted. ¡°If there¡¯s going to be any notable side effects it¡¯ll take more than one.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°If, if you were going to drug me either way¡­ why bother asking for my consent here?¡± If he was going to be just a lab rat to these people he¡¯d prefer to be out of it for the duration. ¡°Like I said any notable side effects will take more than one dose.¡± The man repeated. ¡°If this is successful in unlocking your powers, we want to be able to measure it over the coming months to see how you progress. A task much easier with your¡­ cooperation.¡± ¡°And why not just lock me up where I can¡¯t get out?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask in a fit of morbid curiosity. ¡°We¡¯ve done more than enough lab tests.¡± The man spat out, something finally breaking through his stoic demeanor. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to move on to field testing with an active agent.¡± ¡°Why not have one of your own guys do this then?¡± It didn¡¯t make sense to leave this to chance with someone they¡¯d kidnapped off the streets, especially since he might (will) break away first chance he got if they gave him powers. ¡°Mad blood as potent as yours is far rarer than you seem to believe.¡± The man chuckled bitterly. ¡°If I round the current studies out for you, the necessary genes appear in somewhere around one out of a hundred thousand. Meaning there are maybe three people with your potential in this city, and one of them already runs the Gamers Guild.¡± (Lucky bitch.) (Going to have to steal their show.) He blinked as the pounding in his skull intensified once more. ¡°What if I want to unlock my powers without your malice?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask, trying to focus on the part of him repulsed by the vial and ignore the part that craved it like nothing else he¡¯d ever experienced. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re free to keep trying if you want but¡­¡± The man tsked in a faux-sympathetic way. ¡°Well do you really want to waste your life on a maybe, we you¡¯ve got a guarantee right here.¡± ¡°Guarantee¡­¡± He frowned. ¡°I thought you said this is probably just going to give me a drug trip and that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°If you take only that dose, yes that¡¯s all you¡¯ll get.¡± The man nodded. ¡°But we know for a fact that people develop powers after a few doses, even if those powers are temporary.¡± ¡°So, a guaranteed temp, or a longshot permanent?¡± He considered, feeling like both options were the universe screwing him over. ¡°Not quite.¡± The man argued. ¡°The powers we give you will last until you run out of Malice, and like I said earlier we want this to be a long-term project. Meaning as long as you¡¯re willing to take the serum we¡¯re willing to provide it.¡± ¡°No strings attached?¡± He asked in sarcasm. ¡°If you develop any¡­ useful abilities, we may be willing to pay you with extra vials of the serum for a job or two.¡± The man admitted as if he wasn¡¯t pressganging a teenager. ¡°Though if you were to draw unwanted attention to our dealings, well¡­ we¡¯ll take that as a less than formal resignation from the project.¡± (And I bet I¡¯ll get one hell of a severance package for it.) He rubbed at his eyes, seriously wishing he didn¡¯t have to make this choice with such a pounding headache. (Probably why they drugged me earlier, to keep me from thinking it through. Then again, I don¡¯t think I could say no even if I could think it through clearly.) The armed guard was proof of that. He stared at the vial on the table, his mind replaying everything he could remember his brother doing before he ¡®retired¡¯ and like so many times before some dark part of him wanted that for himself. ¡°Screw it.¡± He took the vial in hand, before looking at the man. ¡°Just drink it?¡± ¡°We could inject it straight into your bloodstream for quicker results of you want. Though that will reduce the odds of permanence due to your body not breaking down key components in the proper order.¡± The man explained as if it didn¡¯t matter one way or the other to him, just so long as he consumed the malice. Not wanting to give himself time to change his mind, he unscrewed the vial¡¯s cap before downing the whole thing in a single gulp, a flavor somewhere between copper and strawberries just brushing over his tongue. He gasped as he set the empty vial down, already feeling something beginning to shift inside him. Though if he was being honest, he was pretty sure that whatever it was was just in his head. ¡°So¡­ how long until this stuff kicks in?¡± He asked a sort of anxiety filling him now that his decision was made and he was forced to wait. ¡°Mm,¡± The man checked his watch. ¡°Usually the hallucinations begin fairly quickly, with the biological changes kicking in about forty to fifty minutes later.¡± ¡°Biologica-gh!¡± He cringed feeling something twisting his stomach into agony. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ happening?!¡± ¡°I suppose your mad blood is accelerating the change¡­ Mm, given madness¡¯s tendency towards growth and evolution this isn¡¯t too much of an outlier from our projections.¡± The man admitted, eyeing him more in curiosity than sympathy. ¡°Though I suppose it is an unfortunate side effect that you¡¯ll be fully conscious during the changes rather than just sleeping through them. We¡¯ll have to be sure to get a thorough report out of you about it at some point.¡± He wanted to curse the man in front of him, but he found the pounding pain in his skull had become an entire musical number as from the back of his mind he heard a sweet symphony. A spasm tore through him as the twisting in his stomach only grew worse, sending him flying out of his chair and crashing into the hard floor of the warehouse. He barely made it onto his hands and knees, as something began tearing its way up his throat, and a black substance spewed out of his mouth and onto the floor beneath him. ¡°Now that¡¯s different.¡± He tried to glare at the man before being distracted as the color slowly drained from his sight, leaving the world around him in black and white. Before he could even begin to process what this meant, another spasm sent him crashing into the puddle of black bile beneath him. Something else began to bubble up from his chest, until despite his best efforts a laugh broke free of him, followed by another and another, the sound mad to even his own ears as his spasms steadily grew worse as slowly sunk into the black bile, its inky abyss drowning him as it slowly stained him with its touch. Prologue (Scene 2) Prologue (Scene 2) --- Joshua --- He collapsed onto dark velvet as he hacked the black ichor out of his lungs before gasping for air. ¡°What the fuck was that?!¡± He demanded, spitting out the last of the black. ¡°Well?¡± He turned to face the man, only to find he was no longer in the warehouse he¡¯d awoken in. Instead he was in the blackest of voids, the black carpet beneath him the only thing visible all around. ¡°Where¡­?¡± A loud click echoed out from behind him, where he found an ornate set of doors sculpted into the entrance to an old theater house that hadn¡¯t been there moments before. ¡°How¡­?¡± He began, before remembering what the man had told him. (¡®Though it is admittedly far more likely that it¡¯ll merely send you on a¡­ trippy dream and leave you with a bad hangover afterwards.¡¯) ¡°Right¡­ just a trippy dream.¡± He reminded himself. (After all, the actor must embrace their role!) ¡°Damn it.¡± He cursed, feeling a sudden spike of pain through his skull. ¡°Seriously? Even in a dream I can feel this thing?! Fuck!¡± Once the pain had faded enough to be considered a dull ache rather than a sharp knife, he took another look at the theater. Particularly taking note of the unlit letters spelling out, ¡°The Cartoon Cabaret?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that. ¡°Wonder if this is supposed to be like the House of Mouse or something?¡± The show was a bit before his time, but he¡¯d always been a fan of the classics and he could appreciate a show about showing them to a younger generation. Shaking his head he made his way towards the door before trying to open it. Only before he could even touch the handle something grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him through a blurring darkness and into a chair. (¡°Ah, ah, ah. No trespassing.¡±) A voice scolded him mockingly. ¡°Who?¡± He glared, only to blink as he once more found himself sitting at a table across from a man. Though this one was notably more¡­ eccentric. (¡°Thank you.¡±) A man in a tattered black suit told him, a smile audible in his voice even if it was covered by a mask. ¡°Okay, so we¡¯re doing this again.¡± He groaned, realizing his head must have moved on to a fever dream version of his meeting from a few moments prior. (¡°Well, more like an eldritch dream if we¡¯re trying to be accurate.¡±) The man in a mask informed him pouring a glass of tea (¡°It¡¯s coffee actually.¡±) ¡°What?¡± (¡°I said it¡¯s coffee. Far more caffeine¡±) The man in the mask explained before looking at him. (¡°Want some?¡±) ¡°I guess¡­¡± (This is going to be a weird dream I can just tell.) (¡°Technically we¡¯re between dream and reality right now.¡±) The man in a mask told him, sliding a cup of tea towards him. An impressive feat when one realized said cup had to take four separate turns to avoid impacting one of the numerous other cups on the table. ¡°Between dream and reality, mind and matter¡­ I¡¯ve been playing too much persona.¡± He sighed. ¡°Next is where you tell me about a contract, right Igor?¡± (¡°No, next is where I ask why you were trying to break into one of the Wonderlands.¡±) Despite the man in the mask never losing the cheer in his voice, Joshua couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill run down his spine as the ache in his skull worsened. (¡°Yes that would be because you somehow annoyed the eldritch horror who loves humanity. Good job on that.¡±) (That does not sound good.) He admitted to himself, suddenly concerned about how much he could feel inside this ¡®dream¡¯. (I feel we may not be getting an encore.) (¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was being serious. I really do love being surprised by you lot.¡±) The thing across from him laughed. (¡°Hence why I¡¯m actually hearing you out instead of, you know, switching your concepts of reality and fantasy so your dreams are unsatisfying and your existence incomprehensible.¡±) The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. (And that is a very not subtle threat.) (¡°Wasn¡¯t meant to be.¡±) The man in the mask shrugged, before giving him a look he could feel. (¡°Which is why you better make yourself interesting enough that I don¡¯t break your mind for touching what¡¯s not yours.¡±) ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to do that.¡± He said to his own horror, given how he very much did not intend to say that. (¡°Oh, that¡¯s because I removed your ability to lie for the time being.¡±) The man in the mask casually supplied. ¡°Oh¡­ that sucks.¡± (¡°Depends on your perspective I suppose.¡±) The man in the mask chuckled, before somehow sipping at his cup through his mask. (¡°Still, I¡¯ll ask once more, why did you try and break into one of the Wonderlands?¡±) ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡¯s what I was doing. I just, I just woke up there¡­¡± He admitted. (¡°After¡­¡±) The man in the mask prodded. ¡°After being kidnapped and made to drink a vial of, of¡­ I don¡¯t know what.¡± He probably should¡¯ve been a little more concerned about drinking that¡­ malice, but he¡¯d been out of it and they¡¯d already drugged him so he didn¡¯t know what was happening there, not really at least. (¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what you are.¡±) The man in the mask nodded, as if he understood perfectly what happened. (¡°I do, and honestly the fact that you used Malice to break into one of the Wonderlands is part of why I was so annoyed. That stuff has a bad habit of eating whatever it gets ahold of to make more of itself.¡±) ¡°That¡­ that doesn¡¯t sound good.¡± He swallowed, immensely regretting putting something like that in his body. (¡°Again, depends on your perspective.¡±) The man in the mask shrugged. (¡°If something is rotten, then Malice is a great way to get rid of it. Though the whole ¡®murder god¡¯ thing does get annoying at times¡­ Still that does leave another question¡­¡±) ¡°Um, sorry, did you mean ¡®murder god¡¯ as in ¡®to murder god¡¯ or as in ¡®god of murder¡¯?¡± He felt the need to ask given how that seemed like a pretty big red flag. (¡°Meh, that problem sorts itself out so it¡¯s unimportant.¡±) The man in the mask dismissed his concerns. (¡°What is important is why you connected to that Wonderland in particular.¡±) ¡°The¡­ the Cartoon Cabaret?¡± He asked, remembering the name of the building he¡¯d landed in front of. ¡°What¡¯s so important about that place?¡± (¡°Nothing, everything. It depends on your perspective really.¡±) ¡°You¡­ you enjoy saying that a lot don¡¯t you?¡± He grimaced at the non-answer. (¡°Yes. Yes, I do.¡±) The man in the mask nodded. (¡°But the fact that you connected to it does mean a few important things for the both of us, and before I decide what to do with you I need to know what motivates you.) ¡°Motivates me?¡± He blinked. (¡°Malice and Madness respond to intent and desire, so your motivation is what drew you to the cabaret.¡±) The man in the mask explained, rising from his seat. (¡°Now the question is what is your motivation Joshua Durand?¡±) At the mention of his ungiven name he found himself unable to look away from the entity before him¡¯s gaze. (¡°What is it you desire? What dream gets you up in the morning? You don¡¯t even have to say it out loud, just a thought, a feeling, just tell me...¡±) The man in the mask pressed, moving closer and closer until his face was mere inches from Joshua¡¯s, and he could see the mad man¡¯s bloodshot eyes. (¡°What is it you are willing to do the impossible to achieve?¡±) There was only one answer, and he knew even if he wouldn¡¯t admit it to himself the entity in front of him would know he- (¡°Got it.¡±) A jangling on the table drew his attention to a set of golden keys. (¡°The place is yours.¡±) The man in the mask told him straightening out his faded and tattered suit. (¡°Now I expect big things from you, so don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±) ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s it?¡± He asked picking the keys up, noting how most were a short rod with a panel at the end, much like what people would see in old cartoons. (¡°That¡¯s it. Got exactly what I was looking for.¡±) The man in the mask admitted, before giving him a look. (¡°Though don¡¯t think that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t be checking in with you from time to time, after all you¡¯ve got my interest now.¡±) (The interest of what claims to be an eldritch horror.) ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s not a good thing is it?¡± (¡°Depends on your perspective.¡±) The man in the mask shrugged once more, before slinging an arm around Joshua¡¯s shoulders. (¡°But hey, I know how much existential dread I tend to cause, so I¡¯ll go ahead and do you a solid by wiping this little meeting from your memory.¡±) If anything the idea that the being before him could do that just terrified him even worse. (¡°Oh, please I do this to everyone at one point or another.¡±) The man in the mask told him with a roll of his eyes. (¡°After all everyone is interesting when you crack their skulls open right and proper.¡±) He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that. ¡°You¡¯re really not helping.¡± (¡°I¡¯m not trying to.¡±) The man in the mask nodded solemnly. (¡°Still I¡¯ve kept you long enough, so I¡¯ll be letting you go just so long as you remember something in your subconscious if not your conscious mind.¡±) ¡°W-what should I remember?¡± (¡°That you¡¯ve got a¡­ silent producer who, even if those other guys pull their support, will still back you up.¡±) The man in the mask promised. (¡°Well just so long as you put on one hell of a show anyway.¡±) ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± He asked, sure he wasn¡¯t going to like the answer. (¡°Oh, you won¡¯t.¡±) The man in the mask laughed, once more reading his mind before grabbing him by the back of his head and slamming him face first through the table. Prologue (Final Scene) Prologue (Final Scene) --- Joshua --- ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Temperature is a bit low, but not outside of common subject ranges. Heart rate is slightly higher than before the treatment, though the subject''s heart may still be calming from the initial malice spike. Respiratory rate has dropped a couple of points, but blood pressure is notably higher. Whether due to increased heart rate or an effect of the treatment is to be determined after future measurements.¡± ¡°What¡­ what does all of¡­ that mean?¡± He asked, his mouth feeling like cotton as the fog began to clear from his mind. ¡°Ah, subject is awake. Tell me how are you feeling?¡± The man responsible for this mess asked. ¡°Worse than¡­ that time I accidentally drank¡­ all of the spiked kool-aid at¡­ my brother¡¯s christmas party.¡± He got out, having to stop whenever a knife of pain stabbed through his throbbing skull. (Really shouldn¡¯t have sat up just yet¡­) ¡°I did warn you of a bad hangover.¡± The man reminded him, before handing him a bottle of colored liquid and food bar of some kind. ¡°Eat and drink. You need to rehydrate and stock up on whatever nutrients your body just burned through.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± He sighed accepting the bottle and the bar. ¡°Any idea what my body spent those nutrients on?¡± The man seemed to think about it for a minute. ¡°You should¡¯ve had some kind of dream while you were out, remember any of it?¡± ¡°Depends, was the vomiting a hallucination?¡± He asked before sipping at the drink and nearly chugging it when he tasted its sweetness. ¡°No, and I did take samples of it.¡± The man admitted adjusting his glasses, as he held up a vial of some black substance. ¡°You¡¯re not the first to expel esoteric fluids during their treatment, but whatever you¡¯ve spat out is of a different consistency than the black waters I¡¯m more familiar with.¡± ¡°Black waters?¡± He repeated, his eyes sticking to the vial even as the man set the vial back down. ¡°A substance common to the Abyssal Seas, one of the¡­ less pleasant locations our world is connected to.¡± The man explained. ¡°Given how it can occur in a few other Malice saturated locations, it¡¯s not uncommon for some of our subjects to produce it in certain quantities.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re saying whatever I spat out is¡­ different?¡± He checked, not sure how to feel about his body producing something from another world or the fact that he drank something that would make him produce it. ¡°The consistency is notably thicker, but I won¡¯t know for sure until I run some tests.¡± The man admitted with a shrug. ¡°For all intents and purposes it could be the difference between freshwater and saltwater¡­ or saltwater from the dead sea at least.¡± (Well isn¡¯t that ominous¡­) He thought, devouring the food bar in just a few bites, not caring for it¡¯s overly bland taste. Washing it down with the last of the drink they¡¯d given him, he let his eyes wander between the man who¡¯d given him the vial and his bodyguard. ¡°So¡­ what now?¡± ¡°Now we see if we figure out if you¡¯ve unlocked any powers from this little experiment.¡± The man told him, once more taking a seat at the table. ¡°And how am I supposed to do that?¡± He asked, forcing himself to stand even as he felt like he was forgetting something somewhere. ¡°Several ways. Normally I¡¯d recommend the more¡­ aggressive approach given how Malice reacts to stress hormones and adrenaline, but at the same time without knowing what your power is, this could hinder you more than it helps given how you wouldn¡¯t know what to do in the first place.¡± The man explained, twirling a pen between his fingers. (Okay, so fighting will make my powers grow faster, but only when I actually use said powers.) He nodded, catching the underlying lesson whether the man meant to give it or not. ¡°In that case, what would you recommend?¡± ¡°The easiest solution would be to take another vial of Malice, this would increase the amount of power you¡¯re working with at the moment, while also increasing your base by a minute amount.¡± The man informed him, reaching into the suitcase and pulling out a vial similar to the one he¡¯d consumed just before vomiting and blacking out. ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡± He grimaced. ¡°Oh, this wouldn¡¯t work for you at the moment anyways. If you take too much Malice in a single day you can overdose, which could give you a major power up, but is honestly far more likely to make your heart explode inside your chest, well that or mass organ failure. Then again, maybe you¡¯ll be one of those rare people whose brain ruptures at every major synapse cluster.¡± The man told him casually, as if he wasn¡¯t listing all of the horrific ways the drug they gave him could kill him. ¡°We always get a fair bit of data from that last lot.¡± ¡°Be very careful when handling the super drug. Understood.¡± He nodded, his voice cracking ever so slightly. ¡°You should be, it¡¯s expensive.¡± The man agreed, before sticking out a hand. ¡°Now then, let me see your hands.¡± ¡°My hands?¡± He repeated, looking at his own. ¡°Why?¡± The man rolled his eyes. ¡°The hands are one of the most dexterous parts of the human body, due to this when human Deviations develop abilities they¡¯ll frequently be tied to the hands before anything else.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ makes sense.¡± He admitted, offering his hands. ¡°Other major control points include the eyes, feet, and mouth.¡± The man continued, while inspecting his hands. ¡°Though with the mouth, that¡¯s the entire system including the tongue, throat, and vocal chords. Which is why several Arcane have to say their ¡®spells¡¯¡± The man laughed. ¡°while casting, or manipulating their Anima.¡± ¡°Anima?¡± He asked unfamiliar with the term since he hadn¡¯t bothered learning a lot about Arcane beyond which ones were big time heroes and villains. (Really should¡¯ve better scouted the competition.) He grimaced as his headache spiked again for some reason. ¡°Irrelevant to you.¡± The man answered, cutting off that line of questioning as he laced the fingers of one hand between Joshua¡¯s. ¡°Your nails are darker than before, it¡¯s slight but noticeable, a possible side effect of the black substance you expelled. You could have a certain amount of it still flowing through your veins.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Uh, are you going to need a blood sample?¡± He asked, feeling a little weird by the way the man was eyeing his fingers. ¡°I already took some.¡± The man assured him, while grabbing his wrist before with a flex breaking all of the fingers in Joshua¡¯s left hand. ¡°Fuck!¡± He screamed, tearing his hand out of the mad man¡¯s hand. ¡°What the fuck man?!¡± ¡°Look at your hand.¡± The (bastard!) told him calmly. With a grimace he did just that as he inspected the damage to his hand, before watching with a sick sort of fascination as his fingers began to slowly right themselves with a dull cracking sound. ¡°The fuck¡­¡± ¡°Healing factors are also the most common power amongst malice users, rivaled only by physical enhancements in some subjects.¡± The man explained clinically. ¡°The shot of adrenaline from the sudden pain, as well as the presence of said pain should be enough to reflexively trigger any powers, regardless of their actual control point.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± He chuckled in bitter amusement. ¡°The hand thing was just to distract me so I¡¯d hand it over.¡± ¡°It was also to inform you which parts of yourself you should be paying attention to if you wish to find the rest of your powers.¡± The man told him, uncaring for any discomfort on his part. (Then again¡­) He took another look at his hand as his fingers continued to right themselves. (He did deliver on his end of the deal.) And if a little pain was all it took to get powers, well then, (I¡¯d pay ten times this much.) (As long as it means being a star.) He grimaced as another knife of pain stabbed through his skull. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s something.¡± The man commented, drawing his attention back to his hand where a faint black liquid was beginning to pour from beneath his nails. ¡°It seems this liquid, whatever it may be, is going to be a key part of your powers. Now the question is what exactly does this substance do?¡± ¡°No idea¡­¡± He admitted, feeling the black substance pooling in the palm of his hand. ¡°How¡­ how do you guys usually test this kind of thing?¡± ¡°Mm, try touching something with it.¡± The man answered after a brief moment of thought. ¡°If this is anything like the black waters its effect will be most prominent when you press it against a surface of some kind.¡± (Press it against something, eh?) He rubbed his fingers against the substance spreading it out across his palm and fingers before pressing it against the table and leaving a black handprint on the surface. After a moment the palm print seemed to bubble before fading until it was just a faint shadow of itself. ¡°Hm, the evaporation effect is common enough amongst Malice effects.¡± The man informed him while staring at the table in thought. ¡°It¡¯s something you should be able to improve with a bit of practice, but this particular effect¡­ hmm.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ was kind of hoping for something a bit more impressive.¡± He confessed with a sigh. ¡°But at the very least maybe the residue can tell you something the liquid form can¡¯t.¡± He was pretty sure that was a science thing people did with some liquids. ¡°Residue?¡± The man repeated, before giving him a look. ¡°What residue?¡± ¡°You know the faint little handprint you can see right there on the table top.¡± He explained waving a hand towards it. ¡°You mean the handprint you can see.¡± The man argued, before returning his gaze to the tabletop. ¡°Interesting¡­ Tell me do you feel a connection to the handprint?¡± ¡°I¡­ Now that you mention it yeah.¡± It was faint but there was this slight feeling in the back of his head. Almost like he knew he¡¯d forgotten about something but didn¡¯t know what it was, and when he tried to focus on it his attention was drawn back to the table. ¡°Anything else?¡± The man asked, having pulled out a notepad and jotting things down. ¡°It feels like there¡¯s multiple¡­ threads?¡± He frowned, noticing two other things he was ¡®forgetting¡¯. ¡°Give me a sec.¡± Doing the obvious thing he tugged on one of the other threads and found his attention drawn towards the bottle he¡¯d been drinking from a few minutes prior. Picking it up and inspecting it he found another palm print, which led him to picking up the food wrapper and finding a third even without focusing on his connection. ¡°Huh, so¡­ I can tag things and keep track of them?¡± He figured. ¡°Mm, a tactician¡¯s or overwatcher¡¯s power depending on how you use it.¡± The man told him, putting his notepad away. ¡°It probably has other aspects to it, and while it might not be the most impressive ability at first glance, it could have potential if you develop it a bit.¡± ¡°Develop it how? I mean I can¡¯t exactly go picking fights while leaving my handprints everywhere.¡± He snarked, waving his hand around even as it dripped a little more of the black substance. ¡°You could.¡± The man disagreed, before pulling a set of vials from the suitcase. ¡°Though given how it¡¯s your only ability I¡¯d recommend taking a few of these over the next week or so.¡± ¡°I thought you said that stuff could kill me?¡± He grimaced, eyeing the small case carrying five vials in it, and having space for three more. ¡°Which is why I¡¯d recommend only taking one a day, while taking no more than three if you decide to push that first number.¡± The man told him. ¡°As long as you stay within those constraints you shouldn¡¯t be capable of overdosing, given the modifications the first treatment gave you.¡± ¡°Are you sure you should be giving me these?¡± He asked, hoping he could avoid the vials if he made them think he couldn¡¯t be trusted with them. ¡°I mean isn¡¯t this evidence of what you guys are doing here? I mean this whole operation doesn¡¯t exactly scream ¡®legal¡¯.¡± ¡°Simple.¡± The man shrugged. ¡°Did I or did I not deliver on my end of things?¡± ¡°You did.¡± He nodded, still feeling a little giddy at the fact that he (finally) had powers like his brother, (even if they¡¯re a bit different.) (Just means I have individuality.) ¡°So as long as I continue to deliver do you have any reason to turn on me?¡± ¡°No.¡± He admitted begrudgingly as he took the vials that nearly (and still could) kill him. ¡°Look on the bright side, now that your body has adjusted to the Malice future doses will no longer knock you unconscious.¡± The man assured him, getting out of his chair. ¡°And¡­ If I run out of doses¡­ how do I get more?¡± He asked watching the guard packing up the suitcase full of malice. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again in about a week or so.¡± The man informed him. ¡°And depending on how your powers have progressed by that point, we¡¯ll go from there.¡± ¡°And how exactly am I supposed to find you guys in a week? Do I just come back to this warehouse, or what?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that.¡± The man told him with a pat of his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll find you, when we want you.¡± (That really doesn¡¯t reassure me¡­) He thought, staring at the case he was essentially selling his soul for. --- Stepping into the Saint¡¯s Crossing, he couldn¡¯t help but grimace at how rowdy his brother¡¯s customers were being. Something that did absolutely nothing for the migraine ripping through his skull once more. ¡°Hey Josh, you doing okay?¡± Maddie, the bar¡¯s main waitress, asked him. ¡°You¡¯re out a bit later than usual.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a headache and there was this whole mask duel on the way here and¡­¡± He trailed off, letting her fill in the blanks of his lie. ¡°That¡¯s rough.¡± Maddie grimaced on his behalf. ¡°Your brothers out at the moment, but-¡± ¡°Just tell him I went to bed early.¡± He told her, not really feeling up to lying to his brother after the few ups and many downs of the day he¡¯s had. ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± Maddie nodded with a touch of concern. ¡°I am.¡± He waved her off before making his way into the back where a set of stairs led up to the apartment he and his brother lived in. From there it was just a single door between him and his bedroom where he tucked the case of vials between his bet and his nightstand before laying down and thinking about everything that had happened today. ¡°This is it.¡± He told himself. ¡°The day I¡¯ve been waiting years for, heh¡­¡± Now that it was here he wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry, what he did know though was that today, (today was just the opening act.) Act 1- First Day Training Act 1- First Day Training --- Joshua --- ¡°Okay, this is the day you¡¯ve been waiting for since you were in grade school.¡± He told himself, stretching out his limbs a bit as he looked around the park to make sure no one was around. ¡°You finally got powers, and you¡¯ve got a day off from school, it¡¯s time for some power testing.¡± He was fairly certain that was half of the reason the Malice Merchants had chosen to pick him up the day before his weekend, but given how it gave him some time to figure his powers out, he wasn¡¯t going to complain. ¡°Alright, first thing to test¡­¡± He began, opening a notebook he¡¯d gotten back years ago when he¡¯d first hit the age that Chris had unlocked his own powers. (Back before he let himself get canceled.) He shook his head at his migraine, it wasn¡¯t nearly as crippling as the day before so he was fully willing to just power through it as a day-after side-effect. ¡°First thing to test is my new baseline. I need to figure out what I¡¯m capable of before I¡¯ve got any actual training in.¡± From what he knew all Deviant powers would develop and grow stronger with a bit of effort, use, and training. If his artificial powers followed the same pattern -something the malice merchant had implied- then it wouldn¡¯t hurt for him to know where he was starting from. Which is why for the first time in his life he began exercising outside of P.E.. Or trying to anyway. ¡°Ten¡­ Elev- Fuck!¡± He cursed falling flat on his face as his arms trembled far more than he could handle. ¡°Okay¡­ strength enhancement was not a thing I got.¡± (That or I am just severely out of shape.) He wasn¡¯t willing to admit that might be part of his problem, so instead of pacing himself, he forced himself onto his feet even as he spat some grass out of his mouth. ¡°Alright, just because ¡®super strength¡¯ was a bust, doesn¡¯t mean ¡®super speed¡¯ is.¡± He told himself not willing to let (one single itty-bitty) setback stop him. ¡°Now then um, let¡¯s see here standard time to run a hundred meter dash is about¡­ fifteen seconds for a non-athlete.¡± He read off of his notebook, before pulling his phone out of his pocket and opening an app that functioned as both a stopwatch and distance counter. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can beat that easy with a bit of effort.¡± He could not. In fact his actual time was nearly double the standard. ¡°...¡± He inhaled deeply before exhaling (after a solid minute of gasping in agony anyway). ¡°So¡­ super speed is a nope too. Disappointing, but not unexpected.¡± (Really shouldn¡¯t have used Physical as my dump stat.) Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. He pinched the bridge of his nose, before sighing once more as he began staring at his hand as he began to produce the black substance from it. ¡°Guess you¡¯re all I¡¯ve got to work with right now¡­¡± (Got to start low-budget until I catch that big break.) Just because he had his foot in the door to the world of Masks, didn¡¯t mean he was actually good enough to be a Mask just yet. (But I will be¡­) Nodding to himself he tagged a nearby tree before resetting the distance counter on his phone and starting to walk towards the park entrance. ¡°Let¡¯s see just how far you can go little buddy.¡± After about half a dozen steps he felt his connection to his tag beginning to fray, and with one more it snapped. ¡°About three, four meters¡­¡± (That¡¯s not a lot¡­) He grimaced, before walking back to the tree he¡¯d started with. Looking in the general area he¡¯d left his tag revealed a very faint mark, even fainter than his tags usually were after fading. ¡°Can¡¯t reactivate them either.¡± He sighed after a minute of trying just that. For most people this would be the moment they became discouraged with the power they¡¯d gotten out of the lottery. For someone who¡¯d spent a lifetime craving any power from the lottery, there was only one response to be had. ¡°Just going to have to train you up until everyone is scared of you.¡± He told his power as he stamped a second tag onto the tree, before beginning a light jog back towards his house. And every time he felt one of his tags snap he¡¯d reach out and tag something else, be it a building, a car, a lamp post, whatever he could reasonably get his hands on would get tagged as he pushed his limit to see just how long he could keep this up before his well ran dry. Surprisingly enough he actually managed to make it about half way back to the Saint¡¯s Crossing before he found he couldn¡¯t produce anymore of the black stuff that made up his tags. Coming to a complete stop, he ducked into an alley where no one could see him before focusing on his hand and trying to force out one more tag. This proved to be a bad idea as not only did yet another knife of pain spike through his skull, but his stomach began to audibly growl as if he hadn¡¯t eaten in days. ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed, curling in on himself until both pains began to fade. ¡°When the well runs dry don¡¯t push it. Got it.¡± He nodded to his powers, before continuing his jog towards the bar where he realized he¡¯d just jogged close to three miles at a decent pace and wasn¡¯t even winded in the slightest. ¡°Huh¡­ Super Stamina¡­ If I pace myself at least.¡± He added, remembering how winded he was after attempting his dash. (Then again I did recover from that pretty quickly too¡­ Wait, recover?) Now that he was thinking about it, he remembered he had a healing factor. (And it stands to reason that it increases my overall recovery rate, stamina included. Meaning as long as I pace myself I can host a whole marathon.) Turning away from the bar he took off on another light jog, intending to find out just how long he could go before he had to stop. A growling sound caused him to skid to a stop after just a few steps. ¡°Though I should probably make sure I¡¯m running on a full tank when I do that.¡± He admitted to his stomach as he turned back to the bar, feeling that despite a few setbacks, he¡¯d had a fairly productive morning. (And this is just the start.) Scene Consequences -Due to experiment synergies between ((???) Production + (???) Tagging) and (General + Healing Factor) gained 2XP to Healing Factor, (???) Production, and (???) Tagging. --Currently: All three are now at Lv. 1 (2/4). -New Information available about (???) Tagging and Healing Factor. -Unlocked new testing ideas in the menu. Act 2-Bars, Friends, and Family Act 2- Bars, Friends, and Family --- Joshua --- He found himself standing on a velvet carpet staring at a familiar set of doors, though for the life of him he couldn¡¯t tell why these doors were so familiar. Deciding to investigate he walked up to the doors and tried to open them, only to find the doors had been locked. A sudden weight in his pocket had him pulling out a set of golden keys from a pair of black slacks he couldn¡¯t remember putting on. Frowning at the oddness of this entire situation he turned his attention back to the door before noticing a large keyhole just below the handle. With a shrug he twisted the key, causing the door to unlock with an audible ¡®click¡¯. Pushing the door open he found himself in a long hallway leading to a curtained off area, and while he could see several old time-y lights along the wall, not a one was illuminating the area. ¡°Someone forgot to pay the power bill.¡± He joked, before glancing over his shoulder at an empty abyss of black from which he could see nothing else. Shaking his head he started his way down the hall, figuring there was nowhere else to go. And while he¡¯d normally be fairly cautious about entering a dark and abandoned building, he found he couldn¡¯t bring himself to be the least bit concerned about this building. Almost as if some part of him was not only intimately familiar with it, but deeply comforted by it. Pulling aside the curtain he found himself in a wide open space filled with tables and chairs covered by sheets, with a large stage against the back wall where he could just make out a sheet covered piano to the side of a large white tapestry. Along one wall was a door leading further into the building and along the other was a bar of sorts holding a number of bottles of various shapes and sizes behind the counter. (This whole place looks like one of those old speakeasies from the prohibition.) While he¡¯d spent a fair portion of his life living around the Saint¡¯s Crossing he couldn¡¯t help but feel this place had a whole other level of style and class to it, even if most of it was covered in dusty sheets and hiding in the dark. Walking down a series of steps leading into the room he finally noticed a man sitting towards the end of the bar hunched over the counter with several bottles laying around him and a single candle flame being his only light. (Looks like one of the sadder drunks at the crossing.) He couldn¡¯t help but grimace, as he continued towards the only person in this strange place. ¡°Three whole generations and of course I¡¯m da one that -hiccup- that fucks it all up! Hiccup!¡± The man laughed bitterly to himself, clearly not expecting anyone else to be witness to his drunken breakdown. ¡°My father ran it into its -hiccup- hey-day. And his father? First manager to run the -hiccup- cabaret! But me, me, I ran it into the ground! Hiccup!¡± (Is he¡­ Is he saying ¡®hiccup¡¯ when he hiccups?) Joshua frowned in confusion. ¡°I mean, the boss up and -hiccup- leaves me¡­ The viewers -hiccup- lose interest¡­ People quit coming¡­ The patrons quit paying¡­ and, and everyone just disappears until it¡¯s poor old -hiccup- Avery Jones all on his lonesome¡­¡± The man -Avery- sobbed hitting his head against the counter. (Damn.) He winced. (Wish there was something I could do for him. Guy seems really down on his luck.) There was a faint ache in the back of his mind, one similar to but distinctly different from the migraine he¡¯d been sporting the last few days. The candle light flickered seemingly glowing brighter for a minute, before returning to its previous glow. ¡°What?¡± Avery blinked trying to focus on the candle, before looking up towards the ceiling for some reason. After a moment there was a faint hum in the background, as if a single note was being hit and held down. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Avery gasped before looking around the room, his tear filled eyes eventually locking onto Josh¡¯s as a smile slowly spread on the pale man¡¯s face. ¡°It is¡­¡± An annoying beeping went off in his ear, and he was suddenly staring into nothing, at least until the beeping went off again and he realized his eyes were closed. With a grimace he slammed his hand in the vague direction of his night stand until he found his phone and muted his alarm. Slowly blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he remembered the speakeasy and the crying drunk within it. ¡°Weird dream.¡± He yawned. Scene Consequences Josh will start feeding Madness to the Cartoon Cabaret. --- School went the usual way for him. Show up, go to class, avoid the bullies, go to more sub-par classes because he lives on the southside of the city, avoid the bullies who happen to be in gangs, and check in with his one maybe-sort-of friend. Though given how she was stomping her feet he was fairly certain the long haired teen hadn¡¯t managed to avoid her own bullies like he had. ¡°Rough day Ann?¡± He asked quietly as they entered the school library, one of the few places neither of their bullies were willing to bother them. The girl glared at him through her glasses as she took a seat at a nearby table. ¡°Fuck off Josh.¡± ¡°Figured as much.¡± He sighed, his eyes drifting towards one of the few people to frequent the library more than him and Annette. (Guess Aliyah is hiding out herself.) (Actually now that I think about it, isn¡¯t her last name Jones?) He frowned, remembering his dream from the night before. (Wonder if that¡¯s where I picked it up? Then again, Jones is one of those common names like Smith. You hear it everywhere.) Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Shaking his head clear of that tangent he turned to one of the few people willing to regularly interact with him. He was fully aware that he and Annette weren¡¯t actually ¡®friends¡¯ so much as it was that given how they were the school outcasts they didn¡¯t really have too many options as far as school social interactions went. Him because his obsession with heroes, villains, comics, cartoons, video games, and well, just about anything ¡®nerdy¡¯ had caused him to slowly ostracize himself throughout middle school until by the time he¡¯d hit high school he didn¡¯t really have any friends, and was considered annoying enough to be prime bullying material. Something he knew wasn¡¯t helped by the fact that he lacked a mouth filter half of the time, and would say something to offend or annoy someone that would have him cringing in horror several hours, days, weeks, and even months later when he realized why what he¡¯d said a dozen times over was bad. Annette on the other hand¡­ (I¡¯m actually not all that sure why she¡¯s bullied so hard.) Given how little he enjoyed talking about his own bully situation, it was one of the few topics he was smart enough to not intrude upon. Especially since focusing on something so depressing wouldn¡¯t do anything to improve their situations. (Need to stay positive in the face of all of those haters and posers.) ¡°Fuck.¡± He grimaced, getting yet another headache. (Please tell me this isn¡¯t going to be a permanent thing.) ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Annette asked, basic human decency pushing through whatever had soured her mood for the day. ¡°Nothing, just got a headache.¡± He sighed, before looking at the papers had put on the table and thinking to pull out his own. ¡°So you decide what we¡¯re doing for that modern history project?¡± Annette shrugged, letting the matter go before looking at a page she¡¯d covered in brainstorming ideas.¡°I¡¯m split between Sanctuary¡¯s influence on society or the Guild¡¯s.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got a few more days to decide since this is supposed to be a month long project or whatever.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Yeah, but the sooner we figure this out the sooner we can get it finished.¡± Scene Consequences -Probably grown a bit closer to Annette. -Can now visit the school library. --- Having finished with school and helping Annette brainstorm for the project she still hadn¡¯t chosen an idea for, he made his way home not really feeling up to power training after his first day back since getting them. (Hopefully these headaches won¡¯t be such a problem going forward.) If they were he¡¯d just have to learn to deal with it, since the powers were more than worth a little ongoing pain for. That said, said headache was not helped in anyway by just how rowdy the bar was being tonight. ¡°Hey Josh, you doing alright?¡± Chris asked as he was passing the bar. ¡°Fine, just got a bit of a headache.¡± He admitted, before looking around the room. ¡°Maddie going to need a hand tonight?¡± ¡°Not if you¡¯re not feeling well.¡± Chris told him, crossing the arms that hadn¡¯t lost a single ounce of muscle in all the years since his retirement from his ¡®other¡¯ job. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m volunteering.¡± He told his brother, before noticing some of the more common customer¡¯s regulars. ¡°This Howard and co¡¯s?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Chris sighed, not willing to fight him on this. ¡°He and his friends are at their usual spot.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± He nodded, picking the four trays up and laying them across his arm with a dexterity he lacked in most things. Despite a certain awkwardness in his build that his brother did not inherit, he had a tendency to be a little clumsy in most things, but after a couple of years helping around the Saint¡¯s Crossing -something that was only legal because it was his family¡¯s bar, and he didn¡¯t serve anyone alcohol- he¡¯d picked up a certain level of dexterity and agility when it came to weaving between tightly packed spaces while carrying things in his hand. ¡°Alright, here you guys are.¡± He greeted placing the plates on the counter. ¡°Ah, good to see you Josh how are ya holdin¡¯ up?¡± Howard, a construction worker whose crew frequented the Saint¡¯s Crossing, asked. ¡°Doing fine, you guys need anything else?¡± ¡°Nah, we¡¯re good now.¡± ¡°Cool, and don¡¯t forget to leave Maddie a tip.¡± He reminded them as he started back towards the counter. ¡°Never do.¡± Howard assured him with a toast of his beer. He shook his head before grabbing a nearby tray and cleaning up one of the tables whose patrons had left it a mess. ¡°Oh, thanks for the help Josh.¡± Maddie greeted him as she passed by him with two beers in each hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to give you a cut of my tips when things calm down.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Mads, save every penny you can.¡± He told the waitress, knowing that even with Chris giving her as much as he could afford she wasn¡¯t paid nearly enough for how much she actually worked, and how much she put up with. As shown by the fact that not even an hour later some drunk was trying to get handsy with the young woman. Normally he was content to let Maddie handle it -especially since he once watched her break a man¡¯s arm when he¡¯d gotten too handsy- but now that he knew he had powers, seeing it happen in front of him and doing nothing about it burned him ten times worse than ever before. (Wish I could just smack him across the face.) (No one touches my co-stars like that.) His headache spiked and he felt creeping in the back of his head, causing him to slip and stumble into one of the nearby tables, where he watched the plates in his hand fly through the air before crashing into a patron as he was trying to stand, knocking him into his table and sending the dishes on it crashing into someone else who began to choke on the food they were eating until they finally managed to spit it out at the person across from him who ended up falling backwards where he landed on a table sending the edge flying up into the jaw of the man sitting there and knocking him out with an audible ¡®smack¡¯. This just so happened to be the same man who¡¯d been trying to get handsy with Maddie. Looking over the chaos he¡¯d accidentally caused, he felt several eyes slowly turning to him, and feeling some odd compulsion in the back of his head he asked, ¡°Did I do that?¡± For a moment there was absolute silence, then Maddie snorted before outright laughing, a reaction that slowly spread through the rest of those unaffected by his madness, save Chris who was making his way towards Josh easily weaving through the mess. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t even feel it.¡± He chuckled, grimacing at the mess around the room. ¡°Sorry about¡­ this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Chris told him, frowning at the mess before looking at him and offering his hand. ¡°How¡¯s your head?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± He blinked, taking the hand and letting himself be pulled to his feet. ¡°Fine, why?¡± ¡°No headache or anything?¡± Chris asked with a fair amount of concern. ¡°I know you had one when you got here.¡± ¡°Huh, oh. That¡¯s mostly gone now.¡± He admitted, as for the first time since he¡¯d gotten his powers his headache had receded to a point he didn¡¯t even notice it. ¡°I guess I was just stressed from school or something.¡± ¡°Or something¡­¡± Chris nodded staring at the mess as the various victims of his madness began to pick themselves up. ¡°Something up?¡± He frowned, the tone of his brother¡¯s voice flagging something in the back of his head. ¡°No.¡± Chris shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s just in my head.¡± ¡°Do you, uh, do you want me to help clean this up?¡± He asked, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°No, I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Chris told him. ¡°You go ahead and head upstairs before someone tries to pick a fight over this mess.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± He shrugged, not wanting to admit that that was probably a good idea given how many people had been caught in that little whirlwind. ¡°I am.¡± Chris nodded, though he sounded like he was thinking about something else. Scene Consequences -Can now work at the Saint¡¯s Crossing for pocket change, amount earned is equal to 3D6 with the amount doubling on weekend Turns. (Turns ending in: 0, 1, 5, or 6) -Gained (3D6 = $12) dollars. -Trait Revealed: Waiter¡¯s Reflexes- Increase the agility and dexterity of this person by a small amount when moving through crowds. -Grown a bit closer to Chris and Maddie. -1 Laughing Madness sent to the cartoon cabaret. Act 3- Training And A Stumbling Start Act 3- --- Joshua --- ¡°Okay, so muscle growth is caused by the minor tearing and then healing of muscles, hence ¡®no pain, no gain¡¯.¡± He told himself pacing a bit in the park he¡¯d taken to performing his power testing in. ¡°Now since I have a healing factor this means theoretically, I should be able to accelerate this whole process from a few months to a few days.¡± He rolled his neck as he shook his arms out and hopped foot to foot. ¡°All I¡¯ve got to do is exercise.¡± He nodded to himself and just stood there for a full minute. ¡°Damn my indoor nerd aversion to exercise!¡± He cursed the trait currently holding him back while shaking a fist ruefully at the sky. After another minute or so of stalling he finally sighed and said, ¡°Fuck this is going to suck.¡± before getting on his stomach and putting his arms out to the side. Somehow fitting in another minute of procrastination, he sighed once more before pushing himself off of the ground. ¡°One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Four¡­ Five¡­ Six¡­ Seven¡­ Eight¡­ Nine¡­ Urgh. Ten¡­ Huh. Eleven¡­ And nope.¡± He collapsed much like he had the last time he attempted this exercise. (Well at least I actually finished the eleventh push up this time¡­) He waited a few minutes for the burning in his arms to recede before making another attempt and this time making it through his twelfth push up before collapsing. ¡°Fuck this going to be a long day.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Healing Factor --Currently: Lv. 1 (3/4) -Progress made towards [??? Strength] Power. (1/3) --(Note: Malice Vials offer +1 power progress.) --- Eventually after making it to twenty-five push-ups he decided that he¡¯d made enough progress for the day, having managed to bring himself within the ¡®average¡¯ push up range for a high schooler. So instead of the monotonous grinding that was significantly less satisfying when he couldn¡¯t see a number pop-up with his gains -(Lucky Gamer-powered bastards¡­)- he instead decided to focus on his more interesting and personal power. ¡°Alright, so I know I have a connection of sorts to my tags, so maybe I can use that to do something to whatever object I manage to tag.¡± He told himself, as was becoming habit. ¡°Now if we¡¯re going off the most basic and common powers, hopefully this means I can use my tags for a form of telekinesis on whatever I tagged.¡± Nodding to himself he looked around the clearing before focusing on a small rock nearby. (Probably better to start off small for this kind of thing.) With that thought in mind he picked up the rock before setting it down, a large black handprint wrapping around it. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this.¡± He nodded, loosening himself up once more before pointing a hand towards the rock and tugging on his connection to the tag. The first dozen or so times he tried this he felt nothing, but after a few more he managed to feel something happen with the connection, even if wasn¡¯t entirely sure what it was. All he could tell for sure was that the connection was reacting, almost like it was shivering ever so slightly every time he tugged on it. After another hour of no visible progress he sighed before running a hand down his face. ¡°And I was so sure I had something with this.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP towards (???) Tags. --Currently: Lv. 1 (3/4) -Progress made towards [??? ???] Sub-Power. (1/4) --(Note: Malice Vials offer +1 power progress.) --- Deciding that the tag-telekinesis thing was a bust for now, he took a moment to stare at the black substance dripping onto his palms as it slowly dripped out from under his nails. (Whatever my power set is it seems to revolve around this stuff, meaning if I want to do bigger things I need to be able to make more of it.) He pondered, slowly pooling the substance in his hands before something else occurred to him. (Thinking about it I don¡¯t actually know what this stuff does to people other than me. For all I know it could be radioactive or some shit.) He felt like that would be just his luck. Wish for a power all his life and then get one that would have him slapped with a kill warrant within a week of using it publicly. Given how he¡¯d slapped a few tags onto the various trees in this little park clearing, he was fairly aware of the fact that his power wasn¡¯t immediately harmful to other living things, but that didn¡¯t mean it was harmless either. And while he knew the malice merchant was doing some research into whatever he was making, but seeing as how he didn¡¯t entirely trust the man, he felt it might be best to run a few easy tests himself. Looking around a bit for a suitable test subject he eventually found a small cluster of flowers, something that would do as a decent first test to see if this stuff was toxic to their smaller forms. Walking over he began to pour the substance on one side of the cluster, letting only minute amounts of it spread throughout the rest in the hopes of seeing if different exposure levels had different effects. As he did this he felt connections fairly similar to what he had with his tags beginning to form between him and some of the more heavily coated flowers. ¡°Maybe there is something here¡­¡± He murmured to himself before trying to more thoroughly coat the flowers he was connecting with in the substance. Unfortunately despite his best attempts the black substance began to evaporate before it could actually take hold of the flowers, and at his level he just couldn¡¯t both keep a hold of his connection to the flowers and produce enough of the substance to compete with the evaporation. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± He cursed starting to feel his headache return at the same time his stomach began to growl. ¡°And I¡¯m so close to¡­ something this time, I can just feel it.¡± He knew Deviant powers took time to develop but having not one but two powers right at the tip of his fingers, only for them to slip away was¡­ disheartening to say the least. ¡°No, can¡¯t think like that.¡± He told himself. (I can¡¯t let a single bad showing ruin me.) ¡°I may not have figured any new powers out, but at the very least I know I¡¯ve got two I can look into. And if I¡¯m really that desperate¡­¡± A vial of black and red flashed through his mind, before he shook his head once more. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day for today, I¡¯d rather not push my headache too far.¡± If he was lucky he¡¯d be able to get more done tomorrow than he did today. Scene Consequences -Due to experiment synergy gained 2XP towards (???) Production. --*Skill Level Up* (???) Production Lv. 2 (0/6) -Progress made towards [??? ???] Power. (1/5) --(Note: Malice Vials offer +1 power progress.) Act 4- Training Ink and Malice Act 4- Training Ink and Malice --- Joshua --- Staring at the rock he¡¯d spent the last three hours trying to move he let out an exhausted sigh, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the single vial of Malice he¡¯d brought with him. He was still reluctant to take the vial, especially after his horrendous last dose, but at the same time this was the substance responsible for his powers. Powers whose growth they¡¯d increase and that he might lose if he quits taking the vials. Vials that were being supplied by a mysterious group who he needed to at least minimally impress before the end of the coming weekend. Steeling himself he undid the vial¡¯s cap, before staring at the black and red substance within. ¡°Cheers.¡± The same mix of copper and strawberries flooded over his tongue, tasting just a bit better than they had the first time he¡¯d consumed one of the vials. (Not sure if that¡¯s a good thing or not.) He admitted to himself with a shiver. Shaking his head he moved towards the rock he¡¯d been using before re-applying his tag to it and taking a couple steps back. ¡°Well here¡¯s hoping this boost will be as fast acting as the last one.¡± He told himself, raising a hand towards the rock as he began to focus on his connection with his tag. Or rather tried to focus on it as it was that moment the Malice hit his system, his heart rate spiking as he began to once more hear that sweet symphony playing in the back of his head, though this time he could tell it had a distinctly jazzy feel to it. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give this another try.¡± He decided, loosening himself up a bit with a few full body shakes. Surprisingly -or perhaps unsurprisingly- he found it much easier to grab a hold of his connection to his tag than he usually did. Something he had no problem exploiting to try and further his attempts at manipulating the tagged rock. And unlike his previous attempts where he had to try and blindly feel out what he was supposed to do, he felt this sort of instinctive prodding from the back of his mind, almost as if there was a part of him who knew exactly how his powers were supposed to work. He felt his heart rate spike once more as something shifted within his connection to the tag until finally after hours of trying to do anything with the tagged rock, the tag jumped. Laughing and cheering at the fact that he (finally) had a true breakthrough with his powers, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he¡¯d been so reluctant to take another vial of Malice when both this and the first had given him such spectacular results. (Actually now that I think about it, I wonder how much this is affecting my other powers?) He considered, remembering how the malice merchant had mentioned something about a temporary power booster. He wasn¡¯t really sure if the man had meant his powers in general were temporary, or that he¡¯d get a temporary power up whenever he took a vial of Malice, but¡­ (No better time to test this than now.) He thought with a mad grin as he began pushing as much of the dark substance as he could from his hands, quickly finding the amount to be significantly greater than what he was normally capable of. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Continuing with his test he found that his push up limit had nearly doubled, and that he was a decent bit faster in his movements as well. (Not that that was all that hard.) Feeling his grin stretch a bit he made his way towards one of the trees before slapping a tag on it and walking away at a decent pace, happily noting how his connection to it remained active despite being more than four (five, six, seven, eight) meters away from it. ¡°Oh this, this is definitely something I should¡¯ve looked into sooner.¡± He laughed, enjoying the rush of being so powerful for once in his powerless life. (With this I can definitely become a super star.) Scene Consequences -1 Malice Vial consumed, power up funneled into new power rather than the existing one. -Unlocked (???) Tags sub-power: (To be chosen) at Lv. 1 (0/4) --Sub-powers are powers derived from another one that grant new abilities to the main power as well as giving a portion of their experience to the main power in exchange for being limited by the main power in question. --A/N: Just to note Josh can learn both powers but will have to start from 0 progress on the other one. -For unlocking a new sub-power gained 1XP (???) Tags. --*Skill Level Up*: (???) Tags Lv. 2 (0/6) -Due to experiment synergy gained 2XP to (???) Production and (???) Tags. -Currently: Lv. 2 (2/6) for both. -(???) Production doubled for this turn. -New information available about Malice Vials. --- By the time he finished running his tests on his malice enhanced self, he found said enhancements rapidly fading leaving him in a drained state in which his stomach was hollow and his mouth dry as a dessert. Accepting that he wouldn¡¯t be playing with his powers in his current state, he instead made his way back home before eating enough for three people and chugging half a gallon of water. An amount of food and water he was sure his stomach shouldn¡¯t have been able to naturally handle all at once. ¡°I guess that whole ¡®nutrient drain¡¯ the malice merchant was talking about is a little more efficient than I was expecting.¡± He sighed, not sure if he should be amused or horrified by the changes to his physiology. ¡°Nothing I can do about it now.¡± He told himself with another sigh, before making his way to his room and laying down for the night. Though of course sleep wasn¡¯t something he found easily with everything happening over the last few days. So instead he sat in the dark, city lights gently flitting through his window as he stared up at the ceiling, listening to the faint sounds of the bar below. Idly he raised one of his hands into the air, before letting a few drops of the black substance his power seemed to revolve around drip into the palm of his hand, until he made an amusing observation about the substance. (It¡¯s almost like ink.) The idle late-night thought got a chuckle out of him, before running on the half-asleep thoughts he sat up and pulled some paper out of his backpack. ¡°Let¡¯s see here¡­¡± On an odd compulsion, instead of just using the (ink) dripping out from under his nails, he took the tip of his index finger and dipped it into the small well of (ink) made by the palm of his hand, before placing said finger to the page and drawing out a little stick figure. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure why, but he felt a deep sort of satisfaction when instead of fading like his (ink) usually did the little stick figure stuck to the page. The (ink) remaining far longer than any other instance of the substance he¡¯d produced prior. ¡°You know what?¡± He smiled at the little drawing. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to hang you up on the wall.¡± Scene Consequences -Progress made towards [(???) Ink] Power. (1/10) Act 5- Toon History, Parkour Flops, and Rube Goldberg Act 5- Toon History, Parkour Flops, and Rube Goldberg --- Joshua --- During lunch he skimmed through the various books around the library, hoping to find something that might help him with his powers. (The question is what though?) In the roughly twenty years since Deviants were made public, dozens of books and studies had been published about each deviancy ranging from scientific breakdowns to reports given by said Deviants who¡¯d spent years researching their own abilities. (Though how much of that applies to me?) He frowned, remembering that his powers were the result of an ongoing experiment by the Malice Merchant. (And I doubt that experiment¡¯s been made public.) Everyone knew that Corrupted were a thing, but the ¡®corruptors¡¯ -whatever their method may be- were usually frowned upon by the government due to their ability to essentially make supersoldiers on demand. (Which is why I probably won¡¯t find anything regarding ¡®Malice¡¯ based powers.) Sighing, he shook his head before deciding that he wouldn¡¯t get anywhere working at a problem he didn¡¯t even know where to begin with. So instead he made his way towards a section of the library filled with video game artbooks and other such books that were more picture than word in the hope of getting some of the students to actually read. (Let¡¯s see¡­) He ran a finger along the book spine, reading the title but finding nothing at least until he found ¡®The Cartoonist¡¯s Chaoticly Complex Compendium¡¯ a book that sung out to him for some reason he couldn¡¯t quite comprehend. ¡°Why not?¡± After the night previous when he¡¯d used his ink to draw something he¡¯d felt a deep sort of satisfaction in the act of creating something with his ink, and felt like maybe it could be a new hobby. Though given how he¡¯d never tried drawing outside of a handful of half-assed art projects, he didn¡¯t actually know all that much about drawing, hence why he¡¯d been looking for a book on drawing in the first place. The first few pages weren¡¯t all that much, though the author and/or illustrator had had the brilliant idea to have an old black and white cartoon character explaining everything, with a couple of other characters occasionally popping in to add to the chaos. Flipping through he learned a fair amount about cartoons and the techniques behind their creation, such as how the earliest forms of animation were toys that when spun would give the illusion of movement, and Charles-¨¦mile Reynaud, a now-parisian inventor of one such toy, would go on to create one of the first animations by using transparently projected images over a second projected background to create one of the first animated films that he released in 1892. From there animation slowly took a step into the world of film as small animation was added to films via a stop-motion technique where films would stop and start filming so that drawn images could be swapped out as seen in the Enchanted Drawing. A short film where a man interacted with his drawing, pulling pieces of it out into reality by replacing the drawn objects with their real world counterparts while the figure of said drawing flipped to new images after each interaction. From there the first cartoon using the now traditional technique of drawing a number of images blending together was ¡®Fantasmagorie¡¯. Released in 1908, the short piece lasted about seventy-five seconds and was made up of roughly seven-hundred hand drawn images that when played together created the first animated film to be released. A few other animators were mentioned developing new techniques over the course of the next decade to help smooth out the animation techniques that had been thus far developed. One such technique being ¡®by 2s¡¯ -a technique in which animators only changed out their images every other frame instead of for twenty-four frames needed for a second of animation- which had been in (and still was) in active use for over a hundred years, given its use in Fantasmagorie. Unfortunately these solo animators slowly died out as studios quickly became the standard as animation began to get a foothold in the film industry in the decades leading up to the golden age of animation. Scene Consequences -Consequences to be seen, (you meta-gamers...)* -Additional options available in the Cartoon Cabaret. (When unlocked.) *This comment was to the questers who wrote this option in. --- Feeling a bout of inspiration after reading about so many different artists, he pulled out a few sheets of paper and began using his (ink) to sketch and draw little shapes and figures, once more feeling that odd sort of satisfaction as his (ink) lasted notably longer in the creation of something else. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. (I really should keep at this.) Scene Consequences -1 point of progress towards [(???) Ink] Power. --Currently: (2/10) --- Now that he was out of school he decided to attempt making use of his theoretically unlimited stamina to try and figure out something that was considered a must for all serious Masks. Namely parkour. ¡°Now if only I actually knew anything about parkour¡­¡± He sighed to himself, having managed to find a decent enough area without any witnesses to practice, that was his only real problem at the moment. What little he could think of was based off of movies and video games, places where they didn¡¯t necessarily have to rely on how realistic their actions and movements were. (Meaning I can¡¯t actually trust them.) (Then again there¡¯s sometimes some truth in television.) Shaking his head, he looked at a nearby brick wall before taking a few steps back and trying to sprint at it. He managed to get one foot on the wall before crashing into it as he banged his knee into the stone work. ¡°Shit, fuck!¡± He cursed bouncing away from the wall as he waited for the pain to fade from his knee and side. ¡°Okay.¡± He started, forcing himself to slow down and think about this. ¡°Wall running isn¡¯t going to be a thing until I figure out some of the other basics of parkour.¡± Grimacing as the solution came to him -and at the fact he hadn¡¯t thought of it sooner- he walked to his backpack and pulled out his phone before searching, ¡®basic parkour moves¡¯. ¡°Let¡¯s see here¡­¡± He began, reading over the list of beginner exercises to build up to the actual parkour moves. ¡°Rolling¡­ Some balance work¡­ Precision jumping¡­ Jump spins¡­ And quadrupedal movement?¡± He re-read that last one before realizing it was meant to get people used to coordinating their arms and legs at the same time. ¡°Alright, yeah. I should be able to work with this.¡± He nodded, knowing that since he didn¡¯t really have an understanding of any of this stuff it was going to take him a bit to figure out how to do this. Especially since he was still a little out of shape compared to most people who practiced parkour. (That just means I¡¯ll have to work a bit harder to figure it out.) Scene Consequences -Progress made towards ??? Mobility Power or Skill. (1/4) --- Sitting on his living room couch exhausted, sore, and mildly bruised after his mixed parkour practice, he ended up staring at his hand as he remembered the incident from a few days prior when that odd series of accidents had happened in the bar. At the time he hadn¡¯t given it much thought seeing as how he was standing in the middle of all of that chaos and carnage, but now that he had time to think about it he couldn¡¯t help but consider the fact that the whole incident had been extremely familiar. ¡°I thought I was done dreaming about this.¡± He sighed, clenching his fist shut. (But that was before I had any star power.) Leaning back he let his gaze rise until he was left staring at the ceiling fan spinning mindlessly in circles. Ever since he was a kid he¡¯d always dreamed of having his brother¡¯s powers, of making the world around him bend the knee through sheer force of will. Then of course came the year he hit the age his brother got his powers, and he was so excited, until the year after came, and the year after that still without any change. And so it would continue until he drank a little vial of red and black. ¡°Fuck it.¡± He decided, standing up. ¡°What¡¯s one more try.¡± Reaching into his pocket he took out one of the vials responsible for renewing the hope of this childish dream, before undoing the cap and downing it in a single gulp as the coppery tasting strawberry hit his tongue. His heart rate spiked and he heard that sweet jazzy symphony starting up once more as his foot began to idly tap along. ¡°Now then, how to test this?¡± He asked the world around him while eyeing everything in his living room. (Best to start small and work up to the bigger performances.) Nodding to himself, he pulled a quarter out of his pocket and made it dance over his fingers -a parlour trick his brother had taught him back when he¡¯d still been trying to help him discover his powers- before turning towards the room¡¯s light switch. ¡°It¡¯s ten percent luck, twenty percent skill, and eighty percent power of will¡­¡± He recited, repeating the line his brother used to tell him about giving his all. (Just hit the lights.) He told himself, before slowly feeling something resonate within him, something distinctly different than what he felt whenever he used his tags. Smirking he flipped the coin between his index and his thumb, pulled his arm back, and threw the coin at the light switch to the room, where it connected with the switch, and immediately flew back to hit him in his eye. ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed losing his balance as he fell backwards at an odd angle, before banging his elbow on the table as his shoe flew off his foot and the sound of shattering glass followed shortly after. Laying there surrounded by broken glass, he couldn¡¯t help but smile through his pain, because while it hadn¡¯t happened the way he¡¯d intended or anything like the way his brother would¡¯ve done it, the ¡®lights¡¯ had in fact been ¡®hit¡¯ through a series of unusual circumstances. ¡°Finally!¡± He laughed, a little madder than usual but hey, (I finally did it! After four fucking years, I finally did it!) Scene Consequences -Power Revealed: Rube Goldberg Field Lv. 1 (0/4)* --Note: Madness based powers are debuffed until ??? ??? is unlocked. *A/N: Those of you wondering this was the first (chosen) Toon power -sweet symphony- and would¡¯ve been hinted at until revealed when the restriction was lifted. -1 Malicious Madness sent to the Cartoon Cabaret. Act 6- Working Out and Knocking Out Act 6- Working Out and Knocking Out --- Joshua --- Getting up on Sunday a part of him remembered the fact that it had been just over a week since he¡¯d talked to the Malice Merchant who had told him, ¡®We¡¯ll find you, when we want you.¡¯ Meaning he was likely to have his second encounter with the merchant any day now. He also remembered how the Malice Merchant had mentioned something about deciding how they¡¯d continued depending on how his powers had progressed by said meeting. (But aside from figuring a couple of things out I haven¡¯t really made any solid progress.) Sure he figured out how to move his tags, and how to use a weaker version of Chris¡¯s old ¡®rule of cool¡¯ power, but beyond that he didn¡¯t really have anything in the way of tangible progress either. And so, with this thought in mind he rolled out of bed and grabbed one of his malice vials from the case next to his bed. He knew taking a vial would temporarily amp all of his powers, making breakthroughs just a little easier, but with what he had in mind the increase to his healing factor alone would be more than enough for his purposes. ¡°Time for a serious workout.¡± He told himself before downing the vial of copper and strawberries. Scene Consequences -New Power: (???) Enhanced Strength at Lv. 1 (0/4) --(A/N: From a game perspective every level of this ability gives us a +1 to Strength, which affects melee damage and Strength reliant skills and abilities.) --All Physical and Reflexive abilities are slightly easier to learn. --- By the time he finished with his workout, eaten enough for a decent sized family, and showered all of the sweat off, he was capable of doing a little over a hundred push ups in a single sitting as well as over fifty sit-ups. A marked improvement from his not even passable results of a week ago. (Too bad I don¡¯t seem to be getting any actual muscle out of this.) He couldn¡¯t help but frown as he poked at his stomach and arms, feeling roughly the same amount of flab he¡¯d had at the start of the week. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s some kind of increased muscle density kind of thing going on.¡± Which would kind of suck given how he had to have done nearly a thousand push-ups and a few hundred sit ups in the course of a week, an exercise quota that would make most introverted nerds -such as himself- vomit from the mere idea of. All without any visible gains. ¡°I¡¯m sure I just need to keep pushing it, and I¡¯ll get that super six-pack soon enough.¡± He assured himself, since his brother still had all of his muscles despite retiring and severely cutting back on his old workout regiment. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Shaking his head at his regular teenage body issues, he instead turned his attention towards the remaining two vials of Malice in his case. He knew the Malice Merchant was going to take him for a meeting, but he didn¡¯t actually know when that meeting was going to be. Nor did he know if actually had enough power to be of interest as anything more than a guinea pig to his patron. The malice vials however could offer him a quick power up, the ability to show off his powers at their potential level rather than their actual level. (Though that¡¯s only if they don¡¯t dock me points for using it mid-test¡­) He gnawed on his lip for a moment before nodding as he made his decision. --- Given how he knew he was going to be tested soon, but not how he was going to be tested, he decided that making a trip to the library to try and find some books on different fighting styles wouldn¡¯t hurt. Admittedly he could probably find said styles on the internet, but given how he didn¡¯t really know what he was looking for he had no way of knowing if he was missing out on a better style for him or not. And while this wouldn¡¯t change much at the library, the trip to said library gave him ample time to play around with the power he¡¯d spent half of his childhood hoping for. A power that was currently making him trip over his own feet, crash into people, or walk into a brick wall every time he used it. Each in an increasingly convoluted manner that he couldn¡¯t quite follow after a certain point in which the pain racked up. ¡°I¡¯ve just got to get used to working this power is all.¡± He told himself limping away from his latest pain inflicting power usage. (I just have to suffer for my art a bit.) Scene Consequences -Rube Goldberg Field gained 1XP --Currently: Lv. 1 (1/4) --- After a long series of disasters that left him with a pounding headache, he finally made it to the neighborhood library. (I just remembered that most powers -especially Madness powers- are supposed to leave the users with headaches if they use them too much.) He kind of wished he¡¯d remembered that before his eyes started stabbing him in an attempt to escape his skull. ¡°You know what? I¡¯m just going to take a nice seat on this bench and until my head quits pounding, then I¡¯ll figure out this whole¡­ fighting style mess.¡± He groaned, closing his eyes as he took a seat on one of the benches next to the staircase leading up to the library. Of course, it was just as his headache was beginning to recede that something decided to rudely cheapshot him. --- *Scene Interrupt* ¡°Fuck.¡± He groaned as consciousness slowly returned to him. A quick glance around the room revealed the familiar face of the Malice Merchant from the week prior. ¡°Really Doc, your guys had to knock me unconscious? You could¡¯ve just asked me to tag along.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind for next time.¡± The man assured him. ¡°For now we have other things to discuss such as your power development after this first week.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± He swallowed suddenly feeling a little nervous about what progress he had made. ¡°Quite.¡± The man nodded, writing down something on a clipboard. (Shit. He noticed my nerves.) ¡°So, why don¡¯t we get that over with first, hmm?¡± The man started, spinning his pen between his fingers. ¡°Tell me, how much progress have you made in the week we¡¯ve left you alone for?¡± A Malicious Test (Scene 1) A Malicious Test (Scene 1) --- Joshua --- ¡°Alright.¡± He swallowed feeling a sudden bout of nervousness, before stumbling towards a chair across from the man, idly noting both the Malice Merchant¡¯s guard off to the side as well as the familiar empty warehouse from the week before. ¡°Should I start with new powers or the one you already know about?¡± ¡°Hm,¡± The Malice Merchant tilted his head to one side. ¡°We¡¯ve already made a few discoveries towards the black substance you¡¯re capable of producing, but why don¡¯t you tell me what you¡¯ve discovered about it yourself?¡± ¡°Right.¡± He sighed, trying to think about the little bit of process he¡¯d managed to make. ¡°So far I¡¯ve figured out that I have this sort of connection to anything that touches the black stuff. Like those tags I make, I can keep track of them for up to eight meters away now.¡± ¡°Now?¡± The Malice Merchant interrupted. ¡°Meaning the distance has increased from when you first got it, correct?¡± ¡°Um, yeah.¡± He nodded. ¡°First time I tested the distance I could only go about four meters, then I used one of those vials you gave me and was able to double that distance.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve been able to maintain that increased distance since?¡± The man pressed, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Uh, I haven¡¯t really tested it since¡­¡± He found himself admitting as a chill ran down his spine. The Malice Merchant sighed before giving him another look. ¡°And have you made any other progress with this particular power set? For instance do you know if there¡¯s an upper limit to how many tags you can place at once?¡± ¡°I, um, no.¡± He felt like he might¡¯ve failed that particular line of inquiry. (No. Don¡¯t think like that. I can still save this show!) He shook his head clear before trying to make an attempt to salvage this whole thing. ¡°But I have upped the amount of stuff I can produce in a single sitting, and I figured out how to make my tags move a bit.¡± ¡°How to make your tags move?¡± The man repeated with some interest. ¡°How do you mean?¡± ¡°I can make them move a few inches from wherever I place them.¡± He elaborated with what little he knew about that untested ability. ¡°Are you limited to a single surface, or can you make the tags move onto a touching surface?¡± The man asked, writing something down on his clipboard. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± He admitted with a grimace. The Malice Merchant gave him a mildly disdainful look. ¡°You weren¡¯t particularly thorough with your power testing were you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I tried to focus on finding other powers I might have.¡± He explained, not liking the fact that he was trying to make excuses for himself. ¡°And did you find anything of interest?¡± The man asked in a bored tone, as if he was already writing Joshua off. (Shit, my ratings are plummeting!) ¡°I used my healing factor to get my strength to a notably higher level.¡± He offered, knowing how many people like super strength. ¡°And since I didn¡¯t build any visible muscle despite being able to lift for almost ten times my previous amount I think I¡¯ve got some muscle density thing going on that¡¯ll let me go beyond normal human limits.¡± ¡°Yes, that all falls under the expected physical enhancements.¡± The man told him, before frowning at something. ¡°What do you mean by, you used your healing factor?¡± ¡°Oh, um, I¡¯ve noticed my healing factor makes it so I don¡¯t really get physically tired?¡± He tried to explain. ¡°I mean, I do for a few seconds if I push myself but it doesn¡¯t last long enough to actually slow me down. So from there I just worked out until I dropped, healed and repeated until I was doing almost ten times as much as what I started with.¡± ¡°Hm, so the strength was developed rather than inherent? Not rare, but not exactly common either.¡± The man informed him, writing something else down before giving him another look. ¡°Anything else of note?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ Nothing physical but, uh¡­ ¡± (What else was there?) He blinked trying to piece together something that might impress the Malice Merchant. (Wait, wasn¡¯t the whole reason they wanted me because of Chris¡¯s Madness?) ¡°Do you know what a rube goldberg machine is?¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The man tilted his head in curiosity. ¡°That¡¯s when something is made needlessly complex isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Right.¡± He nodded, trying to think of the best way to explain what was probably the exact power they were hoping to get out of him. ¡°Well, do you know my brother¡¯s old ¡®rule of cool¡¯ trick?¡± ¡°The one where he manipulated madness to force probability into his favor?¡± The man verified, hints of interest coloring his voice. (Looks like I was right in what they want from me.) He told himself feeling a little more confident. ¡°Well I¡¯ve managed to develop something that¡¯s between the two of them.¡± The man knitted his hands together while leaning forward expectantly. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got this field like thing that I can project, it lets me do things with extremely low odds of happening by making the problem even more complicated.¡± He elaborated, hoping that was enough to peak the man¡¯s interest. The Malice Merchant stared at him for a moment before asking. ¡°Can you prove it? I mean, given how this is your brother¡¯s signature power, it might just be you seeing things that aren¡¯t really there.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± He asked, feeling a faint trace of indignation at the thought that he might not have the power he¡¯d spent years trying to get. ¡°Something with a notably low probability, and yet viable as a testing sample.¡± The man mumbled to himself before eventually turning back to him. ¡°Do you happen to have a coin on you?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± He nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a quarter. ¡°Alright, now flip it.¡± The man told him. ¡°Um, I think making it repeatedly land on the same face isn''t going to work well.¡± He grimaced, already seeing where this test was going. ¡°I can only really do it two or three times in a row before I have to stop.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± The man assured him. ¡°Just humor me for now and flip it as high as you can.¡± Nodding once, he did as the man asked and flipped the coin as high into the air as he could before managing to catch it in a feat that was more luck than skill. ¡°Good.¡± The man told him, watching with an intense gaze. ¡°Now without looking at it, flip it again.¡± He did, once more lucky enough to catch it. ¡°And again.¡± No longer sure of where this was going he tossed the coin into the air, watching as it flew even higher than before, something that would make it all the harder for him to catch. ¡°Now make it land neither heads nor tails.¡± ¡°What?!¡± He asked, his eyes shooting to the man, before jumping back to the coin as he realized he lost his rhythm and didn¡¯t know if he could catch it again. ¡°Neither heads nor tails.¡± The man repeated in the same bored tone as before. (Neither heads nor tails, neither heads nor tails.) He told himself, trying to will the coin to land in his hand in that odd angle. (Though how will he know I actually used my power to make it land-) His chair creaked beneath him, before the legs gave out and his chin bashed on the table edge nearly knocking him out as the table¡¯s own legs gave out causing it to crash to one side before flipping at an odd angle as his knee hit it¡¯s underside as he recoiled from the blow to his chin. Groaning and in pain, he forced himself to sit up before finding the man staring at something on the broken table. ¡°Interesting. Very interesting, Mr. Durand.¡± The man congratulated him, and as he peered closed he realized the coin had caught on one of the broken table legs and was now being held up on its side, unable to fall thanks to the chip in the metal so small that the entirety of george washington was still visible on the side. The man continued to stare at the coin for another moment before finally focusing on him. ¡°Tell me, this was the last power you managed to develop over this last week, correct?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± He admitted a little nervously. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few other things I¡¯m working on, but that¡¯s the last of the stuff I¡¯ve actually managed.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The man nodded, before giving him a look. ¡°In that case do you remember what I said about your powers and conflict?¡± ¡°That fighting makes my powers grow faster?¡± He answered, not entirely liking the direction this was going. ¡°Good then this won¡¯t take you by surprise too much.¡± The man smirked in schadenfreude. ¡°Wha?¡± A hand latched onto his shoulder before flipping him into the air and throwing him across the warehouse where he hit the concrete floor with a pain filled roll. With a whole new slew of aches on top of the old, he couldn¡¯t help but groan as he slowly picked himself up and turned back to the Malic Merchant, his guard, and a new figure now standing between him and the other two. ¡°Meet Zylah, the Shadow Dancer.¡± The Malice Merchant introduced gesturing to the pale young woman in a black masquerade mask, wearing a sleeveless black dress of shifting shadows that stopped mid thigh on one side and mid calf on the other. ¡°She¡¯ll be in charge of the more physical part of your test today.¡± ¡°And¡­ And what exactly is that test?¡± He asked cautiously, somehow able to just tell that the woman in front of him could and would kick his ass if it came down to a fight between them. ¡°Because I really doubt I can take her in a fight.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± The Malice Merchant admitted bluntly. ¡°Which is why your goal is to survive for as long as possible with her attacking you. Bonus points will be rewarded if you actually manage to land any hits on her.¡± He nodded, eyeing the young woman who somehow seemed to be growing more dangerous to his senses the longer she just stood there. ¡°Right¡­ Just survive¡­ easy.¡± He lied to himself. (Just got to figure out what¡¯ll put on the best show.) A Malicious Test (Scene 2) A Malicious Test (Scene 2) --- Joshua --- Given how he was technically taking a recruitment test for a sketchy criminal organization, he decided that proving that he could in fact do some damage was the best way of earning a decent place within said organization. Which is why as soon as the Malice Merchant told him to start he rushed the unknown Deviant who had been working for the criminal organization for an unknown amount of time. (In hindsight that might not have been a good idea.) He groaned, picking himself off the ground where Zylah had kicked him twenty feet away. ¡°Not opening strong.¡± The young woman told him playfully, a hint of amusement to her voice. ¡°Yeah, fuck you too¡­¡± He cursed quietly, as he felt the bruise in his side slowly healing. ¡°I heard that.¡± ¡°Of course you did.¡± He grumbled, trying to think about the best way to approach this mess given how he¡¯d never actually been in a fight. (If we exclude all of the bullies anyway.) (Alright, so given how the merchant said physical enhancements are real common, I¡¯m not going to be overpowering or outpacing her anytime soon.) He thought to himself as Zylah tilted her head. ¡°Not going to try and rush me again?¡± She asked curiously. (So that leaves my tags and my fields¡­ which she probably knows about from watching my interview, shit!) He cursed himself before telling her that, ¡°I don¡¯t need the fact that you¡¯re stronger than me beaten into my skull.¡± ¡°Shame, because it¡¯s rather fun watching you fly through the air.¡± The Shadow Dancer taunted with a smile beneath her masquerade mask. (Alright, that just means I need to be unpredictable¡­ Which my field should be good for, if it works the way I think it does.) ¡°What can I say, I live to entertain.¡± He admitted, feeling the odd compulsion to throw in a dramatic bow while he was at it. Zylah smirked before disappearing in a blur and reappearing in another hovering in the air next to him. (The fuck!) Another kick -this time to his head- sent him tumbling across the ground once more, while leaving him mildly dazed. (Shit¡­ Teleportation?) He blinked before shaking his head clear as his healing factor took care of what was probably a concussion. (No, I caught a bit of blur both when she disappeared and when she reappeared, so she¡¯s probably just that fast. Wonderful.) Picking himself up once more he stumbled a step before righting himself as he glared at the young woman grinning at him. (So if she¡¯s a speedster in some way the first priority is figuring out how to track her. My tags, maybe?) Zylah disappeared in another blow before he felt something on one of his shoulders. ¡°You know this isn¡¯t very fun if you¡¯re going to just stand there staring at me.¡± The next thing he knew he was once more flying through the air, notably a good ten twenty feet in the air. (Oh, shit!) He hit the concrete with a painful crunch, one that quickly gave an encore as whatever he broke on impact broke itself back into place. ¡°Fu-uck!¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°You giving up already?¡± Zylah asked in a mocking tone. ¡°Fuck you!¡± He spat both the words and a bit of blood, before yet again forcing himself onto his feet. ¡°Well, no one can say you can¡¯t take a beating.¡± The Shadow Dancer laughed. ¡°Got to love that healing factor.¡± He agreed wholeheartedly. ¡°I wonder how much damage it can heal before I finally overwhelm it?¡± Zylah asked, a hint of sadism coloring her question. ¡°I¡¯d really rather not find out.¡± He admitted with a nervous laugh. (Really need that tag if I want to be able to keep up with her.) He told himself, already coating his hand in the black substance as he had an idea. (Alright, power, don¡¯t fail me now.) Zylah blurred in front of him one leg raised and he pushed on his rube goldberg field while filling it with the intent of ¡®Tag Zylah¡¯. Something in him twisted as he tried to use both his tag and his field at the same time, a knife of agony tearing through his skull at the exact moment he stumbled away from Zylah¡¯s latest kick before blindly swinging his arm out in a way that somehow managed to land a hit on the Shadow Dancer even as he crashed into the ground. (Alright¡­ that was a bad idea.) He grimaced as the pain remained with a dull ache. (But at the very least I tagged her, though I wonder why it didn¡¯t hurt me this time.) ¡°Did you¡­ did you just slap my ass?!¡± His eyes shot to the fuming female and he realized, (ah, it was playing the long game this time.) With a face of rage Zylah blurred out of existence before -as his tag helpfully informed him- appearing behind him the¡­ leg he tagged raised at an angle ready to strike. He threw himself forward just in time to hear an audible crunching sound from behind him, one that -when he looked- revealed Zylah¡¯s heeled foot had gone through the concrete flooring. ¡°Okay¡­ so you were pulling your punches.¡± He swallowed, a sudden dryness filling his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be anymore.¡± Zylah happily informed him, once more blurring into existence a short distance away. ¡°Uh-oh.¡± He leapt out of the way once more before scrambling towards one of the nearby warehouse walls, hoping that by putting a wall to his back he¡¯d be able to keep the Shadow Dancer from coming at him from all angles. Another dodge sent him crashing into the wall, painfully hitting his shoulder as he avoided another ferocious kick. (Okay, okay, just need one or two good hits and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have put up a decent showing.) He told himself, feeling his heart beating in his chest as he panicked ever so slightly at the idea of trying to hit the superpowered Deviant currently trying to cave his skull in with her heels. (Wait, she¡¯s fighting in heels?!) The answer to that thought was a resounding yes, as demonstrated by said heel piercing two inches into the wall less than that from his eye. He pushed off the wall hopping back a few paces to try and give himself a bit of distance as he once more began to pull on his power, hoping he can manage at least one solid blow. ¡°Alright power, please don¡¯t fuck me over this time.¡± He whispered, as he pushed his field to let him ¡®land a critical hit¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m trusting you little buddy.¡± Rushing towards Zylah, the Shadow Dancer easily weaved away from each punch he threw at her while stepping around him before finally tripping him in a way that sent him crashing face first into the wall. A blow that left him dazed as he turned around and struck out before hitting something soft. (Wait, soft?) As the minor head trauma left him, horror found him as he found his fist pointed towards Zylah¡¯s chest, the chest Zylah was currently clutching with an affronted look. (Little buddy, you fucked me. Why, why did you fuck me?) ¡°Did you just punch my tit?!¡± The rightfully pissed female hissed. His eyes darted between Zylah¡¯s face, his fist, Zylah¡¯s chest, Zylah¡¯s murderous face, the audience staring at him in mild disbelief, and finally Zylah¡¯s ¡®I¡¯m going to shank a bitch¡¯ face, before he found himself blurting out, ¡°Gender equality?¡± There was some kind of choking laugh from the direction of his audience as Zylah merely glared at him before growing a smile he did not like. ¡°You know what?¡± He felt an intense pain as he was lifted six inches off the ground. ¡°Gender equality.¡± He fell to the ground with a whimper, his hands between his legs as he laid there in agony. Eventually though Zylah kicked him over and put her heel to his throat. ¡°You ready to call this farce of a fight now?¡± The young woman asked without a hint of her previous amicability. A Malicious Test (Final Scene) A Malicious Test (Final Scene) --- Joshua --- He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a concussion or something else but he felt a laugh bubble up his throat as a mad grin grew on his face. ¡°Sorry lady, but farce seems to be my style.¡± He tilted his head as he noticed something else. ¡°Also, you know I can see up your skirt from this angle, right?¡± He actually couldn¡¯t thanks to her shadows but he figured if he was going to mouth off, (might as well go all in.) Zylah snarled and raised her heel giving him just a brief moment to consider the fact that, (this is going to hurt) before pain and darkness filled his awareness. --- ¡°Oh, boss you¡¯re not looking good...¡± A voice commented as he wondered why he felt like he was laying on velvet carpet. ¡°Just, just give me a second and I¡¯ll have you right as rain boss!¡± ¡°R-right, the show¡­ musht go on.¡± He agreed, his voice slurring as he pushed himself off the ground. ¡°Too true boss, too true.¡± The voice agreed as the familiar clink of bottle to bar glass hit his ears. ¡°Drink this, and you¡¯ll be ready for your next scene.¡± Something cold yet warm hit his lips, before burning down his throat and leaving him laughing as- --- He sat up with a smile on his face, despite the ice pick piercing his skull and melting his mind. ¡°Hm, not going to lie, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to get up this fast.¡± The Malice Merchant told him, a vial of Malice loaded into an injector of some kind. ¡°What can I say? The show must go on!¡± He laughed springing to his feet in a (heh) feat of athleticism, he didn¡¯t think himself capable of. ¡°Interesting.¡± The man blinked in seeming surprise. ¡°Yes, I am. Thank you for noticing.¡± He grinned, feeling ants crawling on his brain as he tasted something (de-licious) on his tongue. The Malice Merchant ¡®hm¡¯ed¡¯ as he stared at Joshua for a moment before finally telling him, ¡°You have nosebleed.¡± Smiling, he wiped at his upper lip before pulling his hand away and seeing a nearly black red. ¡°So I am.¡± Both of them were quiet for a moment, the man staring at him and him smiling all the while. ¡°Right.¡± The man said after a full minute of them standing there. ¡°So would you like to know what we¡¯ve discovered about the¡­ substance your power revolves around?¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds¡­ entertaining.¡± He admitted, another chuckle escaping him for some reason. The man watched him for another moment before turning towards the table. ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°So, tell me about myself Doc.¡± He prompted once they were both seated. The Malice (Doctor, he seems like he could be a doctor,) pushed a folder across to him. ¡°This packet contains several files on the substance you produce, you can keep it in case you forget anything during your current state of mind.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Whatever do you mean?¡± He asked curiously, feeling like if anything his mind was finally in the proper state of affairs for getting things done. ¡°Overuse of madness causes a temporary -possibly permanent with repeated exposure- state of delirium, confusion, removal of inhibitions, as well as hallucinations and sociopathic tendencies.¡± The Malice Doctor explained with an intense gaze. ¡°And all of that is before we get into the side-effects of Malice on your system.¡± ¡°Ooh, sounds fun.¡± He grinned. ¡°Quite¡­¡± The Malice Doctor was staring at him again, (then again I¡¯m fabulous so why wouldn¡¯t he?) ¡°The first thing we discovered was the substance you¡¯re producing is not actually Black Water despite sharing several characteristics.¡± ¡°Oh, then what is it?¡± ¡°As far as we can tell, an odd form of ink.¡± ¡°Ink.¡± He purred, the word doing things to him. ¡°Yes¡­ ink¡­¡± The Malice Doctor nodded, looking a little uncomfortable for some reason. ¡°What¡¯s interesting about that is it isn¡¯t an organic ink such as what cephalopods produce, but rather artificial like manufactured inks. More specifically the less efficient inks from the early to mid 1900¡¯s, hence its ability to evaporate when exposed to heat or light, which is then accelerated by the Malice within, one of the two ingredients notably different from said brands.¡± ¡°Oh, and what¡¯s the other?¡± He felt compelled to ask. ¡°A small portion of your ink is chemically similar to blood,¡± The Malice Doctor admitted, before clarifying, ¡°your blood to be exact.¡± ¡°So my ink leaves a bloody signature wherever I leave it¡­¡± He figured, the revelation earning a mixed reaction from him given how it could cost him his anonymity, but at the same time (a star must give autographs to their fans!) ¡°Mm, yes and no.¡± The Malice Doctor told him. ¡°The blood concentrate is largely covered up by the Malice, the only reason I could see it was because I had samples of your blood from before, after, and during your body¡¯s modifications. As well as an understanding of Malice beyond most labs.¡± ¡°So people won¡¯t see it unless they¡¯re holding my blood right next to the ink?¡± He summarized, a fair part of him enjoying the idea of hiding his signature in his (art). ¡°And that¡¯s before the evaporation effect, and only if you¡¯ve been using your powers a great deal before the sample was taken.¡± The Malice Doctor assured him. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± He admitted with another smile, before taking a look at the folder. ¡°Got anything else to tell me Doc?¡± ¡°Nothing you don¡¯t already know.¡± The Doc (lied), causing his eye to spasm in annoyance. ¡°You sure?¡± He asked, just barely noticing the odd edge to his own tone. ¡°If you want I can explain the meta-biology responsible for your unique form of regeneration?¡± The Malice Doctor offered, standing his ground and meeting his eyes. ¡°Sounds interesting, but I¡¯m going to give that a tentative ¡®no¡¯.¡± He told the Malice Doctor, even as he felt his smile growing just a touch too wide. ¡°Good, then we can move onto the next order of business.¡± The Malice Doctor nodded, before propping his head up with one hand as he looked into Josh¡¯s eyes. ¡°What to do with you?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± He grinned, all teeth. ¡°Guinea pig or agent, I¡¯m sure I can put on one hell of a show.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you can.¡± The Malice Doctor admitted. ¡°Which is why we¡¯re going to make sure you¡¯re actually skilled enough to put on that show.¡± (Of course I¡¯m skilled enough, but still¡­ ) ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Every day for the next week one of our¡­ agents will be at this warehouse between the hours of five and eight.¡± The Malice Doctor explained. ¡°If you come to the warehouse on these days they will teach you the basics of several skills that should prove¡­ useful, in whichever role you choose. And at the end of the week, we shall give you one final placement test to decide whether your a, as you put it, ¡®guinea pig or agent¡¯.¡± (So one week of lessons before the audition that decides whether I''m a star or extra.) ¡°So, all I have to do is come back tomorrow for those lessons, right?¡± He double checked, already confident in whether he¡¯d attend or not. ¡°Well that and preferably, avoid¡­ annoying your designated teacher.¡± The Malice Doctor confessed with a hint of amusement at something. (Probably remembering my performance today.) ¡°Alright, sounds like we have our script.¡± He agreed, feeling a hint of excitement at the possibilities to come. Act 7, Scene 1- Angry Girls, Asskickings, and The Cabaret Act 7, Scene 1- Angry Girls, Asskickings, and The Cabaret --- Joshua --- ¡°Okay so we-¡± (You mean ¡®you¡¯.) ¡°-have spent more time on deciding this project than we should¡¯ve.¡± Annette told him, taking a seat at their regular table. ¡°We need to get this sorted.¡± ¡°Alright, so what do you want to do?¡± He asked, his mind more focused on the ¡®special training¡¯ the Malice Doctor had planned than a school project he couldn¡¯t care less about. Annette glared at him for a moment before getting fed up with his bullshit. ¡°You know you haven¡¯t actually put all that much effort into this project.¡± ¡°And you know until we pick a subject we don¡¯t have a project to work on.¡± He pointed out, in another attempt to push away the (pointless) project. ¡°Okay, then you pick a subject.¡± Annette told him. ¡°Sanctuary or the Heroes¡¯ Guild?¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing I can¡¯t just say neither?¡± He asked with a sigh. ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± Annette glared once more. ¡°Fine¡­¡± He groaned, rolling his neck as he thought about it for a minute. ¡°Well if you can¡¯t decide between Sanctuary and the Guild, why not just do both?¡± ¡°What?¡± His fellow teen scowled. ¡°I¡¯m not doubling our workload just because you can¡¯t make a decision.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. ¡°No, I mean a compare and contrast of the two organizations.¡± ¡°A compare and contrast?¡± Annette repeated. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What I mean is, both organizations are advertised as peacekeepers who deal with Deviant threats, and yet the way they do this is significantly different, as are the resulting reactions of the public.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°You mean, how Sanctuary uses their soldiers and the Guild has their Masks?¡± Annette figured. ¡°I mean the soldiers are more intimidating than the Masks, and show a more authoritarian approach while the Masks show more of a public protection kind of thing.¡± ¡°What? No!¡± He frowned, his face scrunching up in confusion as he tried to understand where she got that idea. ¡°Sanctuary Agents are basically the same thing as Masks so that¡¯s not a point, especially when you consider the fact that outside of a few independents the Heroes¡¯ Guild functions as an organization to encourage Masks to work with the police by offering legal legitimacy and assistance they can¡¯t get on their own. No what I was talking about is how Sanctuary keeps the peace by maintaining law and order, and the guild maintains it by inspiring hope and good-will.¡± Annette blinked as if surprised by how everyone knew the system worked. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s actually a unique concept.¡± ¡°Not really,¡± He disagreed, not getting why she was so surprised. ¡°I mean one is focused on public security and the other is focused on public relations. Which makes sense when you look at how they operate on the macro.¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Annette told him, pulling out a fresh sheet of paper. ¡°Now keep going this is good stuff.¡± ¡°I guess?¡± He admitted before shaking his head and continuing to explain details about the two institutions that someone as bright as Annette really should¡¯ve figured out by now. Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Annette. -New Skill Revealed: Street Smarts Lv. 3 (0/8) --The ability to make judgements about how people and things work on an urban level. --- As he made his way towards the Malice Doctor¡¯s warehouse, he decided he had enough time to try and work on his budding parkour skills, an effort he found notably easier than the last time he¡¯d attempted this. (I guess that ¡®enhanced strength¡¯ thing really does make this kind of thing easier.) He was by no means ¡®good¡¯ at his parkour attempts, but the various exercises he was doing were helping him with his footwork, as well as giving him a surprising amount of work on his full-body dexterity. It wouldn¡¯t help much with smaller more precise things on either front, but he was definitely seeing some improvement with the larger movements. Unfortunately, despite being able to do a lot of the more basic movements relatively quickly, he wasn¡¯t all that capable of chaining them together. And when he could manage that much, he found he had trouble keeping track of the obstacles in his little course at the speed he was covering it. As demonstrated when after managing to kick off a wall and climb over a fence, he misjudged the distance of the following jump causing one foot to land on his targeted dumpster and the other to be just a touch too short. A combination that resulted in his legs parting uncomfortably right as he hit the dumpster with his full weight, on a notable weak point of all males. (Ouchies¡­) Scene Consequences -Parkour Training (2/3) --- Having walked off his near-fatal injury he eventually arrived at the warehouse, he took in the large empty space and saw no one else in the building, leaving him wondering where his ¡®teacher¡¯ was. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. (Maybe they¡¯re running late.) He¡¯d made sure not to waste so much time with his -poor/(underrated)- attempts at parkour as to miss the time the Malice Doctor had given him. And at the same time he really doubted they¡¯d stand him up after spending who knows how much time and a dozen malice vials on him. This assumption was proven correct when an impact to his ass sent him flying across the room. ¡°First lesson, you need to know how to fight.¡± (No.) His eyes widened at the familiar voice. ¡°And the best way to learn how to fight?¡± (No, no, no.) He repeated as he picked himself up. ¡°Getting your ass kicked, until you stop.¡± Zylah told him. ¡°Fuck.¡± He cursed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is going to be fun.¡± The Shadow Dancer assured him, before appearing behind him and once more literally kicking his ass. ¡°For me at least.¡± ¡°Mistakes have been made.¡± He told himself as he laid there with a heel print on his buttox. ¡°Yes, yes they were.¡± Zylah agreed, pulling her leg back. Scene Consequences -New Skill Learned: Brawling at Lv. 2 (0/6) due to previous experiences and mentor¡¯s brutality and skill. --Grants a +(Skill Lv.) to all melee combat rolls while unarmed. --Note: You can learn multiple overlapping skills and when learning those particular skills you will gain a small starting XP bonus based on existing skill levels. Additionally skills do stack with each other if they overlap on a particular skill check. --- By the time he¡¯d finished getting his ass handed to him by Zylah, he hadn¡¯t felt like doing anything else with his day. Something Chris and Maddie were willing to accept given the late hour, after he¡¯d explained he¡¯d spent all day working on a couple of projects for school. So it¡¯d make sense that after a nice soothing shower, he¡¯d pass out within minutes of laying on his bed. Of course what didn¡¯t make sense was why he was standing in front of an increasingly familiar set of doors. (Another lucid dream?) He¡¯d had a couple before but none quite so vivid or frequent as the few he¡¯d had over the last week or so. (Ever since I got my powers really¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head with a grin. ¡°Can¡¯t tell if that¡¯d be an awesome power or a terrible one.¡± ¡°Still if I keep having this dream, I should probably see where this is going.¡± He admitted, pulling a familiar set of golden keys from his pocket before opening the doors. This was when he noticed a difference between his first time here and this, namely that the unlit lights along the wall were all glowing. (Wonder what that means?) He frowned before continuing down the hall and past the curtains, where instead of finding a large darkened area he found a well lit, if empty, bar. ¡°So I guess all the lights are on now.¡± He commented, taking a better look at the speakeasy that didn¡¯t look much better in the light than it had in the dark. (You can actually tell how run down this place is now.) The cloth covering the furniture was covered in dust -(which I guess was the point)- but he could now tell some of the chairs seemed to be missing around a few of the tables. What¡¯s more the carpet that he could tell had once been a smooth velvet was now faded and rough in several patches. (All in all the only thing that doesn¡¯t look like crap is the bar.) ¡°Boss!¡± A voice suddenly shouted in shock. (Who?) His face scrunched up in confusion as he turned to the source of the voice and found the tall pale man he¡¯d seen on his first trip through this place. (What was his name¡­ Something Jones?) (Whatever-his-name-is) Jones grabbed one of his hands and began to shake it wildly up and down a wide and relieved smile on the man¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you in one piece boss! I was so worried when you showed up here yesterday with your face so messed up!¡± ¡°My face?¡± He repeated before flinching as he remembered Zylah caving in his skull. (At least she didn¡¯t go that far during our ¡®training¡¯ today¡­) ¡°Oh, sorry to bring up bad memories, boss!¡± Jones apologized with a light whimper as if he was scared of something. ¡°It¡¯s uh, it¡¯s no problem¡­¡± He waved the apology away, more concerned with clearing his head of that painful memory as he focused on¡­ ¡°Um, I don¡¯t think I quite caught your name?¡± ¡°Oh, right! I¡¯m so sorry boss! I had no idea I was being that rude!¡± The anxious man assured him continuing with his oddly panicky attitude by rubbing the back of his hands. ¡°It¡¯s fine, really¡­¡± He told the man, while rolling a hand through the air in prompting. ¡°Oh! Avery, Avery Jones! I¡¯m the manager of the Cabaret, or I was¡­ am? Th-that¡¯s kind of up to you boss¡­¡± The man -(Avery)- introduced excitedly at first, before trailing off nervously. Paying no mind to the anxious man¡¯s odd nervousness he asked, ¡°The Cabaret?¡± as his eyes drifted towards the speakeasy¡¯s stage. ¡°Yes, the Cartoon Cabaret! Home to the finest entertainment for nearly a hundred years now!¡± Avery nodded with a smile, suddenly filled with an enthusiasm he didn¡¯t think the nervous man capable of. ¡°The Cartoon Cabaret¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t sure why, but that name resonated with something in the both the back of his head and deeper within. ¡°Why is that so familiar?¡± ¡°W-Well, because you''re the uh, boss, Boss.¡± Avery told him a little unsurely. ¡°I¡¯m the boss?¡± He repeated in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well¡­ you own the cabaret?¡± Avery answered with equal confusion, as if he expected Joshua to know this. ¡°I own it¡­?¡± He frowned, before remembering a weight in his pocket and pulling out the gold keys within. ¡°Yeah, see you have the keys to the wonderland and everything!¡± Avery grinned, his smile downright giddy as he stared at the keys. ¡°Wonderland!?¡± He repeated eyes snapping to the pale man. ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Avery nodded, snapping out of his own giddiness. ¡°As in¡­¡± He looked around the rundown speakeasy, the one that looked like no one had taken care of it in years as his heart pounded in his chest. ¡°As in this is a wonderland?!¡± ¡°Y-yeah?¡± Avery nodded again, though this time looking confused by something. ¡°And you said, you said I own it?¡± He checked, pointing seriously at the increasingly nervous man. ¡°Y-yes.¡± Avery swallowed. He couldn¡¯t help it, he laughed and he laughed madly. ¡°Uh, B-Boss?¡± Avery asked, looking scared to get any closer to his mad boss. A mad grin grew on his face as something clicked in his head, as if suddenly so many things made sense, even if nothing really did. ¡°If, if what you¡¯re saying is true, then that means, that means that I¡¯m not just a Mal-Corrupted¡­ I¡¯m, I¡¯m a Wonderlander!¡± Another mad cackle tore its way out of his throat as he realized he wasn¡¯t just a madness user like his brother. No, if he really was a Wonderlander then that meant his connection to the madness was far greater than his brother, and that meant (I¡¯m going to be the star of this show!) Act 7, Scene 2- Meeting The New Boss Act 7, Scene 2- Meeting The New Boss --- Avery Jones --- The new boss was a little weird. (Not that there¡¯s anything wrong with that!) Then again, he probably didn¡¯t know what weird was to begin with. (That¡¯s right!) Still, he had to admit that the five minutes of mad laughter was a little off putting. (He¡¯s just happy to be here!) Which was a good thing given how the Cabaret had been on its last legs before¡­ (I don¡¯t want to think about that.) Shaking his head, he instead tried catching the new boss¡¯s attention. ¡°Uh, Boss?¡± The boss immediately quit laughing, before blinking as if he just realized he wasn¡¯t alone. Which was fair given how Avery was used to blending into the background. (Th-that just means I¡¯d make a good stage hand!) ¡°Uh, right¡­¡± The boss coughed into his hand. ¡°Sorry, you were saying something before that little¡­ commercial break?¡± ¡°Oh, right! I was welcoming you to the Cabaret!¡± He smiled the way he did whenever welcoming a new guest to his home. (Though the boss isn¡¯t really a guest, he¡¯s something even better! He¡¯s a new boss!) The Cabaret hadn¡¯t had one of those in a few years, and the shape of the place was sadly telling. (Because I¡¯m such a screw up!) He shook his head again, forcing away those thoughts so that the boss wouldn¡¯t pick up on that detail just yet. (Not before he saves the Cabaret anyway¡­) As long as the boss did that, he¡¯d take whatever job the boss wanted him to even if it was just the Cabaret janitor. (Not like I¡¯m good for much else¡­) ¡°Uh, Avery, was it?¡± He blinked -(Crumb, I¡¯m already screwing up!)- before forcing a smile on his face and asking, ¡°Yeah, boss?¡± ¡°What can you tell me about this place?¡± The boss asked. ¡°I mean, from what I know most Wonderlands are built up by their wonderlander and this place looks a little¡­ well worn?¡± He grimaced at that description, even if he did appreciate the boss¡¯s attempt at tact. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re the Cartoon Cabaret¡¯s second boss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s second?¡± The boss repeated thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯ll admit it was a little before my time but my father and grandfather both worked for the old boss during the Voodoo Wars.¡± He tried to helpfully explain. ¡°The Voodoo Wars? Like during the prohibition?¡± The boss frowned while looking around the cabaret. ¡°That explains the speakeasy motif.¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± He nodded, before suggesting something he hated. ¡°If you want we could, we could change the motif of things down the line¡­ though that¡¯ll cost a few resources.¡± He hated the idea of changing the design that had been in place for almost a century, but if it kept the new boss around and the Cabaret running then it¡¯d be worth it in the end. Though hopefully the resource cost wouldn¡¯t be worth it, and his home could stay the way it was on that front. ¡°Nah, we don¡¯t need to do that. I grew up in a bar, and this speakeasy thing screams class in comparison to the crossing.¡± The boss -(thankfully)- dismissed before smirking. ¡°Wonder how Chris would react to me having a better bar than him.¡± He didn¡¯t know who ¡®Chris¡¯ was or what the boss¡¯s relationship to him was like, so he just kept his mouth shut on that one. (Better than making a bigger fool of myself.) ¡°Either way, you mentioned something about resources?¡± The boss confirmed. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Well, um, that¡¯s¡­ complicated?¡± He honestly only knew the broad strokes he could remember his father and grandfather telling him about when he was knee high. ¡°I, I mean, y-you¡¯re the boss, surely you know more about resources than anyone else!¡± The boss¡¯s face scrunched up a bit in distaste -something he doubted he would¡¯ve caught if he wasn¡¯t so used to dealing with people from when his father ran things- and wondered how he could screw up so monumentally as to make the boss make that face. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Due to¡­ circumstances, I¡¯m a little late to the show on that kind of thing.¡± The boss admitted, though he didn¡¯t look too happy about it. ¡°So I¡¯m hoping you can help me with a couple of the things I¡¯m fuzzy on.¡± ¡°Oh! Of-of course boss!¡± He nodded, happy to redeem himself in the boss¡¯s eyes. ¡°W-where do you want me to start?¡± ¡°Resources.¡± The boss answered without hesitation. ¡°R-right.¡± He swallowed, trying to recall as much as he could on the subject. (Easy stuff first, hard stuff last.) ¡°So, um, r-resources are the thing we use to build and power everything around the cabaret. They¡¯re also a sort of currency between Wonderlands, and back our hay day the Cabaret would earn so many through our shows, drinks, and games that we were one of the richest wonderlands in all of black briar.¡± Those had been the days he lived for, the days he was desperate to return to, when everything was good and the cabaret was filled with life and laughter rather than darkness and despair. By the time he snapped out of his reminiscing he realized the boss was frowning, (though thankfully not at me.) ¡°Can resources only be earned through that?¡± The boss asked thoughtfully. ¡°Because I¡¯ve never heard about that with other wonderlanders, everything there was about gathering madness by spreading it.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the main way of gathering resources.¡± He nodded, as the boss jogged his memory on that bit. ¡°Our facilities to gather resources were built because the old boss liked the idea of making the Cabaret as self-sufficient as possible. I remember my grandad, mentioning something about the Cabaret being ¡®nothing but profits to the boss¡¯ in those days.¡± ¡°Yeah, if using certain things drains madness, having facilities to generate it would definitely be a go to upgrade.¡± The boss admitted appreciatively. Something he took as a sign that the new boss was of a similar business mind to the old boss. (Which can only mean good things for the Cabaret!) ¡°Alright, so how many ¡®resources¡¯ is the Cabaret generating now?¡± The boss asked, continuing with his line of questioning in a direction Avery couldn¡¯t help but wince at. ¡°I¡­ w-we¡¯re not¡­¡± He was forced to admit, unwilling to lie to the boss, though that didn¡¯t stop him from adding, ¡°Right now anyway! We just, we just need a bit of start-up funds to get everything back to the way it used to be! Then you¡¯ll see just how much profit we can make you!¡± The boss frowned at that before looking around the cabaret and eventually turning his eyes back to Avery. ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned that a couple of time, what do you mean by ¡®back to the way it used to be?¡¯¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that question, namely because it was the one liable to get him¡­ fired. ¡°I¡­ The Cabaret has been on a down swing for the last few decades. I, I tried to keep things afloat, but out customer quit coming, and eventually we couldn¡¯t afford to keep everything running and everyone staffed, and slowly¡­ we lost everything.¡± There was a bit more to it, but those involved a lot of painful memories and people he might not ever see again. (Which is why I need the boss.) He told himself, steeling what little resolve he had. ¡°But I can promise you with your help we can turn things around, I mean just, just look how much your help has gotten us in a week!¡± He said gesturing to the cabaret¡¯s bar. ¡°We¡¯ve got the lights on for the first time in years, and the bar is stocked with drinks that can help heal you in a pinch!¡± He¡¯d been pushing his limits as manager to set that up, but he couldn¡¯t let the boss die, not when he was the first real shot at saving the Cabaret in decades. ¡°And look at all the other facilities we have just waiting to be fixed up, the stage, the hall, the musicians, the projector, the costume department, performers, the stills, and so many other things just waiting for the chance to be useful!¡± He continued as passionately as he could, knowing that convincing the boss to stay was something he had to pull off. ¡°You said you were late to the Wonderland game, right? Well it took decades to build this place up, and while some of it may be a fixer upper that doesn¡¯t change the fact that we could set you years ahead of any other wonderlander out there!¡± He wasn¡¯t honestly sure about that part, but he¡¯d make it true if that¡¯s what it took to save the Cabaret. ¡°And all we need is just a little bit of help to get there.¡± The boss stared at him with a neutral expression, and he began to realize he might¡¯ve overstepped his bounds. (What was I thinking yelling at the new boss?!!) ¡°Alright, I¡¯m in.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± He blinked, feeling a wave of relief threatening to drown him. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m a little out of it when it comes to Wonderlands, but this place is a Cabaret, right? A place where people go to witness a performance they¡¯ll forget, to see something they¡¯ve never seen, and witness the unimaginable!¡± The boss told him building up a presence that Avery could only faintly remember from his childhood when the old boss ran the cabaret. ¡°So let¡¯s make a deal.¡± The man before him offered with a gloved hand and the stylish flourish that only the Boss of the Cartoon Cabaret could pull off. ¡°I¡¯ll help you rebuild this cabaret from the ground up if I have to, just so long as you help me put on one hell of a show!¡± He couldn¡¯t think of anything but shaking the Boss¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, then¡­¡± The boss laughed with a mad grin. ¡°It¡¯s showtime!¡± Scene Consequences -The Cartoon Cabaret has been unlocked. -New Epic Quest: Cartoon Cabaret: Grand Re-Opening: The cabaret is in disrepair, but it¡¯s ours and there¡¯s nothing a bit of TLC can¡¯t fix. --Get the Cartoon Cabaret to a point where it can open for business once more. Act 8: Wonderlands, Toons, and Madness Act 8: Wonderlands, Toons, and Madness --- Joshua --- He wasn¡¯t entirely sure where that had come from, but at the very least he was pretty sure as long as he built the cabaret up Avery wasn¡¯t going to stab him in the back. (Which I was going to do either way, so, whatever.) Everyone knew that the Wonderland was a source of a Wonderlander¡¯s powers, even if the connection between the two was barely understood outside of a handful of interviews with the few sane Wonderlanders in the world. He stopped mid-step. (Shit is that something I¡¯m going to have to worry about now? Or am I old enough to side-step whatever causes that?) By all accounts Wonderlanders got their powers fairly young compared to other Deviancies, with most first showing signs around the age of eight or nine, but not really realizing what they were capable of until their early teens. The fact that they were channelling so much madness at such a young age without knowing to pace themselves was the theoretical reason why so many went insane. (But I¡¯m old enough to know when to stop, and my wonderland is already built, so that shouldn¡¯t put anys stress on my mind.) He¡¯d feel a lot more sure of that answer if people knew as much about Wonderlanders and Madness as other Deviancies and their variants. (I mean I have an edge thanks to Chris using Madness, but I still know more about the Arcane and I¡¯m not even interested in them!) ¡°Uh, Boss?¡± A voice asked cautiously, breaking into his thoughts. ¡°Sorry, had an¡­ unpleasant thought.¡± He admitted, before looking around the Cabaret¡¯s main hall from atop the stage. ¡°So you were saying something about a tour of the place?¡± ¡°Oh, right, yes!¡± The Cabaret manager -(and I need to figure out what that entails)- nodded, before gesturing towards the hall. ¡°L-like I told you before, a lot of our facilities are in need of repair so we, um, we can only really access the things directly attached to the main hall right now.¡± Avery pointed towards the stairs and curtain Josh had entered the Cabaret from. ¡°Over there is the, uh, foyer and entrance hall where we¡¯d first welcome guests, and was mostly used to give us a bit of distance to vet them and build atmosphere. Given how things work that¡¯s probably one of the last things we should set up.¡± ¡°No point in selling tickets without a show.¡± He agreed. ¡°Right, from there you have the seating and dining area which is where we¡¯d seat guests for our show.¡± Avery continued. ¡°Again something we should probably hold off on fixing until this place is actually running.¡± He noted, before his eyes flickered towards the bar. ¡°Though that does remind me, what¡¯s with the bar. It looks like it¡¯s in better shape than the rest of this place.¡± He pretended not to notice the way Avery grimaced at that. ¡°Um, yeah¡­ About that, I uh, sort of spent some of our resources on that.¡± The Cabaret manager winced as if he was expecting to be berated for that, though Josh was a little more interested in the how and why than the what. ¡°You can spend resources to build things?¡± He asked, because he didn¡¯t know how to do that and had honestly been trying to ignore that fact since Avery mentioned fixing the Cabaret. ¡°Well, yes¡­¡± Avery nodded, rubbing his hands together nervously. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have without your say so, but that is technically part of my job as manager, to take care of that stuff so you don¡¯t have to spend all day building things yourself.¡± ¡°And the first thing you rebuilt was the bar?¡± He checked, more curious than accusing though it didn¡¯t look like Avery was picking up that fact. ¡°W-well when you appeared in the middle of the Cabaret so beaten up the other day, I-I sort of panicked and spent some of the resources you¡¯d gathered to turn the lights on and uh, rebuild the bar.¡± Avery told him looking like he expected Josh to beat him any moment. ¡°Okay¡­¡± He nodded, trying to keep his voice as even as possible for the timid man. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t explain why you built the bar specifically.¡± ¡°R-right, you wouldn¡¯t know being uh, late to the show and everything.¡± Avery frowned before explaining that, ¡°I was mostly going off of something my dad told me about how the old boss could use the drinks from the bar to make himself stronger for a few resources.¡± ¡°So you spent a resource to heal me.¡± He realized, before shrugging and giving the timid man a nod. ¡°Well I can¡¯t really be mad about that. So thanks for the save.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, no problem boss.¡± Avery smiled, looking immensely relieved about that. (I guess he really was bending the rules of this place to fix me up after Zylah knocked me out.) He frowned to himself while giving Avery a half-grin. (Actually that reminds me¡­) ¡°Is there a way for you to know what¡¯s going on outside of the Cabaret?¡± ¡°Uh, how do you mean?¡± Avery blinked. ¡°Because outside of the Cabaret there isn¡¯t much unless you¡¯re going to another Wonderland¡­ and I¡¯ve never done that.¡± ¡°Well, no. I meant you¡¯re the manager so I might need you to make an emergency adjustment to the Cabaret to bail me out again.¡± He elaborated. ¡°And I figure to do that you need to know what¡¯s happening with me in¡­¡± He stopped, realizing (I can¡¯t refer to the real world as the real world, I mean from what I can gather this place is real to Avery and anyone else involved in this madness.) ¡°The land of the waken?¡± Avery finished for him sounding like he was thinking about the answer rather than noticing Josh¡¯s slip-up. (Huh, I guess if the wonderland is the land of dreams and dreamers than that would make the real world the land of the waken.) He mused, as Avery pondered his question. ¡°In that case you might want to work on the projector.¡± Avery eventually answered, pointing at an old theater projector hanging from the ceiling with two film reels beneath it. ¡°It was one of our biggest attractions back in the day, it might need a few adjustments beyond the initial repairs but we used to use it to play reruns of the old boss¡¯s adventures.¡± ¡°You have recordings of your old boss?¡± He asked, because that seemed like the kind of thing that could be a huge boon to a new wonderlander. (The chance to compare notes, to watch a master actor on his own personal stage!) ¡°Yes and no?¡± Avery grimaced. ¡°We have them, but they¡¯re in the old offices which¡­¡± ¡°-we don¡¯t have.¡± He guessed with a sigh. ¡°Y-yeah, the Old Offices are in a part of the Cabaret that¡¯s not really¡­ stable right now.¡± Avery tried to explain, before shaking his head. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to build things up if you want to reclaim those.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± He nodded, before looking around the hall. ¡°There anything else in here we should work on?¡± ¡°Well there¡¯s the stage?¡± Avery suggested. ¡°Without any performers or film reels it¡¯s not worth much to the Cabaret just yet, but I remember my granddad mentioning it used to help the old boss keep people distracted in the land of the waken.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°So another Wonderlander power as well as a Cabaret advantage.¡± He figured, seeing a value in both abilities of the stage. (Besides what is a star without a venue to perform upon?!) ¡°Um, after that there¡¯s the dressing room behind the stage, like the stage it¡¯s something more for the performers, but there was something there for the old boss too.¡± Avery told him, seemingly trying to remember something from years past as muttered, ¡°Something about ¡®always being dressed for the occasion¡¯?¡± ¡°Always important.¡± If he was going to take a serious try at the mask thing, that definitely sounded like something he¡¯d have to look at. ¡°R-right, then, um, the last thing we can work on now is the storage in the basement.¡± Avery continued, before frowning. ¡°Though given how big it is you might have to invest a lot to get that open, especially since we also keep the stills down there.¡± ¡°The stills?¡± He repeated, ¡°Like those old moonshine stills?¡± That would definitely fit the whole speakeasy vibe of the Cabaret thus far. ¡°I guess?¡± Avery agreed a little unsurely. ¡°That was something they put in so we could make a lot of the more interesting drinks for the bar, my granddad told me it was because the old boss had some kind of competition going for ¡®best bar¡¯ with ¡®The Bone Daddy.¡¯ Whoever that is.¡± ¡°Something to look into, but not an immediate priority.¡± He admitted, before a more important question came to mind. ¡°Uh, any ideas on how to gather the resources for all of this?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Outside of the Cabaret?¡± Avery grimaced in a way that told him all he needed to know, even before the timid manager told him, ¡°Not really¡­¡± ¡°Damn.¡± He cursed. (I¡¯d kind of been hedging on him knowing the answer to that.) ¡°B-but wait, you um, you managed to gather two ¡®Joyful¡¯ resources over the last week as well as this¡­ really weird resource.¡± Avery told him. ¡°That must mean you¡¯ve been doing something right, er, right?¡± ¡°I suppose it does.¡± He sighed, not liking a ¡®hope for the best¡¯ approach. (Fat lot of good that¡¯s done me over the years.) He frowned as he caught something else Avery had said there. ¡°What do you mean a ¡®really weird resource¡¯?¡± ¡°Oh, um, it¡¯s¡­¡± Avery frowned, before giving a surprising growl of frustration. ¡°Residents of a Wonderland, can always understand a resource when we see it, but this thing I just, I can¡¯t understand it. Hold on, let me get it for you and you can see.¡± Avery made his way off of the stage and behind the bar, Josh following him and watching as the usually timid manager practically dumped a glowing sphere of black the size of a volleyball on the counter. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is.¡± Avery told him with a scowl. ¡°I mean I know I can use it as a resource for the Cabaret, even if it¡¯s a bit weaker than the usual resources but it also doesn¡¯t act like other resources, almost like it¡¯s more malleable than the rest.¡± ¡°How do you mean?¡± He asked, feeling something familiar about the sphere as he peered into its light-eating glow. ¡°Well certain resources are better suited to creating certain things, such as ¡®Joy¡¯ with healing and production, or ¡®Excitement¡¯ with entertainment.¡± Avery explained with frustration. ¡°This thing however I could use it for any of that, but I¡¯d need a bunch of it to do what one of those other resources could, unless I was using a resource that didn¡¯t fit the job.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a ¡®neutral¡¯ resource?¡± He figured, reminded of the morale resource from the Deviant¡¯s Masquerade card game. ¡°Not as good as the normal stuff, but better for filling in the blanks?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± Avery frowned. ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t know a lot about resources outside of using them for the Cabaret, but that stuff¡­ it¡¯s weird.¡± (Says the grandson of a person born in someone else¡¯s dream of a ¡®Cartoon Cabaret¡¯.) He chuckled to himself, before finally placing what about the sphere was so familiar. ¡°Malice.¡± ¡°Uh, what-iss?¡± Avery blinked. ¡°Malice, it¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s complicated, but if I were to get you more of this stuff would you be willing to use it?¡± He asked, pretty sure that this stuff was a residue of sorts left by the few Malice vials he¡¯d consumed. ¡°Um, it¡¯s a resource, so yeah?¡± Avery nodded looking a little unsure. ¡°It-it¡¯ll be a bit weird, but if this stuff works the way I think it does, I should be able to.¡± ¡°Alright, well even if I haven¡¯t figured out how to make the good resources, I think I can get us more of this as a start-up resource.¡± Scene Consequences -List of unlockable facilities now available on the Cabaret Menu. -Malice Vials can now be consumed to send resources to the Cabaret. (Note: Once consumed vials will not be refunded. ) --- After sorting things out with Avery he was forced out of the Cabaret by Chris getting up for school since he¡¯d apparently slept through his alarm for the day. (Which makes sense I guess, if that stuff about a Wonderland existing in its Wonderlander¡¯s dreams is true.) He supposed, contemplating the nature of a wonderland¡¯s existence while eating his lunch alone, knowing Annette tended to avoid the cafeteria on the days she felt her bullies would make a public scene. (At least with mine I only have to worry about them beating me up or insulting me.) Female bullies were much more vicious than that. (Especially since they¡¯re a lot more organized than the guys are.) Shivering at that idea, and thankfully for the few breaks in his life, he continued tearing pages out of one of his notebooks before tossing them towards the cafeteria trash bins -(since the school apparently can¡¯t be bothered to recycle)- ten paces away from him. The reason he was doing this was in an attempt to use the bare minimum amount of power into his Rube Goldberg Field, the idea being that if he used as little power as possible he could ignore any negative backlash while also developing something closer to his brother¡¯s ¡®Rule of Cool¡¯. (Not that I¡¯m making much progress on that front.) He sighed, staring at the dozen or so pages that had missed both due to his lack of skill as well as power. (Alright this is starting to depress me.) Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Rube Goldberg Field --Currently: Lv. 2 (1/6) --- By the time school let out for the day he decided to skip out on going to the ¡®special training¡¯ -(that would¡¯ve more than likely involved Zylah kicking my ass again)- and instead made his way to the little park clearing he¡¯d taken to practicing his powers in. After discovering that he was a Wonderlander now, and that his Wonderland was the Cartoon Cabaret, he had a few ideas on just what his powers and his ink could do if he pushed them a bit. Which is why he was currently eyeing his case of Malice vials, knowing that they spiked his power level enough to make training and discovering his powers significantly easier than normal. (And if I¡¯m lucky they¡¯ll also give me more resources to work with back in the Cabaret.) He was still a little iffy on how that part worked, but he doubted more vials would decrease how many resources he got out of them. Which is why he plucked three vials from the case before storing the rest away in his backpack. (Alright, the Doc said as long as I don¡¯t take more than three of these in a day if I shouldn¡¯t be able to overdose.) Of course, he doubted the man had meant three at once, but he only had a few days until his ¡®final test¡¯ and he wanted to make sure he had something worth showing off. And with that thought in mind he downed all three vials of coppery strawberries before shivering as a warm feeling rushed through his veins, and spiked his heart rate to the point he could feel it dancing away to the sweet symphony of swing playing in the back of his head. Tapping his foot, he grabbed the top of his head before pushing it one way and pulling it the other, an audible crack coming with each action. ¡°Alright. Act eight, scene three: The ink and the plant, take two.¡± If he was going for new and impressive then that was the potential power that seemed the most interesting, given how supposedly all test subjects had physical enhancements, (while my Ink is my own original act!) Running on an odd instinct he¡¯d begun to notice bound itself to his malice enhanced powers, he plucked a flower off the ground gently applying a thin coating of ink to it before sticking its stem back into the ground a few paces away with a small pool of ink anchoring it to the ground. Feeling a connection between him and the ink surrounding the flower, he reached out and twisted the ink coated flower, watching in fascination as the ink thickened and wrapped around the flower in a bubble before popping and leaving it in monochrome. Now on its own that wasn¡¯t all that interesting. What made him smile a mad man¡¯s grin however was the fact that the monochrome flower was dancing to the same song he was tapping along to. ¡°Oh, this is going to be fun.¡± Scene Consequences -Due to using a harder method of learning a power than standard: Unlocked Toonification at Lv. 2. --Can be used to ¡®Toonify¡¯ objects or creatures for various effects, with Ink cost and duration changing for creatures. -For using 3 Vials of Malice on a single action 1 Malicious Madness has been added to the Cartoon Cabaret. Act 9: Fun Vengeance And Less Fun Vengeance Act 9: Fun Vengeance And Less Fun Vengeance --- Joshua --- Once more he found himself in a corner of his school cafeteria throwing paper balls into the trash can, and missing over and over again. (Alright, fuck this.) He took a glance around to make sure no one was looking before reaching into his backpack and pulling out a Malice vial, something he knew he shouldn¡¯t bring to school but also felt he might need given how he intended to go to Zylah¡¯s ¡®training¡¯ later in the day. (Actually since I¡¯m thinking about it¡­) He reached into his backpack again and found a half-empty water bottle before pouring the Malice into it underneath his table, figuring drinking it from a water bottle would be better than publicly downing the vial itself. With the task done he took a moment to watch how the Malice mixed with the water before noticing it sink to the bottom of the bottle leaving the rest of the water with a pinkish tinge. (Okay, so Malice is notably denser than water, good to know.) Not that it actually changed anything, or stopped him from downing the bottle¡¯s contents in a single go. (Which I didn¡¯t mean to do¡­) He frowned before feeling his heart rate spike as he tasted that strawberry copper and heard that sweet symphony of swing. He threw another ball of paper towards the trash bin and couldn¡¯t help but grin madly as it landed exactly where he wanted. Of course this grin soon turned into a frown as he realized he¡¯d forgotten to flex his madness field this time. (Meaning the Malice spiked my stats enough that I don¡¯t need my field to make these easy throws, and that I need something harder to really push it¡­) The familiar sound of cruel laughter drew his attention towards a group of kids -one or two of which he recognized as his own bullies- messing with a kid. (Oh, I really must thank you for volunteering to be part of the show.) He smiled with nothing but teeth. He reached out with his Rube Goldberg Field while focusing on the thought, (Make them pay.) before tearing out another page from his notebook and tossing it in the general direction that instinct demanded. The page landed in a puddle of spilt something that normally would¡¯ve done nothing to whoever stepped in it, if not for the wet paper reducing traction as it fell apart. Something that a random student learned upon slipping in the puddle and losing his lunch tray as it flew half-way across the room before landing in the middle of a popular clique of girls who panicked as they were suddenly covered in gunk from both the thrown tray and their own meals. And in their panic to get away from the mess one of said popular girls ended up bumping into one of the bullies, who in turn knocked over one of his bullies who proceeded to stumble face first into a passing student¡¯s meal. (Oh, that is definitely an improvement.) He chuckled to himself, enjoying the fact that it was his bully¡¯s misery people were laughing at for once instead of the real victims¡¯. Scene Consequences -Malice Vial Consumed --Remaining: 3 -Gained (1 + (Malicious D6 = 3) = 4)XP to Rube Goldberg Field --Currently: Lv. 2 (5/6) -For using Malice to Train a power for the first time gained 1 Malicious Madness. --- Stepping into the warehouse he kept his guard up knowing that if Zylah was present then odds are she wasn¡¯t going to be kind in her latest lesson. ¡°So you actually showed up today.¡± A voice practically growled at him. ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± He nodded, feeling more than a little wary as he caught sight of the Shadow Dancer sitting at the table in the middle of the warehouse. ¡°Good, I would¡¯ve hated having to spend two hours waiting on a no show because my boss wants me to help out a flake.¡± Zylah admitted cheerfully as she stood up. ¡°Y-yeah that would¡¯ve sucked.¡± He agreed nervously as Zylah began walking towards him. (This is going to be even worse than last time.) Zylah dropped her fake smile and glared at him. ¡°There¡¯s a park with a forest just outside the South-West side of town, meet me there in thirty minutes or I¡¯m leaving you to rot.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s on the other side of town!¡± He cried as Zylah passed him. ¡°That sounds like a ¡®you¡¯ problem.¡± The Shadow Dancer told him before disappearing in a black blur. ¡°Shit.¡± He cursed before making his way out of the warehouse and pulling his phone out to set a destination to his navigation app. ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s ten minutes until the next bus and I have to loop half the route to get there!¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Frowning he began shifting the map around as he ran, before clicking the ¡®walk to destination¡¯ icon. ¡°Double fuck it¡¯s almost a two and a half hour walk from here¡­¡± He paused as something occurred to him. (That¡¯s a two and a half hour walk but with my Stamina I can run the whole way there, and if I don¡¯t fuck up the bits of parkour I might be able to shave off a bit more time¡­ Yeah, I¡¯ll be cutting it close but, I can make that show time.) He nodded to himself turning down an alley and running towards a chain link fence used to mark off a company back entrance. (Let¡¯s hope I don¡¯t fuck this up.) Taking a deep breath he angled himself slightly towards the alley wall where he kicked off of it to place a foot on a dumpster that he took two steps on before kicking off the wall once more and launching himself towards the top of the fence. Where upon catching the top of the fence he swung his legs as he pulled himself up and threw himself over the fence before landing in a roll on the other side. ¡°Yes!¡± He cheered, hoping in place as he finally pulled off one of his parkour chains as intended. ¡°Wait, no.¡± He stopped himself. ¡°I¡¯ve still only got like thirty minutes to run¡­ a long fucking way.¡± Scene Consequences -New Power: Enhanced Acrobatics Lv. 1 (0/4) --All Reflex stats gain +(Power Level) when performing acrobatic feats during their checks. --- ¡°Okay¡­ okay¡­ I¡¯m here¡­¡± He gasped, actually feeling the burn from all of that running. ¡°Now where¡­ is that¡­ bitch¡­¡± ¡°Damn, less than a minute off.¡± A voice announced from behind him. ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed turning towards the Shadow Dancer. ¡°Don¡¯t sneak up on me like that!¡± ¡°Oh, you are going to hate today then.¡± Zylah smiled in a way that did bad things to him. ¡°But, wait, we¡¯re still doing the training?¡± He blinked. ¡°I thought you said I was a minute late or something.¡± ¡°No, you were less than a minute from being late.¡± Zylah corrected him with a sigh. ¡°Meaning I still have to train you.¡± (And the creepy smile is back.) ¡°Though the fact that you¡¯re going to hate this is a decent balm to that pain.¡± ¡°Why am I going to hate this?¡± He asked against his better judgement. ¡°Because since you skipped yesterday¡¯s training, today¡¯s is going to be two fold.¡± Zylah explained with a sadistic grin. ¡°On one side you need to learn how to be stealthy, and on another you need to know how to notice when someone is following you.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°Today, I¡¯m going to hunt you for sport.¡± --- (Fuck this shit. Fuck this bullshit so hard!) He whimpered on the ground after another nightmarish fifteen minutes of Zylah stalking him, purposely jump-scaring him, messing with him, and all in all turning him into a nervous wreck, before finally knocking him to the ground in a short but brutal beatdown. ¡°Wow. You really suck at this.¡± Zylah laughed, standing over him. ¡°Which is great since we still have another two, three hours of this since we¡¯ve got to make up for your cutting class yesterday.¡± (Yeah¡­ Fuck that.) He decided, weakly grabbing Zylah¡¯s ankle. (It¡¯s time to cheat.) ¡°You bitch¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one screaming like one.¡± Zylah scoffed, kicking his hand away and completely unaware of the tag sticking to her. ¡°Now get up we¡¯re not leaving until you¡¯re at least passable at this.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± He growled, picking himself off the ground as Zylah disappeared into the forest once more. (And if I¡¯m going to cheat¡­) He reached into his pocket and pulled out the surprisingly durable vial of Malice he¡¯d brought just in case he had to fight (the bitch) again. (Might as well double down on it.) He quickly undid the cap before downing the vial of copper strawberries, and much like earlier in the day he felt his heart rate spike, that sweet symphony start, and a mad grin stretch across his face. Running off instinct it didn¡¯t even take him a full minute to find the place Zylah was watching from a few meters away, though he made sure not to let her realize he knew where she was since she¡¯d likely seen him down the vial even if she didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d tagged her. ¡°Now let¡¯s see how you do with the host actually playing fair.¡± Much like his previous runs Zylah followed him, dancing around his position to try and wire him up with the occasional ruffling of a bush here and a snapping of a twig there, both things he ignored since she was gone as soon as he directed his attention to those. Which is why he kept the majority of it on the tag marking the Shadow Dancer¡¯s position relative to his own in whatever weird 3D mental map he had going on. After a few minutes Zylah seemingly got bored of his lack of response and in turn rushed him in an attempt to take him down far sooner than she had on their previous runs. Following the tag in his mind¡¯s eye he rolled to the side a moment before the Shadow Dancer¡¯s heel shattered the ground where he¡¯d been standing. ¡°You¡¯re cheating~¡± Zylah told him in a sing-song kind of voice. ¡°Never said I couldn¡¯t take a vial to beat you~¡± He argued in the same kind of voice. ¡°You¡¯re learning~¡± Zylah cackled, before giving him a smile that sent a chill down his spine. ¡°Even better I don¡¯t have to pull my punches anymore~¡± (Shit.) He cursed as the Shadow Dancer blurred out of existence. Scene Consequences -Malice Vial Consumed --Remaining: 2 -Gained (1 + (Malicious D6 = 4) = 5)XP to Ink Tags --*Power Level Up* Ink Tags Lv. 3 (2/8) -Thanks to Zylah¡¯s training and previous experience, gained New Skill Slyness at Lv. 2 (0/6) --+(Skill Level) to all checks about hiding things from others and knowing when someone is keeping something hidden. --- ¡°Not bad.¡± Zylah told him as the sun began to set. ¡°You were actually starting to get the hang of things at the end there.¡± He was in such a level of pain and exhaustion that he couldn¡¯t form a proper response beyond giving her the middle finger. Zylah gave him a snort of amusement before walking over and crouching over him. ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear. Don¡¯t make me wait tomorrow, or I¡¯ll beat you down twice as hard the next time the Doc has us ¡®train¡¯. Got it?¡± ¡°Fuck¡­ you¡­¡± ¡°Not on your best day.¡± Zylah laughed before getting up. ¡°See you tomorrow, Josh.¡± Act 10: Tooning Things Up A Bit. Act 10: Tooning Things Up. --- Joshua --- ¡°Alright, so we¡¯ve got enough to fix the stage now, right?¡± He asked as Avery began messing about with three of the Malice spheres he¡¯d shown off during their tour of the Cabaret a few days prior. ¡°Yes? Maybe¡­ No, yes, definitely.¡± The timid manager answered, cycling through answers as he did something that Josh could feel but not understand just yet. ¡°Not filling me with a lot of confidence here, Avery.¡± He frowned with just a touch of concern, given how this was currently his only lead on fixing up the Cartoon Cabaret, something they both wanted and needed. ¡°S-sorry boss, just, just give me a second¡­ please?¡± Avery begged more than asked, as he continued to fiddle with the Malice spheres. ¡°Wait¡­ wait, almost got it and¡­ Yes!¡± Avery laughed as the three Malice spheres collided before merging into a glowing yellow sphere that seemed to almost vibrate with an excited energy of sorts. ¡°So this is an ¡®Excited¡¯ resource?¡± He made sure as he gently picked the sphere up, the madness not quite touching his skin as he examined it. ¡°Yes, absolutely!¡± Avery smiled with just a touch more relief than he was comfortable noticing. (This really must¡¯ve been a long shot for both of us¡­) He realized with a barely suppressed grimace, before focusing once more on the sphere in his hands. (At the very least it paid out. Though I¡¯ve got to know,) ¡°Why do you call this an ¡®Excited¡¯ resource exactly?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, just focus on it for a moment, and you¡¯ll see.¡± Avery told him as the timid manager made his way towards the stage. Doing as the Cabaret resident suggested he focused on the sphere in his head for a few moments before beginning to feel an excited sort of buzz at the edge of his mind as if the sphere itself was making him excited about something. ¡°Yeah, that¡­ that makes sense.¡± He agreed, forcing his attention away from the sphere as it began to give him this odd sort of headache. ¡°Um, you mind bringing that over here, boss?¡± He blinked before spotting Avery next to the stage and making his way over. ¡°Uh, right, right¡­ Here you go.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Avery rolled his shoulders as he focused on the stage, before slowly pushing the Excited sphere towards it until a faint glow began to spread out across the stage. ¡°And¡­ that should do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± He asked, watching Avery dust his hands off as the sphere disappeared into the stage, before turning to the still decrepit (if glowing) stage. ¡°Since we¡¯re just restoring it, yeah.¡± Avery nodded. ¡°Though it¡¯ll probably need a second to settle.¡± As if that was the magic word something in the Wonderland snapped, and the glow of the stage burst before bit by bit the stage began to fix itself. Loose and scraped boards locked into place before restoring themselves to a smooth new wood polish. The lights along the front of the stage once burned out or shattered all flashed into new luminescence with brand new bulbs. Torn and faded curtains danced, shaking off the damage and looking as good as new velvet. ¡°Now that is what I¡¯m talking about!¡± He laughed, climbing onto the stage as he felt an excitement that was too genuine to be the result of anything but himself. ¡°Looks good as new!¡± ¡°Almost.¡± Avery admitted with a smile of his own. ¡°There¡¯s still a few other bits of it we¡¯ll have to fix before we open but it¡¯s a good start all the same.¡± ¡°Right.¡± He nodded, looking around the stage and noticing a couple of things that hadn¡¯t been fixed with the main stage. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the spotlights and the screen are going to be the big things, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s also the stage backgrounds and the prop dispensers, though we might need to fix storage before we can get to those.¡± Avery pointed out, growing a touch depressed at the list of still broken things. ¡°I guess that does fit the whole ¡®living world¡¯ thing.¡± He figured, remembering something about how Wonderlanders treated their wonderlands as living places where everything was connected in some way. ¡°Still it¡¯s like you said, this is a good start if nothing else.¡± He reminded the wonderland resident with a pat on the back. ¡°Sure is boss.¡± Avery agreed looking over their small but crucial first step to fixing the Cartoon Cabaret. Scene Consequences -Cabaret Stage has been restored. -New Wonderland Power: Stage Presence --Observers of Josh¡¯s actions who don¡¯t interact with him become members of the [Audience] while those he interacts with become [Actors] in his performance. --So long as there is an [Audience] gain a small boost to all Social stats. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. --- Given his (hilariously) interesting use of it the day prior, he decided to keep experimenting with his madness field while he got ready for the day. And while he could still only use it a few times in a row, after playing around with a number of things in his room he¡¯d discovered that the field was notably less likely to hurt him the more he gave it to work with. As seen when he¡¯d set up a small rube goldberg machine in his room involving knocking over a series of dominoes, pushing a shoe over the dresser edge, and rolling his brother¡¯s old skateboard out the door. A relatively simple series of events on paper, but a series that would probably require a greater understanding of physics than he had to pull off, especially since he doubted the dominoes actually had enough force to knock said shoe off the dresser. ¡°I guess this means the reason the field keeps hurting me is because I¡¯m the only resource it really has to pull off these feats, so it has to force me into a position that does what I want.¡± He realized, as he made a small breakthrough that while not increasing his actual power that much did increase his understanding of the power in question. Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Rube Goldberg Field --*Power Level Up* Rube Goldberg Field Lv. 3 (0/8) --- Knowing that the Malice Doctor¡¯s next test was due any day now, as well as the fact that he wasn¡¯t entirely sure if he should tell them about him being a Wonderlander or not, led him to his usual training spot with a ¡®borrowed¡¯ wooden baseball bat from the park¡¯s sports field. ¡°Alright, so my Toonification is going to be my big showstopper for this performance.¡± He told himself, feeling like the ¡®show-y¡¯ imagery fit with his wonderland¡¯s show-club theme. ¡°This means if I really want to wow them this time I need to actually put some effort into this.¡± Reaching into his backpack he pulled out his last two vials of Malice. ¡°Guess I¡¯m going all in on this one.¡± Rolling his shoulders once, he threw his head back before downing the contents of both vials, savoring the strawberry and copper as his foot began to tap to the symphony of his dreams. ¡°Now let¡¯s see just what kind of show you put on, little buddy.¡± He told the bat with a grin on his face. Coating his palm in ink, he grabbed the bottom of the bat grip before smearing his hand all along the bat, spreading a thin coat of ink across the entire bat. The first thing he noticed as his ink sunk into the bat was that the bat¡¯s wood patterns slowly became more prominent as the bat¡¯s color faded into a monochrome appearance. Feeling for his connection to his ink, he found one such connection had formed between him and the bat even if said connection wasn¡¯t necessarily as strong as the connection between him and his tags. Shifting into a batter¡¯s stance -or at least what he thought was a batter¡¯s stance given how he was barely passing P.E.- he shifted his grip on the bat around a bit before swinging it around in what he felt was a decent combo going off of his video games. And of course as was necessary of all video game finishers he held his last swing a little longer than the others before swinging with all of his might. An action that seemed to cause the baseball bat to grow to nearly twice its previous size before shrinking back down to normal as his toonification broke leaving it in the same state he¡¯d found it. (Okay¡­ please tell me I didn¡¯t just imagine that¡­) With a shaky hand he toonified the bat once more before putting it over his shoulder, holding for a moment, and swinging with all of his might. And just as before the bat expanded to twice its previous size before shrinking down to normal, only with the toonification remaining intact this time. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m keeping you, little buddy.¡± He grinned madly at the toonified baseball bat. Scene Consequences -Gained (1 + (2 Malicious D6 = 7) = 8)XP to Toonification --*Power Level Up* Toonification Lv. 3 (2/8) --New Data available on Toonification. -Acquired: Buddy the Baseball Bat. --Increases Blunt damage by a small amount. --While Toonified can spend 2 units of duration to perform a Heavy attack with increased swing range, damage, and knockback based on Toonification level. --- ¡°Oh, would you look at that you¡¯re actually on time today!¡± Zylah greeted as he walked into the warehouse. ¡°Fuck you too.¡± He greeted back. ¡°Mm,¡± Zylah pretended to think about it for a moment before telling him, ¡°I¡¯ll pass. One really shouldn¡¯t lower their standards.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I shouldn¡¯t.¡± He nodded in agreement, before sighing when she didn¡¯t react to his taunting. ¡°What are we covering today?¡± ¡°I noticed you running around yesterday on your way to the park.¡± The Shadow Dancer admitted. ¡°Now normally we¡¯d cover teaching you how to move correctly, running, jumping, climbing and all of that, but I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve got a power enhancing your reflexes in some way?¡± ¡°I guess?¡± He frowned. ¡°I¡¯m still working out most of my powers, so I don¡¯t know for sure.¡± ¡°Did you have any parkour training before getting your powers?¡± Zylah asked, tapping at her mask. ¡°Not really.¡± He¡¯d tried getting Chris to teach him the basics when he was younger, but a mix of childhood laziness and his brother amping his skill with his powers made those lessons less than helpful. ¡°Then you have Enhanced Reflexes of some kind.¡± Zylah told him. ¡°A fair portion of what you did is beyond a beginner unless you had something increasing your dexterity and agility by a fair margin.¡± ¡°So, uh, what¡¯s that mean exactly?¡± He wasn¡¯t entirely sure where the other teen was going with this. ¡°It means you have no idea what you¡¯re doing, but your power lets you brute force the problem until you succeed.¡± The Shadow Danced explained. ¡°Which also means we can still teach you the basics of the skill to supplement said power, or we can focus on improving your reflexive power. It doesn¡¯t actually matter to me or my job so long as you have the basic tools necessary to escape if you get into trouble.¡± ¡°What exactly would the difference between the two options be?¡± He felt the need to ask. ¡°I mean aren¡¯t the skill and power pretty much the same thing?¡± ¡°Mm, yes and no.¡± Zylah admitted seeming to actually think about the question. ¡°There¡¯s definitely a lot of overlap but if you have your powers long enough you¡¯ll realize there¡¯s a certain¡­ difference between the two. Right now it doesn¡¯t matter much, but in the long run you¡¯ll definitely feel the difference between the two.¡± (That still doesn¡¯t explain that much.) He frowned, rubbing at the back of his neck. (Then again I guess if you want to do something well you need both the power and skill to do it. It¡¯s just a matter of determining which is more important right now.) Taking another moment to consider it, he eventually told the Shadow Dancer, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the skill, after all power is worthless without the skill to back it up.¡± ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s what you want to do then let¡¯s get to it.¡± Zylah nodded making her way out of the warehouse. Act 11: Got Them Toon Hands Act 11: Got Them Toon Hands --- Joshua --- Having most of the day to himself before he had to meet Zylah for his ¡®training¡¯ he decided to head to the park and try working on an¡­ idea he¡¯d had after seeing how his Toonification affected Buddy. ¡°Alright, so¡­ how should I do this?¡± He wondered aloud, while eyeing his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s try this¡­¡± He coated his palm in ink before rubbing it across his other, only to frown when rather than leaving Ink behind his skin seemed to absorb it completely instead. ¡°Okay, so¡­ I can¡¯t use Ink on myself¡­¡± He frowned, staring at the unfaded ink he¡¯d spread across his hand. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re limited to the hand that makes you or¡­ is it something else?¡± Clenching his inked hand into a fist he focused on the connection between himself and his ink, before twisting it the same way he did when he¡¯d been experimenting with Toonifying Buddy. Only unlike with the baseball bat his ink refused to work on his hands. ¡°Come on, damn it.¡± He cursed, twisting the ink every which way until he felt something click in the back of his mind and a weird creepy crawling feeling spread through his hand. Almost as if it¡¯d fallen asleep on him for no apparent reason. ¡°Okay¡­ got something here.¡± He grimaced, shaking the feeling out of his hands at least until he¡¯d noticed there was no ink on his hands despite the tingling feeling within them. ¡°Weird¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but comment as he looked his hand over, having expected¡­ something to happen if he managed to Toonify them. (Maybe turning into gloves like all those old cartoon characters used to wear.) He paused at that thought. (Note to self: Get stylish gloves at a later date.) (No wait, wouldn¡¯t that get in the way of my ink?) (But style is more important than power!) A sudden spike of pain had him gripping his face in the hopes of forcing it to pass, and while a faint ache remained he felt it lessen enough for him to continue with his attempts to Toonify his hands. Of course this just meant he gave himself the additional discomfort of pins and needles stabbing throughout his hand. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± He whimpered, eyeing his hand, only to realize he¡¯d forgotten to apply ink to it. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ odd?¡± His eyes narrowed, not actually sure how odd it was given how he barely understood his powers beyond ¡®Ink does stuff¡¯ and ¡®Wonderland does other stuff¡¯. Once the feeling returned to his hand he focused on his hand and twisted the same way he had when toonifying things, before feeling his hand fall asleep once more. ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s not based on the ink?¡± He realized, as he began to process just what that meant. (If it¡¯s not based on my ink then is it a Wonderlander power?) He frowned, before remembering that. (I haven¡¯t fixed anything other than the stage, and I¡­ I don¡¯t think this is connected to that¡­) It was just a feeling but a strong one that was telling him that he was right about this. ¡°Then what is it? If it¡¯s not connected to my ink then it has to be something to do with the Cabaret¡­¡± (The Cartoon Cabaret.) A little voice reminded him. ¡°No way¡­¡± He blinked, before looking down at his hands. ¡°It can¡¯t be that¡­ can it?¡± (Only one way to know for sure¡­) Gaining a determined look, he took a boxing stance similar to what Zylah had half way beaten into him nearly a week before and punching the air with one hand, ¡®Toonifying¡¯ it as he did so, before retracting it and repeating with the other while his first shook off the pins and needles. (Here¡¯s hoping that ¡®enhanced physique¡¯ thing helps me out here.) --- It took him most of the day, and he could feel himself pushing that whole ¡®Unlimited Stamina¡¯ thing by the end of it, but eventually when he threw a punch with his ¡®Toonified¡¯ hand he watched his hand nearly double in size before shrinking back to normal. ¡°F-finally!¡± He laughed, before repeating with his other hand and getting a similar result. (Best part, I¡¯m hardly even noticing the whole pins and needles thing!) Grinning madly, he ¡®Toonified¡¯ his hands without throwing a punch and watched them expand to nearly twice their size before shrinking down once more. ¡°Freaky¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but smile at the feeling of figuring out a new power so quickly. Unfortunately this feeling was ruined by his phone alarm ringing, for what he realized was the third time. ¡°Oh, shit I¡¯m going to be late!¡± Scene Consequences -Thanks to Experiment Synergy gained 1XP to Brawling and Toon Enhanced Strength. --Currently: Toon Enhanced Strength Lv. 1 (1/4) and Brawling Lv. 2 (1/6) -Thanks to Experiment Synergy gained additional progress towards new Power. --New Power Progress: Toon Hands (2/2) ---New Power: Toon Hands Lv. 1 (0/4)- (Costs 1 Focus or Stamina) Expand hands dealing (Power Level) additional damage to any unarmed attack or ability. (Note: Damage only applies if ability deals damage in the first place.) --- Luckily thanks to a mix of his enhanced Acrobatics as well as the skills Zylah had helped him develop during their previous training session, he was not in fact late. (Barely.) ¡°Cutting it close.¡± Zylah told him, having had her own phone in hand as he ran into the warehouse. ¡°Close, but close is plenty when I¡¯m not late.¡± He pointed out, really beginning to feel the burn in his arms and legs. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Zylah shrugged, eyeing him over. ¡°Tell me this supposedly ¡®unlimited¡¯ Stamina of yours, how hard have you pushed it exactly?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯ve run several miles in half an hour?¡± He knew that was significantly better than most given how running a mile in ten was supposed to be good if he was remembering his P.E. class. (Which admittedly I might not be.) ¡°Alright, then in that case the Doc wants us to do a bit of endurance training.¡± Zylah told him. ¡°Admittedly it wasn¡¯t our actual lesson plan, but he wanted me to make sure you weren¡¯t¡­ misjudging this one due to poor testing.¡± ¡°Well¡­ what was the lesson plan then?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Lock Picking.¡± Zylah explained simply. ¡°Oh¡­¡± (That could¡¯ve been useful¡­) ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve only got a couple of hours to do this.¡± The Shadow Dancer told him. ¡°Right.¡± (How bad can this really be?) --- Very, apparently. ¡°So what have we learned?¡± Zylah asked, calmly standing over where he¡¯d collapsed after she¡¯d made him run several miles through the forest. ¡°I do not¡­ in fact have¡­ unlimited stamina¡­¡± He admitted, every breath agony. ¡°Glad you figured that out now, rather than when you disappointed some poor girl.¡± Zylah grinned in (sadistic) amusement. ¡°Fuck¡­ you¡­¡± He growled out. Zylah merely tilted her head curiously. ¡°I thought we just established your lack of stamina though?¡± ¡°In all seriousness, be glad you figured this out now, rather than while being chased by half a dozen cops and heroes.¡± She told him, her features hardening as she looked down on him. ¡°Remember there is no such thing as ¡®Unlimited Stamina¡¯ be it mental or physical eventually some part of you will begin to give out if you push yourself too hard in a fight. And this goes double for your Healing Factor, because if you push that too its breaking point, you won¡¯t survive the backlash. Got it?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± He sighed, feeling a bit of a damper due to the fact that she¡¯d pointed out the flaws in his own power. Unfortunately, as bitter as it was, he knew this was a lesson that would probably save his life at some point, so better to learn in the beginning rather than when a winning streak broke. (After all I¡¯ll only be a star for as long as I keep on my game.) Scene Consequences -Gained 5XP to Healing Factor --*Power Level Up* Healing Factor Lv. 3 (1/8) -Power Misconception Correction: Stamina is not unlimited, but gains an additional point per Power Level. -New Power Information: Healing Factor increases Max Physical HP each Level. (If Max HP hits 0 Josh is knocked unconscious, if it hits -Max PHP he will die.) -Due to being made more aware of his limits, Focus and Stamina counters unlocked. --- ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± Zylah asked him, after giving him enough time to catch his breath. ¡°Um, I was probably going to head back home.¡± He admitted, thrown a little by her uncharacteristic curiosity about him outside of their training. ¡°There¡¯s a couple of things I wanted to look into.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± Zylah nodded, before smirking. ¡°Meaning you forgot.¡± ¡°Forgot?¡± He frowned, sitting up. ¡°Forgot what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been about a week since your last talk with the Doc.¡± Zylah reminded him while stretching a bit. ¡°Shit! Was that today?¡± He thought he¡¯d had another day before that meeting. ¡°Yep, and since you forgot that means I get to drag you to said meeting.¡± Zylah told him cheerfully. ¡°Oh¡­¡± He figured she¡¯d be annoyed having to keep more of an eye on him than she had to. Zylah pulled a shadow wreathed leg back, as her cheerfulness clicked. ¡°Oh.¡± --- *Scene Interrupt* ¡°You know, just once I¡¯d appreciate it if you guys didn¡¯t knock me out, before dragging me here.¡± He growled, feeling a disturbingly familiar concrete floor. ¡°I mean I already know where we are so it¡¯s kind of pointless.¡± ¡°It amuses me, therefore it¡¯s not truly pointless.¡± The Malice Doctor argued from his usual place at the table before closing the file he was looking at. ¡°I¡¯m assuming this is another power progress report?¡± He asked, picking himself off the ground. ¡°In a way.¡± The Malice Doctor admitted. ¡°And while we do want that progress report, this is more to test your viability as an agent.¡± ¡°My viability?¡± He frowned, before blinking as he took his seat at the table. ¡°So you¡¯re actually recruiting me now?¡± ¡°If you can pass this test.¡± The Malice Doctor told him. ¡°And what¡¯s the test?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask, even as he began looking around for Zylah or whoever they were bound to make him fight. ¡°You need to successfully infiltrate and rob a given target.¡± The Malice Doctor answered. ¡°The more you take the higher you¡¯ll score, with additional points based on how fast you are, if you¡¯re caught, how well you fend off potential attackers, and a few other things you don¡¯t need to know about just yet.¡± (Well, I already knew these guys were criminals. It makes sense that their initiation would be committing a crime.) He had to admit to himself at the very least. ¡°What happens if I get caught?¡± He knew he wouldn¡¯t like the answer to that question but felt the need to get it out of the way. ¡°I mean if I end up in jail you lose your test subject, and there¡¯s always a chance they can get something out of me with a Deviant interrogator.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have¡­ contingencies for both of those scenarios.¡± The Malice Doctor assured him. (I¡¯m guessing one of those contingencies is a bullet through my head.) He wasn¡¯t sure if that would kill him with his healing factor, but he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to test it either. ¡°So who¡¯s the target?¡± He asked with a reluctant but resigned sigh. ¡°Your choice.¡± The Malice Doctor told him, before spreading the files he¡¯d been looking at across the table. ¡°We¡¯re willing to accept a robbery of one of these three targets, a mall jewelry store, a small gang safe house, or a¡­ rough pawn shop.¡± While he only glanced at the files, he was still smart enough to piece together why these were his targets. (Small enough to not bring down an army, but still big enough to have a threat level.) ¡°Alright¡­¡± As long as it meant he had the power to be a star he was pretty much in for a penny in for pound at this point. ¡°When exactly do I need to hit one of these places?¡± ¡°Two weeks from now, though we¡¯ll need to know which you intend to hit a week before then so that we know where to set up our contingencies.¡± The Malice Doctor explained, before warning him that, ¡°If our aid proves necessary it will reflect poorly on your testing scores, however.¡± ¡°I expected as much.¡± He shrugged, hoping he could get himself to a decent enough level to do this before his deadline was up. (It can¡¯t be that hard, most criminals are non-Deviants. With my powers I can do this easy.) ¡°Good, now with that business concluded, we can move on to your actual progress report.¡± The Malice Doctor informed him. ¡°Given your previous focus on learning about new powers, perhaps we should start there this time.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± He opened his mouth to start talking about his Wonderland, before closing it as some part of him warned him that although Madness was the exact thing these people were after, it was also the one thing he shouldn¡¯t let them touch. (The Cartoon Cabaret is mine!) Blinking at the sudden knife through his skull, he shook his head before raising one of his hands and expanding it. ¡°I guess we can start with this.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± The Malice Doctor commented, staring at his hand before beginning to ask questions and mumble a number of hypotheses to himself. (Yeah, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to trust the mad scientist to leave my Wonderland un-dissected.) Scene Consequences -Quest Updated: Opening Act- The Malice Doctor wants us to rob a place to prove we can be an asset. --Investigate the targets and pick which one we¡¯re going to hit. -Gained 5 Malice Vials. Act 12: Heroes, Secrets, and Jon Whitaker Act 12: Heroes, Secrets, and Jon Whitaker --- Josh --- ¡°You alright?¡± He asked, noticing his brother sort of just staring off into the distance at the kitchen table. ¡°W-what?¡± Chris blinked before noticing him and shaking his head. ¡°No, uh, yeah. Sorry, I was uh, I was just lost in thought for a second there.¡± ¡°What about?¡± As far as he knew Chris had never really been the daydreaming type, more focused on getting things done when he could. ¡°Just¡­ things.¡± He gave his brother a look as he poured himself a bowl of cereal. ¡°That was a very poor side-step there.¡± Chris sighed, rubbing at his eyes. ¡°Look it¡¯s not something you need to be worrying about.¡± ¡°Is this the, ¡®the bar is in trouble¡¯ kind of worrying or the ¡®Chris got a girl pregnant¡¯ kind of worrying?¡± He pressed with a touch of amusement. ¡°W-what?!¡± Chris sputtered, before shaking his head. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a Deviant thing.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± (Right, Chris doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m a Deviant now¡­) He had no intention of telling his brother that he was Deviant -at least not while he was working for the Malice Doctor- but it was still a splash of cold water, to remember that he now had to keep a secret from his brother. (I wonder if this is how all Masks feel when they realize they have to keep it a secret?) He¡¯d found out Chris was a Mask fairly early on, but that was more because his brother had been a bit sloppy at keeping that secret as a teen. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to his former Mask of a brother. ¡°Is there like a new supervillain on the block? Should I be watching the whole curfew thing a little more strictly?¡± ¡°Uh, no, nothing like that.¡± His brother assured him before eventually sighing. ¡°I think there¡¯s a new madness user in town.¡± If his brother¡¯s last answer was a splash, this one was a flood of cold water. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked, hoping to find a way to direct any possible attention away from himself. ¡°Like I said it¡¯s nothing serious, just been feeling a few flexes of madness in the neighborhood every so often.¡± Chris finally admitted. ¡°It¡¯s not really our problem, but I can¡¯t help but wonder who they are.¡± ¡°Um, could it be the Gamer¡¯s Guild?¡± He offered, remembering how the Malice Doctor had mentioned their leader as being the other major Madness user in town. ¡°I¡¯ve heard their boss is like a Wonderlander or something handing out toys to everyone.¡± ¡°Mm, maybe.¡± Chris hedged, before shaking his head. ¡°But this doesn¡¯t feel like the GM¡¯s usual brand of Madness.¡± ¡°Different people¡¯s Madnesses feel different?¡± He frowned, not having noticed that. ¡°It takes a while to start parsing it all but yeah every Madness user has a slightly different feel to their Madness, the GM¡¯s for instance feels kind of¡­ like a mix of staticy and pixely.¡± Chris tried to explain, before frowning as something occurred to him. ¡°Sorry.¡± He blinked. ¡°Uh, what for?¡± ¡°No, I know you don¡¯t like hearing about my powers ever since we found out about¡­ your situation.¡± His brother tried to apologize, as Josh remembered another revelation that he knew he¡¯d had before. (Chris doesn¡¯t think I can develop powers at all.) He knew that -given the context and his situation- his brother¡¯s lack of suspicion about his powers should¡¯ve relieved him, but really all it did was leave a bitter taste in his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He told himself as much as his brother. (I¡¯ll be a star soon enough, and then you¡¯ll quit doubting me.) --- ¡°So we¡¯re going over the whole Sanctuary vs Heroes¡¯ Guild thing again?¡± He asked, taking a seat at their usual library table, while still feeling¡­ something after his conversation with his brother several hours prior. ¡°Right, I feel like we¡¯ve almost got everything wrapped up but I wanted to give it another go over before we have to turn everything in.¡± Annette told him, as she spread out several papers. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± He sighed, before looking at his project partner. ¡°So, what are we starting with this time?¡± ¡°How about the whole law and order vs hope and good will thing?¡± Annette offered. ¡°That¡¯s the main subject of our project after all.¡± ¡°Fine by me.¡± He was honestly more concerned with the Deviant side of his life than a random school project, even if the situation wasn¡¯t the same for Annette. ¡°Okay.¡± Annette nodded, turning to her notes. ¡°So starting with Sanctuary, the organization focuses on Deviant crimes, and interdimensional threats. Prioritizing the evacuation of civilians and establishment of a perimeter around a target, before subduing said target with extreme firepower and efficiency so as to minimize casualties and property damage. From there while Sanctuary does hold PR meetings and press conferences the majority of theirs revolve around providing information about their investigations as well as proving the Deviants they interact with are in fact being treated fairly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s about right if we ignore their kill warrant squads, and the fact that they¡¯re a remnant of a genocidal organization.¡± He confirmed, knowing that he¡¯d provided a fair portion of the information due to this project. ¡°Even if that stuff is probably true, it¡¯s not something the schools teach and I¡¯d rather not be labeled a conspiracy nut, thank you.¡± Annette told him, her abrasiveness of her personality pushing through whatever friendship they had and whatever gratitude she¡¯d build up over this project. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± He shrugged, not forcing her to take the red pill or the blue pill. ¡°Moving on¡­ In contrast the Heroes¡¯ Guild, primarily focuses on dealing either with non-Deviant crime, or handling Villainous Masks in public settings, while both working with the police and allowing civilians to remain and watch their less dangerous encounters. The reasoning being to allow civilians to see the guild beating back crime and evil, thus establishing a hopeful narrative that inspires civilians while discouraging criminals. And seeing as this narrative is their focus in maintaining the peace the majority of their PR work goes into maintaining a positive and active image in the public mind, as seen with the various games, books, and stories using the IPs of the Heroes¡¯ Guild to both better fund the Guild and underline the idea that heroes are always there.¡± Annette finished reading from their paper before giving him a questioning look. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Ignoring the corruption they tend to sweep under the rug and privately deal with, that was a fairly solid report.¡± He nodded in approval. Annette just stared at him for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re a very cynical person aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°No more than you.¡± He argued half-heartedly. ¡°Right¡­¡± Annette sighed, before sorting her papers out. ¡°Still aside from a bit of filler text to pad it out, that covers the broad strokes of our project.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± He agreed, before his lack of filter voiced a question he probably should¡¯ve kept to himself. ¡°Why are you taking this project so seriously?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Annette frowned, her tone taking just a hint of hostility. ¡°I mean this is just a single project, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to decide your grade for the year.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°So why¡¯ve you been so¡­ aggressive about this whole thing.¡± ¡°Because while it may not decide your grade, it might decide mine.¡± Annette scoffed before stuffing her papers in her bag and storming off. ¡°Well¡­ that was a bit extreme¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Street Smarts --Currently: Lv. 3 (1/8) -Grown a bit closer to Annette. --- Arriving at the warehouse he couldn¡¯t help but look around when he received no biting remarks upon his entrance. (Where¡¯s Zylah? Maybe she¡¯s running late.) He figured not seeing the Shadow Dancer as he took a seat at the warehouse table. (Guess I¡¯m the one stuck waiting today¡­) He was there for nearly fifteen minute before Zylah finally burst through the warehouse doors, her eyes quickly locking onto him and relaxing. ¡°Running late?¡± He asked, feeling like giving her a taste of her own medicine. ¡°Not quite.¡± Zylah sighed, before giving him a look as she got closer. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t get the memo yesterday.¡± ¡°Memo?¡± He repeated with a frown. ¡°Our lessons are over.¡± She told him bluntly, crossing her arms. ¡°I was only supposed to make sure you could run, fight, and hide. The last lesson was to round out any glaring holes I saw.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± He groaned leaning back in his seat as he realized he might not be getting as much training as he¡¯d been hoping for. (Meaning this heist thing might be a little harder than I initially thought¡­) Running a hand down his face he turned back to Zylah. ¡°If our training thing is over then why are you here exactly?¡± ¡°I got an alert that someone was in the warehouse and came by in case someone was snooping where they shouldn¡¯t.¡± She explained, looking around the warehouse empty save the two of them before eventually giving him a considering look. ¡°Hey, do you know how to pick a lock?¡± ¡°Uh, no?¡± He frowned in confusion. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that what you were planning on teaching me today, I mean last time before you put me through all of that, uh, stamina training.¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯d be surprised how important that is for this gig, regardless of what powers you can throw around.¡± Zylah explained tapping her foot as she thought about something before nodding to herself. ¡°Which is why I¡¯ll go ahead and show you how to do it today.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He blinked, not expecting her to go the extra mile like that. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m that nice of a person.¡± Zylah nodded humbly, before reaching into her dress and pulling out a lock and a set of thin sticks with right hooks at the end. ¡°You uh, you just carry a lock and lock picks on you?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask as she set the supplies on the table. ¡°Never know when a bit of practice can help you.¡± The other teen shrugged. ¡°Besides a fair number of us gain access to a small pocket dimension eventually, so it¡¯s not like it¡¯s that hard to carry.¡± (A pocket dimension?) He repeated to himself, before remembering the fact that he had an entire dimension to himself as well as the fact that, (the storage basement is probably how I learn to summon and store things in the Cabaret.) ¡°Now then first things first, the anatomy of a lock.¡± Zylah began her lesson. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Zylah gained new skill: Thievery at Lv. 1 (0/4). --Thanks to overlap with Slyness and Street Smart skills gained an additional 5XP. ---*Skill Level Up* Thievery Lv. 2 (1/6). --- ¡°So, any idea what¡¯s with all the cops tonight?¡± He asked Maddie, grabbing a tray of food as she grabbed a tray full of drinks for the patrons and a cookie for herself off of a plate behind the bar. (And since when do we have cookies?) ¡°There¡¯s some kind of celebration going on after a big gang bust.¡± The waitress explained, as they moved between the bar tables. ¡°That¡¯s right, not one but two gang warehouses in a single weekend.¡± One of the officers laughed, already looking a little tipsy. ¡°And over two dozen gang arrests on top of that!¡± ¡°Too bad that one big fuck got away.¡± Another chimed in. ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting the Dealers to have a Deviant there.¡± ¡°Eh, every gang ¡®s got one or two nowadays.¡± The first dismissed. ¡°Hell, I¡¯ve heard a couple of stations have their own Deviant now.¡± ¡°Josh!¡± His eyes snapped to Maddie, as he made his way over. ¡°Sorry, got distracted.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ we¡¯ve been at this for a couple of hours now.¡± She nodded giving him a concerned look. ¡°If you want I can cover the rest of this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that out of it yet.¡± He told her, moving to an empty table and clearing away the empty glasses. ¡°Still don¡¯t feel right making you help like this.¡± Maddie sighed, grabbing the other half of the table¡¯s dishes. ¡°And I¡¯ve told you before you¡¯re not making me help.¡± He assured her as they made their way to the bar. ¡°Besides odds are this is what I¡¯m going to be doing when I graduate high school anyway.¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t talk like that.¡± The closest thing he had to a sister scolded him lightly. ¡°You¡¯ve got a whole world of possibilities, and I¡¯m sure you can be anything you want to be.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± (But do you really want me to be who I want to be?) He knew Maddie had been his brother¡¯s main support during his Mask days, and while she had been hit by the same stuff that forced his brother into retirement, he very much doubted she¡¯d appreciate his goals on that front. (Then again there¡¯s nothing wrong with being a star just so long as we remember the people who got us there.) He blinked wondering where that bit of wisdom came from. Rather than continuing their conversation Maddie looked at one of the nearby tables and said, ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that your friend Jon over there?¡± ¡°Jon?¡± He frowned, before following Maddie¡¯s gaze to a brown haired teen in a white t-shirt and jeans sitting next to a similar looking woman in a brown jacket at a table full of female cops. Of course he picked most of that up in the peripheral since the majority of his attention was locked onto the fact that his instincts were screaming to (stay the fuck away from him!) ¡°Uh, you okay Josh?¡± Maddie asked with a concerned tone. ¡°You¡¯re looking a little pale there.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± He blinked, before shaking his head. ¡°Uh, yeah, it¡¯s just¡­ there was this kid bullying someone at school and Jon, he uh¡­ he¡¯s apparently really good with a knife.¡± (Admittedly that happened a few weeks ago but the point stands.) ¡°Huh, I knew Ms. Whitaker used to be in the military, maybe she taught him a thing or two about defending himself.¡± Maddie suggested with a frown. ¡°Still he¡¯s a nice kid I doubt there¡¯s anything you have to worry about with him.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re probably right.¡± (If it wasn¡¯t for the little voice in my head screaming threat, scary ass fucking threat!) Scene Consequences -Gained (3D6 = 13) Dollars. -Grown a bit closer to Maddie. Act 13: Complications and the Drawing Board Act 13: Complications and the Drawing Board --- Josh --- ¡°Okay, so the mall jewelry store should be around here somewhere¡­¡± He told himself walking away from a nearby mall map. The file the Malice Doctor had given him wasn¡¯t all that impressive, only really telling him the store location, and hours of operation. If he wanted anything to help him actually rob the place, he¡¯d have to figure it out on his own. (Which I guess is all part of the test¡­) Glancing around a bit more he finally found the place he was looking for, an upscale -for his neighborhood- jewelry store with a number of gems and accessories on display as the two or three employees talked with a small handful of customers flitting through. Of his three targets he¡¯d decided to start with this one because if he had to rob someone he¡¯d prefer they were someone who could afford it. Such as a jeweler¡¯s place that had to be smart enough to insure a fair portion of their product. (And if not that¡¯s their problem.) Normally this meant he¡¯d also take a look at the gang house the Malice Doctor had given him, but he felt like the Deviant mentioned by the cops the night prior was a sign that he¡¯d probably run into said Deviant if he went after this gang house. Which is why he preferred the idea of robbing the place less likely to shoot him. (Then again this is america.) Making a note to keep an eye out for any security guards, he took another look at the store while trying to figure out the best way to rob it. (The smart bet would probably be to rob it at night, but the combat ready Masks patrol at night. And given how I¡¯d have to break into the mall as well as the store itself, I might not have enough time to gather what I need¡­ Especially if I take into account the fact that a police station is less than a mile from the mall.) Even if he didn¡¯t get in a fight with a mask, the cops were still something he¡¯d have to worry about. (Alright, so the other option is a simple smash and grab.) It wasn¡¯t the most ideal plan, but it was fast enough that it could counterintuitively be the safer option. (If I can figure out a way to disguise myself and get away.) He weighed the two options a little longer before shaking his head, and turning away from the store for now. (Hopefully I can come up with a better plan before I actually have to rob this place, but it won¡¯t hurt to try and check in the other targets.) With his goal for the moment accomplished, he started making his way to the nearest mall exit figuring if he headed to the park he could get in a bit more power training before the day was done. Though halfway to said exit, he came across a decently sized crowd of people standing in front of a stage for some event. (Oh, and whose show will I be topping this week?) He couldn¡¯t help but wonder as he made a slight detour from the exit. Maneuvering around the crowd a bit, he tried reading the various signs around the stage in an attempt to figure out what had drawn so many people, only to freeze when he finally managed to get a good look at it. ¡°Ah shit¡­¡± As cheering started all around him his eyes shot to the stage where a pair of teens in costumes known throughout the city stepped onto the stage while waving at the crowd. ¡°This is the mall the junior guild does its PR events at.¡± Scene Consequences -New Menu Tab [Bad Guy Stuff] Unlocked! -New Information available about Mall Jewelry Store. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. --- Figuring that it might be a bit early in his career to be testing his luck against a Mask (even if there only junior Masks) he instead decided to try his luck at the pawn shop the Malice Doctor had directed him towards instead. ¡°Hello and welcome, there anything you looking for?¡± A large dark skinned man asked from behind the counter as he stepped into the supposedly rough pawn shop. ¡°Uh, no.¡± He answered, shaking his head. ¡°Just¡­ browsing for a gift.¡± He lied, taking a look around the store. (Doesn¡¯t look that rough.) ¡°Any idea what kind of gift?¡± The man asked, his eyes back on whatever he was working on. ¡°Any old rock records?¡± He knew Maddie had an old record player she liked to play at her place, preferring the ¡®organic old school to digital trash¡¯ as she once put it. ¡°No, people don¡¯t really pawn those these days.¡± The man admitted, as he drifted between the aisles. (Computers and TVs are the most expensive stuff, but I don¡¯t think I can carry all that much with me.) He frowned, before glancing towards the jewelry behind a glass case. (Suppose I could swipe a bag full of those if the glass isn¡¯t reinforced.) As he considered the possibility his eyes slowly drifted towards a set of odd looking electronics mounted on the wall. ¡°What are those?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The man looked up from what he could now see was an electrical board of some kind. ¡°Those are solar cells. Made them myself.¡± ¡°Solar cells?¡± He repeated, feeling like there was something important here he was missing. ¡°Yeah, you know solar panels.¡± The man nodded, stepping away from his project. ¡°Mine admittedly aren¡¯t as heavy duty as some of the professional ones out there, but mine are cheaper and even more efficient than the ones you¡¯ll find on the standard market.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± He prodded, beginning to notice a number of similar electronics along the walls that he¡¯d previously dismissed as too big to carry. ¡°Normally, it¡¯d take you about fifteen grand to convert a house with the standard grid.¡± The man continued. ¡°But mine can do the same for about three grand and take up half the space.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you make a living selling these?¡± He had to ask. ¡°I mean this sounds like a better business idea than a pawn shop. Er, no offense.¡± ¡°None taken, it was my old man¡¯s before I inherited it.¡± The man waved his concern away. ¡°Anyway since we live in the city not many people want to convert to solar, and the ones that do tend to live in apartments where they don¡¯t have rights to the roof.¡± ¡°Eh, that sucks.¡± (Maybe I can talk Chris into upgrading, I¡¯m sure he would if it helps with the bills.) ¡°It is what it is.¡± The man shrugged. ¡°At the very least it¡¯s something I can tinker with when I¡¯m on shift.¡± (Tinker with?) He frowned, before something clicked inside his head. (Fuck he¡¯s an M.A.D.) Scene Consequences -New Information available about Rough Pawn Shop. --- Having seen that the ¡®security¡¯ for two of his targets was notably higher than he¡¯d been expecting he made his way to his house to try doing something to calm his building nerves. Which is why he was currently surrounded by numerous half finished doodles he¡¯d drawn with his ink, as well as one he couldn¡¯t draw seemingly having run out of ink. ¡°Okay¡­ If I¡¯m out of Ink, I wonder if¡­¡± He reached into his pack containing the vials of Malice before pulling one out and swiftly downing it. He couldn¡¯t help but roll his neck as his entire body loosened, feeling so much of his stress dance away to the sweet symphony in his head as the ink began to flow from beneath his nails once more.. Grinning madly and giving into the song inside his head, he began drawing once more, his fingers following along to the music as he began to sketch with far more talent and skill than he ever had before. Within a few short moments he found himself staring at a familiar bar and stage, the Cartoon Cabaret drawn with near impeccable detail as his hands brought imagination into reality. He blinked, considering that for a moment as he stared at his hands. ¡°I wonder¡­¡± Reaching into his bag once more he pulled out another Malice vial before downing the strawberry copper and letting the even more detailed symphony fill his head as he put his ink stained fingers to the page. Drawing image after image of the Cabret in a detail so vivid they might as well be photographs. (But better¡­) Scene Consequences -Due to Experiment synergy gained 2XP to Ink Production and 2 progress towards Ink Drawings. --For using a Malice Vial gained 1 additional progress towards Ink Drawings. ---Power Progress: Ink Drawings (5/10) --For using a Malice Vial gained an additional (D6=6) XP to Ink Production. ---*Power Level Up* Ink Production Lv. 3 (4/8) ---For gaining a Malice Crit, 1 Malicious Madness sent to the Cartoon Cabaret. Act 14: Investigations, Roof Running, and Toon Drawing Act 14: Investigations, Roof Running, and Toon Drawing --- Josh --- ¡°Well at least they weren¡¯t completely stingy with the information this time.¡± He sighed, going over the file once more as he glanced at the final target the Malice Doctor had given him. His final target was a two story house being used by the (uncreatively named) Dealers, a gang mostly consisting of drug dealers who pushed their product across the southside of Santa Rosa. The notable thing however was the fact that this was also the same gang that the police had been celebrating a big bust over a few days prior. (Meaning if I¡¯m lucky, they''re on their back leg and trying to keep their heads down.) The house itself was a common enough design for the area, that he was pretty sure he could just look up a floor plan on a retailer site if he chose this one as his target. And having spent a fair portion of the afternoon watching the house he felt safe saying that there was neither much in the way of foot traffic nor actual inhabitants in the house save a handful of gangsters who probably lived there. (Which gives credence to the whole laying low theory, and probably means that there¡¯s less security than the Doc assumed when assigning this place¡­ Unless they¡¯ve bunkered down and there are actually more people than was originally expected.) Making his way towards the nearest bus stop, he began flipping through a few news reports and forums on his phone. Checking to see if there was any Deviant activity connected to the gang, because even if they weren¡¯t a Deviant gang, no gang would pass on recruiting a Deviant if they were able. As a bus pulled up he found something about a possible M.A.D. making drugs for them, but there was no confirmation about the Deviant in question and whoever they were wasn¡¯t active enough to be a Mask either. (Meaning that while they¡¯re definitely something to watch out for, they probably aren¡¯t enough of a threat for the gang to use as muscle, and would probably have more security than this house.) Nodding at this he continued researching the gang for the rest of his trip, going through a number of forums fanboying over local Masks and eventually stumbling upon a rumor about a Traveler working freelance security for the southside gangs, though he was unable to find anything else about the rumored Deviant than whatever he was being both big and definitely not human. (Ugh, well if he¡¯s stuck off world I can¡¯t really blame him for playing mercenary for the gangs. Especially since I¡¯m kind of doing the same myself.) (At least until we can fund our own show anyway¡­) Shaking his head, he dismissed the rumored Traveler as a threat, figuring that if they really were alternating between the gangs then odds of them crossing paths were low, especially at a location with little value beyond being a crash pad for the gang. (Meaning that the Dealers crashing there should be the only ones I have to actually worry about.) They were dangerous, yes, but (they¡¯re still more predictable than an unknown Deviant.) Scene Consequences -New information available about Gang Safehouse. --- Getting out of school the next day, he started making his way towards the Saint¡¯s Crossing. Only instead of simply walking or taking the bus like usual, he decided to try taking a more scenic route via using a fire escape to climb onto the roof of a nearby building. ¡°Alright, this is a Mask necessity.¡± He told himself, eyeing the roof ledge as he paced back and forth a bit. ¡°And besides you¡¯ve done this before with Zylah¡­ even though she spent more time laughing as our broken legs healed than actually helping us learn how to roof run¡­¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. He slapped his cheeks. ¡°No, don¡¯t think like that.¡± Forcing himself to turn back to the roof ledge, he took a deep breath before telling himself, ¡°Ten percent luck, twenty percent skill, and eighty percent power of will.¡± Nodding once he took off towards the roof¡¯s ledge and kicked off as he leapt towards the next roof, or rather he tripped over the roof¡¯s ledge and fell towards the next building. ¡°Gah!¡± He gasped as he painfully hit the wall, before his reflexes kicked in and he latched onto the nearby window frames preventing him from falling the other four stories to the ground. ¡°Fuck, that was close¡­¡± Taking a minute to regain his balance, he began climbing towards the ground, both disappointed that he¡¯d failed his jump and grateful he¡¯d managed to catch himself. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to need a lot more practice before I ever try this again.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Enhanced Acrobatics --Currently: Lv. 1 (1/4) --- Sitting at his desk and pondering the nature of his powers, he stared at a number of drawings he¡¯d previously made. (Okay, so when I draw with my Ink I get a sort of instinctive connection to the Cabaret, meaning that there¡¯s probably a Wonderlander power there that I¡¯m not quite grasping¡­) Leaning back in his seat he stared at the ceiling while keeping balance with his foot on his desk. (And given how it¡¯s not a power requiring me to build something in Cabaret it¡¯s probably the first step to drawing-) ¡°Heh.¡± (-something out of the Wonderland.) Normally that would make him excited, if not for the fact that despite the clear connection he was having a bit of trouble piecing together the best way to continue with training this power. Twirling a pen in his hands, his eyes slowly drifted towards his stash of Malice. Sighing to himself, he righted he wheeled his chair over and pulled the bag out from between his bed and his nightstand. ¡°Guess this is the best way forward when I don¡¯t know which way I¡¯m going.¡± Pulling out two vials of Malice he undid their tops before downing the strawberry copper and shivering as his heart rate spiked and the theme song of his powers began to play in the back of his head. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give this another try.¡± He told himself, lacing his fingers together and stretching them out. Picking up his pen, he paused as an idea occurred to him and his eyes drifted to the ink carrying object. ¡°Huh, I wonder¡­¡± Building a bit of Ink in his hands, he coated the pen and twisted his powers a bit as he Toonified it. Looking the pen over he found that not only was it black and white like all of his previous toonifications, but it was also notably bigger than it had been prior to said transformation. ¡°Interesting.¡± Twirling the pen across his fingers he couldn¡¯t help but smile as he put the pen to paper, and began drawing. Immediately he could feel a connection snap into existence between both him and the pen¡¯s Ink as it touched the paper, almost as if it was his own Ink being put down rather than whatever Ink had been inside of the pen. In fact as he continued to draw, he began to feel a faint draw on his own internal Ink Well. ¡°Meaning, you¡¯re using my Ink to draw with.¡± He told the toonified pen, giving it a considering look. ¡°Wonder what else you¡¯re doing with it?¡± Deciding to find out he put the toonified pen back to the page and continued to draw for as long as the pen remained toonified, taking note of the fact that there was a considerable improvement to his drawing skills with the pen that he was sure had nothing to do with the Malice coursing through his veins. ¡°Oh, yes¡­ You¡¯re definitely going to earn your keep.¡± He smiled at the pen as he toonified it once more, finding he preferred its cartoon appearance to its more (boring reality.) Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Toonification and 1 unit of progress towards Ink Drawings. --Due to experiment overlap gained 1 additional XP to Toonification and 1 additional unit of progress towards Ink Drawings. --For using Malice Vials gained (Malicious D6 =) 5XP to Toonification and 1 additional unit of progress towards Ink Drawings. ---Ink Drawings progress (8/10) ---*Power Rank Up* Toonification Lv. 4 (1/10) -Toon Pens added to Inventory --Toonified Pens increase the power of [Drawing] based skills and powers by their Toonification level, but double the cost of these powers in exchange. (Skills Cost 1 Ink per Toonification Rank instead.) Act 15: Doodling, Challenges Act 15: Doodling, Challenges --- Joshua --- Given how the main threat of targeting the Jewelry store was found in the junior heroes that frequented the mall of said store, he decided to spend his Saturday morning going over the mall¡¯s various ads, as well as the Heroes¡¯ Guild¡¯s PR schedule in the hopes of figuring out what time would let him side-step the heroes¡¯ attention. (Or that was the plan at least¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he came to the conclusion that outside of school hours -(Which I can¡¯t take advantage of without getting Chris on my case.)- there was always at least one junior hero at the mall. With said heroes switching out every four or so hours, on the weekend meaning if he went at the wrong time he could be picking a fight with two of the junior heroes at once. (Unless I hit the place at night¡­ though I¡¯m not sure if I can run to the store and back before the alarms draw attention to the Mall¡­) Meaning as counterintuitive as it was he¡¯d have to hit the Mall during the day when there was a Junior Hero present. (Or risk Chris¡¯s wrath by cutting school.) As his brother used to do that himself, he was under no delusions about Chris letting him off the hook on that one. (Which would just make everything else harder for the next month or so¡­) Thinking things over he saved the PR schedule, figuring at the very least if he did decide to hit the mall it would tell him which of the city¡¯s five junior heroes he had to deal with. (Speaking of, I should probably look into them and the real heroes at some point. Especially if I¡¯m going to be running into them any time soon.) He knew a bit about them, but since none of them were Madness users he didn¡¯t actually have much about them other than their names and the obvious bits of their powers. He was about to start looking into that when a knock on his door drew his attention as Chris checked to see if he was awake or not. ¡°Ah, good you¡¯re up already.¡± His brother nodded. ¡°That means you can help me and Maddie with the weekend rush.¡± Scene Consequences -New information available on Jewelry store Job. --- ¡°You know I¡¯d expect them to take their families to an actual restaurant on the weekends.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but admit as he grabbed a plate from Chris. ¡°I mean this is a bar.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, people like drinking and since they¡¯re friends with everyone else who comes here.¡± His brother shrugged. ¡°Might as well invite the wife and kids I guess.¡± ¡°Still, surprised you can keep up with this many orders by yourself.¡± He digressed watching Chris move between a handful of grills and fryers with extreme efficiency. ¡°What can I say I¡¯m just cool like that.¡± Chris smirked at his old pun, before shaking his head. ¡°There¡¯s only so many food items and most of the people are regulars so I already know most of what I¡¯ve got to cook for the morning rush. Just need to keep it warm until the food is actually ordered.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± He shrugged taking a second plate of the pancakes and eggs that made up half of their breakfast menu. ¡°Still there¡¯s probably another four or five orders out there.¡± ¡°Eight if all the regulars are here.¡± His brother corrected. Scene Consequences -Gained (6d6 = 20) Dollars. --- If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. As the rush finally died down he found himself sitting down at the bar next to Maddie as Chris began to clean everything off for the two or three hours they had before their afternoon to night rush began. ¡°Not this shit again.¡± Chris groaned, drawing his attention. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He blinked, before following his brother¡¯s gaze to the bar television where a commercial featuring a red-headed woman was running. ¡°Hello and welcome all you gamer boys and girls!¡± The woman greeted with a mad grin. ¡°It¡¯s time of the year again, as we of the leet Gamer¡¯s Guild bring you our famous Halloween Dungeon!¡± (Huh, almost forgot they do that.) Despite it being one of the city¡¯s biggest events in recent years, he¡¯d never actually tried his hand at the dungeon. Half-because he had a brother with super powers and half-because of said brother¡¯s over protective tendencies. (Maybe I should give it a go this year?) He knew a number of Deviants came to the city each year to give it a go, so he doubted he¡¯d stand out too much. (Could be a good rehearsal for my big debut.) ¡°Come on, you could do to get out of the bar for a bit.¡± Maddie teased his brother as he tuned into their conversation. ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯m not running into a Wonderlander¡¯s idea of a funhouse.¡± Chris argued with a frown. ¡°Honestly, that thing just brings in problems every year.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t think that the first couple times we ran that place.¡± Maddie pointed out. (Ah, she¡¯s trying to talk him into going to the dungeon.) ¡°You¡¯re right, but that¡¯s because I didn¡¯t notice the crime spiking each year until after the fact.¡± Chris admitted dryly. ¡°Oh, well¡­ That¡¯s a point.¡± Maddie sighed, clearly disappointed. ¡°The dungeon causes crime to spike?¡± He asked, cutting into their conversation. Chris blinked as if just remembering he was here. ¡°Uh, yeah, with all the tourists coming to town it makes everything harder to keep a lid on. But, uh, that¡¯s not something you need to worry about.¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± (Though it might be something I can take advantage of.) He figured, turning back to the the TV. ¡°-come on down to play. We guarantee one insanely good time!¡± Scene Consequences -Gamer¡¯s Guild Dungeon is now available until Act 30. --- Sitting alone in his room, he decided to focus on his Ink Drawings, feeling like he was on the verge of a breakthrough if he could just reach out a little further, be a little more creative, (or barring that take a vial of phlebotinum.) He shivered as the Malice hit his system and music began to play in his head with an odd sort of clarity he couldn¡¯t help but hum along to as he picked up his toonified pen and began sketching on a sheet of paper. An act that quickly resulted in an image of the Cartoon Cabaret that could pass for a black and white photo of the Wonderland. ¡°And this is where we were yesterday¡­¡± He mumbled to himself, contemplating just what it was he¡¯d spent so much time working towards over these last couple of weeks. Something tugged on the edge of his consciousness as his mind began to drift, his pen doodling out a little cartoon figure in a little black suit. ¡°Hmm, was half expecting to draw Avery¡­¡± The doodle shrugged. He froze. The doodle stared at him. He swallowed. ¡°H-hello?¡± The doodle waved excitedly. ¡°Okay, um¡­¡± He swallowed once more, because (this is big.) Setting his pen down for a moment, he couldn¡¯t help but watch in fascination as the little doodle frowned at the pen seemingly too close to its personal space before shoving it away and sending the pen rolling across his desk. ¡°Oh, this is really big¡­¡± The doodle gained a smug look, before the ink empowering it seemed to finally dry leaving the doodle set into the page. With shaking hands he proceeded to pick up the pen and draw the little doodle a second time, his hands seeming to instinctively want to recreate the same figure. Peripherally he noticed his original doodle seemed to fade from the page as his second came to life before drawing a laugh out of him as it gave him a ¡®how do you do?¡¯ kind of bow. ¡°Now this is an act worth staging.¡± Scene Consequences -For using Malice Vials 3 turns in a row 1 Malicious Madness sent to the Cartoon Cabaret. -New Unlocked Power: Ink Drawing at Lv. 1 (0/4) --Spend 1 Focus to create an Ink Drawing that can move a short distance from it¡¯s drawing place, interact with overlapping objects, and that Josh can see through the eyes of. ---Ink cost varies on drawing complexity and duration. ---Max connection distance is based on: P. Lv. + Ink Tags Lv. ---Max move distance is based on: P. Lv. + Creeping Ink Lv. ---Max interaction strength is based on: P. Lv. + ??? Act 16: Dreams, Heroes, and Crime Act 16: Dreams, Heroes, and Crime --- Joshua --- Like most nights he managed to actually dream -rather than just blacking out- he found himself in the Cartoon Cabaret, only unlike most times Avery didn¡¯t greet him as soon as he walked into the main room. (Huh, wonder where he is?) Looking around a bit he found the cabaret manager, huddled by the bar next to some drawing on the wall. ¡°Oi, Avery what¡¯s going on over there?¡± The grey man jumped turning towards him before giving him a wide smile. ¡°Boss! Boss you did it!¡± ¡°Uh, did what?¡± He blinked. ¡°Over here, over here!¡± Avery waved, before letting out a (disturbing) giggle. ¡°Is¡­ everything okay?¡± He asked cautiously, not sure if he should get too close to the manic dream or not. ¡°It¡¯s not just okay, it¡¯s fantastic!¡± The cabaret manager exclaimed, before deciding he wasn¡¯t moving fast enough and dragging him over from a distance too far for his arms to have naturally reached. ¡°Look!¡± Blinking at -(and repressing)- whatever just happened, he turned his attention to what Avery was so excited about and found himself staring at a familiar doodle. One that was notably larger than the one he¡¯d drawn before going to bed. The doodle gave him an awkward wave, it¡¯s dot like eyes drifting towards Avery. ¡°You made another Dream!¡± Avery laughed maniacally. ¡°Uh, I, how?¡± He finally settled on, still having a number of other questions but finding that one to be the most important. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Avery smiled. ¡°But this so important!¡± ¡°Why?¡± He frowned in confusion. ¡°Boss, you made a dream!¡± Avery told him once more. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? You made a Wonderland resident!¡± ¡°L-like you?¡± He stuttered, not entirely sure how he was supposed to feel about apparently creating life. ¡°Yes!¡± Avery nodded enthusiastically before pausing with a frown of his own. ¡°Well not exactly¡­¡± ¡°Okay, maybe¡­ Slow down and explain this to me?¡± ¡°Uh, right, right¡­ S-sorry Boss, got a bit, uh, excited.¡± Avery apologized nervously. ¡°But um, I¡¯m a Boss Dream while he¡¯s a regular Dream.¡± ¡°And that means what exactly?¡± He prodded for more. ¡°Well¡­ A Boss Dream is more¡­ complicated than a regular dream.¡± Avery tried. ¡°For instance I¡¯m the Cabaret Manager so I can manipulate things a bit with your permission, which regular Dreams can¡¯t.¡± ¡°So uh, if they can¡¯t¡­ manipulate things, what can they do?¡± He asked, eyes drifting to the Doodle watching him and Avery. ¡°That uh, that depends a bit¡­ Usually when a dream comes into being they have a job or role they¡¯re supposed to fulfill, or at least that¡¯s what I remember before things started to fall apart.¡± Avery frowned in thought before shaking his head. ¡°Making Dreams isn¡¯t, it isn¡¯t something I can do, so¡­ I don¡¯t know too many of the details.¡± ¡°Well, if they¡¯re supposed to have a job¡­¡± He turned to the living Doodle. ¡°What exactly is your job?¡± The Doodle gave him a shrug. ¡°Maybe¡­ Do you know when you created him, Boss?¡± Avery asked, crossing his arms. ¡°Er, not really?¡± He admitted, still trying to figure out how he¡¯d apparently created a Dream. ¡°I mean I was playing around with my powers earlier and I sort of just¡­ drew him?¡± ¡°In the waking world?¡± Avery checked, before receiving a nod. ¡°Then maybe¡­ maybe that¡¯s his purpose?¡± The Cabaret Manager offered. ¡°To appear whenever I draw him?¡± He frowned, trying to figure out how that made a fulfilling purpose. ¡°Well, there¡¯s probably more to it than that.¡± Avery pointed out. ¡°I mean, even if that is his purpose you¡¯d still have to funnel Madness into him to help him do it better.¡± ¡°But why?¡± He had to ask, especially since he didn¡¯t really have any way of getting Madness besides his Malice vials. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to, but¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± Avery ran a hand down his face, apparently having trouble figuring out how to explain this. ¡°The Wonderland runs on Madness, without Madness everything in the Wonderland¡­ Stagnates and¡­¡± Avery shivered as if remembering something. ¡°Right, so another mouth to feed.¡± He sighed, deciding not to force the timid manager to continue with a subject that was obviously bothering him. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Avery grimaced, before giving him a weak smile. ¡°I honestly wasn¡¯t expecting to have other Dreams in the Cabaret until we were getting ready to open¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He nodded. Scene Consequences -Grown closer to Avery. -Can now funnel Madness into Doodle. --- Sitting on a city bus on his way to stakeout the gang safehouse again, he pulled out his phone and pulled up the page for the local Heroes¡¯ Guild branch, figuring it wouldn¡¯t take to have a rough idea of what the junior heroes could do. (Let¡¯s see¡­ So, we¡¯ve got five junior heroes in town right now.) He frowned looking at the junior line up. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. (First up is an Iron Guardian knock off wearing a bulky mech suit to boost his performance.) (But even a good costume needs a proper actor.) He chuckled, before putting the hero in his ¡®don¡¯t fight¡¯ pile, because (even with my powers I¡¯m not quite at the ¡®punching through steel¡¯ level.) (Yet.) (Alright, and after the team tank we have the team rogue.) Looking up a few videos of them in action he found the teen dressed in black was probably a magic user of some kind. One that used a shadow-y smoke-y power of some sort to move around and attack people with a mix of stealth and ranged attacks courtesy of a pair of M.A.D. pistols. (That mobility is going to be a problem, and that¡¯s before we take into account the guns that they gave a kid because ¡®merica.) (Hopefully this job doesn¡¯t devolve into a show on the go.) Shaking his head he gave the center figure of the picture a quick search, pulling up a few videos about the team¡¯s leader, already knowing that of the five she was going to be the toughest. (So given what I¡¯m seeing here, she¡¯s probably a magic user, one specializing in manipulating the water she keeps in a compressed container on her lower back.) He paused seeing what he figured was a PR video before searching it and finding that, (oh, and she teaches self-defense to kids on her weekends off!) (Lovely.) Deciding he was better off avoiding a fight with someone that out of his league he moved onto (hopefully) the weak link of the team in a middle schooler with a fuzzy creature of some kind on her shoulder. After a moment of searching he let out a sigh. (Of course they don¡¯t let the middle schooler fight, she¡¯s probably just a mascot at this point. Which knowing genre savviness means there¡¯s something terrifying about that fuzzball they don¡¯t want to advertise.) Was he being paranoid about a middle schooler? Possibly. Was he going to stop? (Nope.) The last member of the team was a girl in white floating a few feet off the ground in the picture. (Mm, a Psychic, I think. One who uses telekinesis to fly and punch things really hard¡­) He didn¡¯t know a lot about psychics but based on what little he did know, he was pretty sure ¡®flying brick¡¯ was not the most ideal use of their powers. (Then again she¡¯s flying a lot smoother than the few psychics I¡¯ve seen do that, and I can¡¯t say that isn¡¯t a power I¡¯d prioritize myself¡­) The bus slid to a stop, as he realized they¡¯d pulled up on his stop. (Either way none of them are looking that easy.) Scene Consequences -Gained more information about the Junior Heroes. --- Given how he had a meeting with the Malice Doctor later, and likely would have to pick which of his targets he was going after at said meeting, he decided it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try and see if he could find anything else out about the gang safehouse. Which is why he spent the majority of his Sunday watching the safehouse from a building half a block over that he¡¯d managed to climb onto the roof of. And while he didn¡¯t get a whole lot of information, he was able to use his phone and a binocular app to determine that less than a dozen people came and went from the house over the course of the twelve or so hours he spent watching it. (Not entirely sure if this was worth it or not¡­) Scene Consequences -Gained more information about the gang safehouse. -For spying on a target gained 1XP to Slyness. --Currently: Lv. 2 (1/6) A/N: Complete honesty I didn¡¯t realize I left this option on the menu, and it was pretty much a unanimous vote for this option by the time I realized it so¡­ yeah¡­ --- As he walked into the Malice Doctor¡¯s warehouse, he was half hoping he¡¯d arrived early enough to catch the doctor off guard (or even better before him) unfortunately the man was already there and barely gave him a glance before saying, ¡°Good I don¡¯t have to tell them to kidnap you for once.¡± ¡°I thought my kidnappings amused you.¡± He scoffed making his way to the meeting table. ¡°They do, but at the same time the higher ups don¡¯t like having to waste resources on someone so¡­ flaky.¡± The Malice Doctor explained, continuing to look over a file. He tried to catch a glimpse of said file, but only managed to catch sight of two pictures one of a monster of some kind and the other of a (dissected body) (what the fuck?!) ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t look into things you don¡¯t want to know about.¡± The Malice Doctor warned him, closing the file with an audible sigh. ¡°Should I be concerned about that picture?¡± He asked, his eyes drifting to the guards he usually wrote off as scenery during these meetings. ¡°Only if you die on the job.¡± The Malice Doctor shrugged. ¡°Which, fair warning, if you die we¡¯ll be collecting your corpse and giving it a thorough study, before disposing of it in a way that the authorities can¡¯t trace.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± He swallowed. ¡°So, with that settled, have you decided on which target you¡¯ll be going after?¡± The Malice Doctor asked with the same vague apathy he always seemed to hold. Figuring that he should try and show off that he was at least semi-competent (and more importantly not entirely expendable) he decided to go over what he knew about each of the three targets. ¡°Well first there¡¯s the mall jewelry store, which of course has one of the Junior Heroes at it at almost all hours.¡± ¡°Not if you¡¯re willing to cut school.¡± The Malice Doctor pointed out. ¡°Not if I want to keep my brother off my radar.¡± He pointed out back. ¡°Because I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s something neither of us wants.¡± The Malice Doctor gave him a half-nod as if saying ¡®fair¡¯ without having to admit it, which he took as a small victory for himself. ¡°Yeah, well going over their line-up most of them are either too mobile or too powerful for me to take in a straight fight.¡± He admitted, only slightly bitter about that fact. (Remember you¡¯re just getting started, plenty of time to work your way up and become a star.) ¡°Unless you pick a fight with the child?¡± The Malice Doctor again pointed out. ¡°I don¡¯t trust her fuzzball.¡± He answered with narrowed eyes. ¡°Flufflepuff.¡± The Malice Doctor corrected with a touch of amusement. ¡°I don¡¯t care what it¡¯s called, I don¡¯t trust anything that cute and fluffy.¡± He growled, fully believing that fuzzball was a trap of some kind. ¡°Moving on.¡± The Malice Doctor told him, without losing his smirk. ¡°What about the other two targets?¡± ¡°Well the pawnshop belongs to an M.A.D. who I¡¯m pretty sure is a tech specialist, meaning even if I hit the place after hours or he can¡¯t fight, the place will still be trapped out the wazoo.¡± He listed before chuckling as he realized, ¡°It really is a ¡®rough¡¯ pawnshop as you put it.¡± ¡°I suppose it is.¡± The Malice Doctor nodded. (I bet you do.) He thought with narrowed eyes, before letting out a sigh. ¡°Which brings us to the gang safe house. It belongs to the Dealers, and has just under a dozen members guarding it. Apparently there was a police raid last weekend or something, and the Mask they ran into there managed to escape. Though I doubt they¡¯re hiding at the safehouse since I haven¡¯t seen any travelers and there¡¯s too few guards to be protecting their cash cow.¡± ¡°Hm, a fair assessment of all of your targets.¡± The Malice Doctor admitted, before giving him a look. ¡°Though it still doesn¡¯t tell me which one you intend to target.¡± ¡°Right, well¡­¡± (No more second guessing on this.) ¡°Taking everything into¡­ consideration, I¡¯m thinking it¡¯d be best if I targeted [the gang safehouse.] ¡°I see¡­ Well then, I¡¯ll make sure our contingencies are in place until next Sunday.¡± The Malice Doctor told him, not revealing what he thought about the matter. ¡°You have until then to hit your target, or else you¡¯ll see a¡­ restriction in our support. Understand? ¡°Understood.¡± He nodded, feeling a certain calm now that he had things a little more finalized. ¡°Good, then we can move onto your weekly progress report.¡± ¡°Right.¡± --- -Gained 5 vials of Malice. -Quest Updated: Opening Act: Make the final preparations for the heist and hit the target before Act 21. (If not triggered early, event will automatically begin after Act 20.) Act 17: Bags, Costumes, and Cringe Act 17: Bags, Costumes, and Cringe --- Joshua --- Having spent most of the school day brainstorming what kind of things he¡¯d be capable of now that he had toon powers, he found himself making a quick detour upon returning to Saint¡¯s Crossing. One that found him swiping an old burlap sack from the kitchen that had once held the potatoes Chris cut up and fried to make wedges for the bar. ¡°Right, so Buddy hit things better, and my pen drew things better. So going off of that logic, if I toonify you then you should¡­ hold things better?¡± He shook his head, knowing his habit of talking to himself tended to make him drift a bit sometimes. ¡°Still¡­ might as well take a vial of Malice while I¡¯m at this.¡± After all he found his powers tended to respond a little easier even after the vials had worn off, as long as he¡¯d used said power while under the effects of the Malice. Once he had a mouth full of copper and strawberries, he put his hands on the bag and began pushing his ink into it, causing the bag to grow large as if it was full of something despite being empty. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ storage, how do I test this?¡± He asked, looking around his room for something small enough to cram in the bag but still big enough to prove that the bag was fitting more than it should. Eventually his eyes settled on his desk chair before he nodded. (That¡¯ll do.) It took him a minute and a fair bit of maneuvering (because the stupid bag won¡¯t stay still) but eventually he managed to get one of the chair¡¯s legs into the bag, at which point a gentle shove led to the bag devouring the chair in seconds. ¡°Huh¡­¡± He stared at the bag for a moment, marveling at the fact that it didn¡¯t look any different from when he¡¯d first toonified it. Reaching in his hand fumbled for a mild terrifying moment in which he realized, (Maybe I should¡¯ve started with something I can actually explain as missing to Chris.) Before his hand (thankfully) grasped something and he managed to pull the chair out of the bag by one of its legs. ¡°Okay,¡± Grinning a bit he set the chair down before turning his attention back to the bag. ¡°So I Guess this means I¡¯ve now got my very own¡­ Toon Bandit¡¯s Bag.¡± (We¡¯re killing this naming things thing.) Scene Choice -Gained (1+D6 = 3)XP to Toonification. --Currently: Lv. 4 (4/10) -Acquired Toon Bandit¡¯s Bag: While toonified this bag gains a number of inventory slots equal to Josh¡¯s Toonification Level. This bag will remain Toonified for a number of minutes roughly equal to Toon Duration at which point it will spit out all of its contents. --- ¡°A-alright, just um, just give me a s-second, boss.¡± Avery stuttered out while weaving the bits of Malicious Madness Josh had managed to gather from all of the vials he¡¯d consumed over the last couple weeks. After a moment the timid manager gave him a nod before making his way towards the cracked door with chipping paint found behind the stage and pushing the sphere of madness into the door. The door shuddered for a moment before letting out a crackling sound as the various damages to the door stitched themselves together. ¡°That, that should do it, Boss.¡± Avery told him once the door was done fixing itself. ¡°Then let¡¯s see what¡¯s behind door number one.¡± He grinned, wondering what power the Cabaret Dressing Room would give him. (Hopefully whatever it is will solve my costume problem.) (After all, I can¡¯t go out in just any old rags.) Chuckling at his own joke, he pushed the door open and found a standard old dressing room, a wall of mirrors and makeup tables along one wall, seats in front of each, and a series of empty hanging racks along the other wall. ¡°Huh¡­ I was expecting¡­ a little more.¡± He admitted with a frown. ¡°Right, uh, well we¡¯ve got the dressing room but we¡¯ll still have to spend resources to um, unlock the actual costumes and outfits.¡± Avery admitted a little nervously. ¡°Sort of like with the bar.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± He cursed, before realizing something. ¡°But wait, didn¡¯t the bar come with a drink already.¡± ¡°Um, yes.¡± Avery nodded before grabbing a hangar and a pair of black shoes he hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡°I guess your regular clothes are the default?¡± ¡°I guess they are.¡± He agreed, eyeing the white dress shirt, black vest and slacks on the hangar. An outfit that matched the clothes he found himself in whenever he entered the cabaret. ¡°Not sure how much this helps me though¡­¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe this is one of those things that makes sense in the waking world?¡± Avery suggested. ¡°S-sort of like how Doodle works differently out there than he does in here.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s something I¡¯ll have to test.¡± He admitted, eyeing the Doodle watching them curiously from his place on the wall. --- After returning to the waking world -an experience that always left him oddly tired- he used the fire escape to make his way onto the building roof where he attempted to follow Avery¡¯s advice about his power from the Cabaret Dressing Room. Of course pulling on a power he knew he had, without actually knowing what that power was, was an odd experience of randomly nudging at the numerous bits of Madness and Malice connecting him to his powers in all sorts of different ways. Eventually however he did manage to find the power he was looking for and with a twist of Madness felt something bubbling beneath his skin as he felt the odd desire to spin in place. And watching bubbles of Ink beginning to appear from his skin he gave into the desire and found himself spinning far faster than intended. Stamping a foot down to stop himself, he shook the slight dizziness from his head before noticing that his hand was significantly paler than prior to using his power, as well as the fact that his clothes had somehow changed into the outfit he usually wore while in the Cartoon Cabaret. (Right, the Cartoon Cabaret¡­) He realized, remembering a number of cartoons where a character could change costumes by spinning in place and becoming a short lived twister. ¡°Wonder if that¡¯s what I look like when I change?¡± (Would definitely be a sight worth seeing.) Checking his pockets -and fumbling for a moment- he found that his phone had thankfully jumped clothing with him, even though his wallet hadn¡¯t. ¡°Weird, but I¡¯ve always been a bit of a weirdo.¡± He admitted with mild amusement as he pulled up his camera and shifted it to self-portrait before using the phone as a mirror. Looking at his image he found himself mildly confused as he found his image on the phone distinctly more cartoonish than what he saw with his own eyes. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a side effect of the camera?¡± It made a certain amount of sense that his clothes from the Cartoon Cabaret would make him look like a cartoon on camera. (At the very least it¡¯ll make it harder for people to connect my Mask self to my regular self.) Speaking of, now that he was over his initial shock he found a number of other little features that had changed, such as how his eyes were now solid white with two large black dots and no sign of his usual eye color. (Just like a cartoon character.) In addition to the effect on his eye color he also found that the rings around his eyes were less noticeable, while the lines of his eyelids were more prominent where they overlapped with his eyes. (Is this what eyeliner looks like?) ¡°Wait,¡± He frowned. ¡°Is my power making me wear freaking guyliner?!¡± He scowled glaring at his image before eventually shrugging it off and deciding. (At least I make it work.) Forcing himself past that little hang up he found that in addition to his skin being paler his hair had also darkened from a dirty blonde to a solid black. A shade notably darker than the borderline brown Chris¡¯s blonde had ended up stopping at. ¡°Meaning even if my hair gets as dark as his, people still won¡¯t connect it with black as ink.¡± Honestly there were so many details like that, that he doubted anyone would be able to connect him to himself especially if he avoided wearing a mask. (Less is more in some cases.) Scene Consequences -Unlocked Cartoon Cabaret Dressing Room --New Power: Dressed to Impress- Josh can now equip and remove his Cabaret Clothes at no cost. --Costume Tab unlocked under Wonderland Tab. --Investing Madness into the Dressing room can unlock upgrades to existing outfits as well as new Costumes. --- With his identity more or less hidden by his new power he decided to try a bit of roof running to see if the costume hindered him in any way. (After all, slacks aren¡¯t exactly exercise clothes.) And as luck would have it, he discovered after a bit of running and jumping that despite looking and feeling like formal wear, the clothes he wore were actually far more flexible than even his normal clothes. (Guess that makes sense since they¡¯re technically cartoon clothing.) Continuing on with his run he was tempted to try and draw attention to himself, his inner show off considering the possibility of giving the city a sneak peak of its newest (star.) Unfortunately he quickly found two problems with this idea, that had him swiftly and mercilessly killing it both due to practical reasons and¡­ less than practical reasons. First, since the only way he could seriously train both his mobility and acrobatics at the moment was with this rooftop and back alley running, he found himself in places no one really checked since no one looked up and no one was stupid enough to walk through back alleys on the southside of town. (Well, except me, but I have superpowers so it doesn¡¯t count.) The second and most important reason however was, (I am a star damn it! Not a desperate attention seeker! We have some class and I¡¯ll be double damned before I let you ruin my street cred by waving at people like an idiot without any way to prove that we are more than some dumb ass wearing formal wear on the roof! I refuse to be demoted back to being a B-lister so have some Cheshire damned self-respect for yourself Joshua!) He shook his head as another massive migraine hit him all at once. (Damn thought I was through with those¡­) Still he was glad that for once he managed to talk himself out of doing something cringe inducingly embarrassing. ¡°Yeah, thinking about it like that, no one would take me seriously unless I have something actually worth showing off.¡± (Thanks me.) (Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got your back other me¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that thought as he continued his practice with a mildly mad grin. Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Mobility and Enhanced Acrobatics --Currently: Mobility Lv. 2 (3/6) and Enhanced Acrobatics Lv. 1 (2/4) Act 18: Ball to the Wall Act 18: Ball to the Wall --- Joshua --- On paper the idea of using his madness field on a super bouncy ball and a pair of brick walls to practice his dodging was an ingenious plan. Right up until he realized that while his field had no problem injuring him when he tried to push it too far, it apparently had a failsafe of some kind to prevent him from using it to actively harm himself. Sure his madness field greatly increased the number of bounces he could get out of said ball, but that didn¡¯t mean much when the ball would always curve around him. ¡°I probably should¡¯ve expected my powers to come with some sort of secondary safety power situation.¡± He sighed, running a hand down his face. ¡°I mean, why else is everyone immune to damage from their own powers?¡± Not willing to give up on his (brilliant) plan just yet he decided to try pushing his power a bit harder. Namely by seeing if he could break through his safety restrictions with the aid of a Malice vial and that sweet sadistic symphony of sound. Cracking his neck as his foot began to tap along to the beat, he picked up his bouncy ball before spinning it atop his index finger as he contemplated the best way to get the little ball to hit him. ¡°Hmm, well if my power doesn¡¯t want to hit me¡­¡± He tossed the ball into the air before catching it and throwing it at the wall as hard as he could while flexing his madness field. Once more the ball refused to hit him even if it was bouncing even more chaotically around the little alley he was in. At least until he simply stepped into the ball¡¯s path. Rather than bouncing off of him the ball fell flatly to the floor, and he could feel something just behind the swing in his head glaring at him, almost as if his power itself was annoyed with him. ¡°Ouchie¡­¡± He whimpered, before cackling madly. Grinning madly, he picked the ball up before once more chucking it at the wall, where if he wasn¡¯t mistaken it began to bounce even more wildly than before. Eyeing the bouncing ball for a moment, he ducked to the side stepping into the ball¡¯s path so that- A rat leapt out of a nearby dumpster and snatched the ball out of the air. (The fuck?!) He blinked watching the rat take the ball and scurry through a nearby sewer drain and thus far out of his reach. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. After staring at the drain for a few minutes, he narrowed his eyes and walked over to his backpack where he pulled out a second bouncy ball before dribbling it against the ground as he glared at the nearby wall. Throwing the ball he watched as through an odd distortion of physics the ball slowly climbed its way up the alley walls until it was bouncing a good foot above his head, without going an inch higher. Something he just knew was meant to taunt him. ¡°So that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be.¡± He nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± Turning towards the dumpster he took a running start before kicking off the wall and then the dumpster to gain the few feet of height necessary to swat the ball out of the air. ¡°Ha!¡± He cried hitting the ground. ¡°In your face¡­ Powers¡­¡± Silence was his only response. ¡°You know, thinking about it¡­ The fact that my powers are actively antagonizing me raises some disturbing implications¡­¡± He admitted to the ball in his hand. ¡°Which is why I¡¯m going to completely ignore them rather than having an existential crisis driven mental breakdown in a filthy back alley.¡± Once more he threw the ball as hard as he could at the wall, as he once more pitted himself against his powers in a game of keep away with the bouncy ball. Slowly pushing himself to, and beyond the sizable amount of stamina given to him by his healing factor as he continued to perform feats of acrobatics and mobility to chase and swat the bouncing ball. A feat that drastically grew in difficulty as his powers decided to take their game from the small alley and into a more complex maze of alleyways and side streets that made up the back roads of the city. A smile split his face as he chased the bouncing ball, finding this challenge all the more thrilling, as he spent the entire afternoon pushing the limits of several of his different skills and abilities. Performing several feats of dexterity and agility that he just knew were going to be all the more impressive once he took them from a rehearsal and put them to practice on an actual. Hell, he could already imagine himself being a badass as (he dodged the bullets of both cops and gangsters with a mad grin on his face as he basked in the awe of his adoring audience, witty banter already on the tip of his tongue as he struck a lavished pose. ¡°I am always up for a shooting boys, but I¡¯ve noticed none of you seem to be able to get my good side.¡± Insert cocky smirk. ¡°Which is truly impressive given how every side is my good side.¡± The boys in black and blue both took exception to that. ¡°Le sigh.¡± He said dramatically, as he continued to avoid bullets left and right. ¡°This is what I get for working with amateurs, never should¡¯ve agreed to a photoshoot without Polly behind the camera.¡±) He couldn¡¯t help but smile at that fantasy, as he continued his game with himself. All the while knowing just how close he was to the day he finally (reminded the world just how much of a star I really am!) Scene Consequences A/N: Alright due to the fact that the actual experiment idea and all of the given training actions having a certain synergy, (as well as the fact that this crit) I¡¯m going to go ahead and bend the rules a bit to give this consequence: -Due to experiment synergy and using a Malice Vial gained 3XP to Rube Goldberg Field, Healing Factor, Mobility, and Enhance Acrobatics. --Currently: Rube Goldberg Field Lv. 3 (3/8) and Healing Factor (4/8) --*Power Level Up* Enhanced Acrobatics Lv. 2 (0/6) --*Skill Level Up* Mobility Lv. 3 (0/8) --Malicious Crit: +1 Malicious Madness. Act 19: Bullies, Escape Routes, and Dungeons Act 19: Bullies, Escape Routes, and Dungeons --- Joshua --- As the school bell rang for the day he started making his way to the library to meet up with Anne, figuring that even if she was making a big deal over such a small project he could at least humor her since she was the closest thing he had to a friend outside of a bar or cabaret. (Doesn¡¯t mean I have to rush there though.) He reminded himself as he waited for the school crowds to clear a bit, because even though he was excited to be trying out the Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon later he knew better than to force his way through a crowd that held half a dozen of his bullies. ¡°...acle you passed as¡­ special as you are.¡± A high-pitched voice mocked before half dozen other voices laughed alongside it. (Speaking of bullies.) He frowned, sneaking a bit closer to what he already knew was a confrontation between Anne and her own bullies. Glancing around a hall corner, to one of the areas his bullies loved to drag him because of the broken(/fake) cameras charged with watching it, he found Anne on the ground with her backpack spilt all over as her bullies stomped and stepped all over her things. Scowling as he realized this was a bit more physical than their usual verbal barbs, he stepped around the corner and told the (bitches) to, ¡°Back off!¡± The gaggle of girls turned to face him before their leader sneered at him, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s your freak of a boyfriend to save you. Not that you could do any better than this pasty poser.¡± He rolled his eyes since he¡¯d always been of the opinion that verbal blows did not hurt nearly as bad as the physical ones. (Even if they¡¯re the only one¡¯s I¡¯ve been able to throw.) ¡°Well, sadly some of us just aren¡¯t used to seeing people with actual faces instead of make-up.¡± He nodded with a sad sigh. ¡°Hopefully, your boyfriend doesn¡¯t vomit when he sees yours.¡± The girl just scowled at him, ¡°You¡¯re not worth my time.¡± ¡°Then quit wasting it on me.¡± He told her with a mildly manic smile. ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡± The girl scoffed before walking away, her friends following a few steps behind. Keeping an eye on the (bitches) until they were out of sight, he eventually turned to Anne who was trying to go through her various pages while quietly cursing to herself as she picked up a soaked sheet of paper. (Ah, they dumped water on her stuff.) He grimaced. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not fucking okay.¡± Anne spat, before shoving her soaked papers and books into her backpack. Once she was done she stood up and gave him a look. ¡°Since you don¡¯t keep fucking notes on they ruined our project by the way.¡± ¡°Meh, it¡¯s the start of the year, plenty of time to make up a single project.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Not if they keep up like last year.¡± Anne growled low enough that he didn¡¯t think he was supposed to hear it. Though sadly that thought wasn¡¯t fast enough to keep him from asking, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, they pulled this shit all year last year, and I nearly failed.¡± Anne practically yelled at him. ¡°We¡¯re not even two months into the school year and my grades are already in the toilet, and this year is going to be the exact same shit, because, because those bitches are obsessed with ruining me and, and¡­ Fuck!¡± Swallowing, silence engulfed them as he found himself unable to think of anything to say as Anne rubbed at her eyes, fighting back tears. ¡°Just¡­ just forget about it. This, this isn¡¯t your problem.¡± Anne told him before shoving past and leaving him alone in the library. --- Forcing himself to ignore the incident with Anne, he decided to take a quick detour towards the gang safehouse on his way to the Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon. The idea being that he could give the nearby area a once over to try and plot out his escape. And after giving the neighborhood a few laps with his phone and the internet in hand, he was able to spot three different routes he could take each with their own pros and cons. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. His original plan was the most obvious, using his acrobatics and mobility to run across the rooftops -(something I doubt those Dealers can do)- until he made it to a relatively safe place. On paper it was the safest, but given how the safe house was in an area with actual houses rather than a bunch of cramped four story buildings, he¡¯d have to run a fair bit to make it to the buildings that would aid his escape. Which was a problem shared with his alternative plan of running through the streets until he hit a more crowded area and dropped his disguise to blend into the crowd. Even if the overall distance he¡¯d have to cover was noticeably less if he ran towards the market. Of course this still left him with the possibility of running into a Mask, depending on the time of day he made said run, but at the same time part of him was just itching at the possibility of having a bigger (audience). (And if worse comes and I run into a Mask I can always throw the Dealers at them to get away.) Lastly was the option that he was most reluctant to give into even if it was the easiest method of escape, largely because he discovered that one of the city¡¯s older -and therefore larger- sewer lines ran under a street a few blocks away. Meaning if he could find a manhole cover he could duck into the sewers and ditch any pursuers. (Well, as long as those sewer monster myths are fake anyway.) It was hard to tell sometimes with the interdimensional demons and ghost-zombies running around. Scene Consequences -New Options available during heist planning phase. --- Upon arriving to the handful of tents the Gamer¡¯s Guild had set up to mark their dungeon location, he¡¯d been tempted to try showing off a few of his powers. At least until a part of him remembered that while the majority of the people here were just tourists trying their hand at the Adventure game there were still a fair few who were Deviants themselves. (And best not to premiere our show until everything ¡®s in place.) And so restraining his inner show-off, he waited through the lines with everyone else, signed the various liability waivers and permission forms, before finally being allowed through the tent and into a small area with a stone archway set into a hill surrounded by trees that he was pretty sure weren¡¯t here the week prior. (Guess they set this up to give everyone that ¡®adventure¡¯ feeling. After all,) (presentation is everything.) Standing before the Arch and feeling the faint power coming off of it, something finally clicked inside his head. (I¡¯m about to walk into another Wonderlander¡¯s Wonderland.) He¡­ didn¡¯t actually know if that was a good or a bad thing, but given how he¡¯d already gone through everything to get here¡­ (The show must go on.) Stepping through the archway the world around him spun, vertigo taking over as he stumbled barely catching himself against the stone walls and preventing a tumble down a flight of stairs as his stomach jumped into his throat. (¡°Well, hello¡­ Who are you?¡±) A voice asked both within and without, like the Man in the Mask and yet so very different. Swallowing down the bile threatening to lurch up his throat, he asked ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡± (¡°Ah, ah, I asked first.¡±) The voice told him in a playful tone. (¡°So come on. What¡¯s your name?¡±) ¡°@&#¡¯!¡­¡± He answered, feeling something wet coming from his nose. (¡°Hmm¡­ Oh! You¡¯re a Wonderlander!¡±) The voice realized excitedly. (This is your first time in someone else¡¯s Wonderland isn¡¯t it?¡±) ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± He nodded, not really feeling up to lying. (¡°Odd, most Wonderlanders don¡¯t have this severe of a reaction.¡±) The voice told him in a way that he could just picture their concerned frown. (¡°Usually it¡¯s just a quick rush, like diving into a cold pool on hot day. This is different¡­¡±) ¡°How do I¡­ How do I make it shtop?¡± He practically begged as a jackhammer began to beat away at his skull and the taste of strawberries and copper filled his mouth. (¡°Hmm¡­ Can you make it to the bottom of the stairs?¡±) ¡°Y-yeah.¡± He nodded, before slowly and haphazardly doing just that. (¡°Once you get to the bottom there¡¯ll be a door. If you step through it you¡¯ll enter this room with a bunch of weapons in it.¡±) The voice continued, their words keeping him steady. (¡°All you need to do is pick one up and it should stop whatever is going on with you¡­ hopefully.¡±) ¡°Heh, hopefully.¡± He agreed, unable to stop the bit of laughter that escaped him. (¡°Eh, sorry, but like I said this isn¡¯t really normal. I mean I¡¯ve never seen my Wonderland reject someone this badly before. Hell, you¡¯re not even in my actual Wonderland and it¡¯s trying to throw you out.¡±) ¡°Guess I¡¯m just¡­ special like that¡­¡± He smirked, finally making it to the doors before weakly pushing them open. Or trying to at least. (Damn it, where¡¯d that¡­ super strength of mine go?) Only managing to get the doors half open he slipped through the crack in the door before stumbling into a circular room with sunbeams shining through the ceiling and marking a dozen waist high pedestals. ¡°Which¡­ which one do I pick?¡± He asked the voice as his eyes drifted between a number of weapons floating above the pedestals. (¡°It doesn¡¯t honestly matter, as long as you play my Wonderland¡¯s game it should quit rejecting you.¡±) The voice explained. (¡°But that means you have to actually use it, so no eating it for Madness, or the rejection might get worse.¡±) ¡°Wonderful¡­¡± He groaned, before giggling as he realized the joke in the word. Shaking his head and forcing himself to focus through his headache, he gave the various weapons a second glance from the classic sword, staff, and bow trifecta of RPGs to a number of odder choices such as a pair of books, a collar, and a skull. ¡°Right, if it doesn¡¯t matter which one I pick then I¡¯ll take the¡­¡± Gamer Guild’s Dungeon (1st Floor) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (1st Floor) --- Joshua --- ¡°Right, if it doesn¡¯t matter which one I pick then I¡¯ll take the¡­ chains.¡± He decided, stumbling over to the pillar in question. (¡°Huh, what a coincidence¡­¡±) ¡°What?¡± He blinked, weakly grabbing the chains off the pillar. (¡°Oh, nothing¡­¡±) The voice assured him as the chains burst into pixels. (¡°Wait, uh, give me a second¡­ we¡¯re experiencing some, uh¡­ technical difficulties and¡­ got it!¡±) The world seemed to shift underneath him as the pressure on his head suddenly disappeared as if it was never there, leaving his mind as clear as it¡¯d been before he¡¯d walked into the dungeon. ¡°What¡­ what was that?¡± (¡°Depends on what you mean.¡±) The voice seemed to shrug. (¡°The pain was because my Wonderland wanted to reject you for some reason, that I am legitimately curious about given how it''s never happened like that before. And if you mean the fact that it disappeared so quickly then¡­¡±) A blue screen full of icons appeared in front of him. (¡°I rolled you up a game character!¡±) ¡°Uh, thanks?¡± He said, not entirely sure what he was thanking her for given how even if his mind was clear the last few minutes were still¡­ confusing. (¡°No problem!¡±) The voice chirped. ¡°Right¡­ So, um, how exactly is this supposed to work?¡± He asked, looking at the screen and noting how half of the icons seemed to be empty. (¡°Video game rules. Play the game, get skill points, and spend them to unlock new skills.¡±) The voice answered. (¡°Only I had to tweak a couple of things to get my Wonderland to accept you¡­ Which is weird, in that completely cool kind of way.¡±) ¡°Uh-huh.¡± He nodded understanding the first half of that while also -personally- acknowledging the fact that he didn¡¯t know nearly enough about Wonderlanders to make a call on the second part. ¡°So what exactly did you¡­ tweak?¡± (¡°Ooh, ooh, I made you a custom character!¡±) The voice squeed. (¡°Oh, but don¡¯t worry I left a few blanks for you to fill in for yourself if you want.¡±) ¡°Right, um¡­ I¡¯m not entirely sure what you mean by that.¡± He admitted, before experimentally clicking on an icon that was neither empty nor greyed out. On the screen in front of him a little cartoon video of himself appeared next to the icon showing him throwing a black line of some kind at a monster and pulling it towards himself. (¡°Well, for whatever reason my Wonderland wouldn¡¯t accept you as just a regular player. So instead I ended up taking the Chain class and¡­ remaking it into a new class based on what I¡¯m picking up from your own brand of Madness. Which was enough to work through whatever error we were getting.¡±) The voice explained. (¡°Though admittedly I¡¯m a little fifty-fifty on if a couple of things translated right, or if they¡¯re going to come out different than intended.¡±) ¡°Hmm, well subverting expectations is half of the show.¡± He shrugged, since in all honesty he hadn¡¯t been intending to make this a test of his own powers rather than the guild¡¯s. (¡°Ooh, you¡¯re a performer?¡±) The voice asked with a fascinated tone of, well, voice. ¡°I guess that¡¯s one way to put it.¡± He admitted, knowing that while he hadn¡¯t had his big debut, he was (absolutely going to be a star.) Giving a few of his other available options a look, he decided to go with that first one figuring it¡¯d be useful if he didn¡¯t have to chase down his enemies in a fight. (¡°Ooh, Chain- Er, I mean¡­ Ink Pull?) The voice sounded confused, before dismissing whatever was bugging it. (¡°Uh, anyway, good call. That one is kind of the bread and butter of the Chain class, which yours is based on.¡±) Feeling something scratching at the back of his mind, he looked down at his arm as something like a glop of bubbling ink wrapped around his arm. He flexed his hand and wrist a few times before giving into the itch and slinging his arm forward, sending out a sling of ink that quickly retracted. (Interesting¡­) Rolling his shoulders he flexed his wrist again before swinging his arm and flinging out the ink in a whip strike, that he repeated once, twice, and thrice. (Very interesting¡­) ¡°Figured using this thing would be a bit harder than that¡­¡± (¡°Ah, that¡¯s because I implant memories of how to use each skill into the power-ups.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander told him, causing him to blink. ¡°Wait, we can implant our memories into things?¡± (¡°It¡¯s a bit tricky, but it''s not all that different than implanting emotions.¡±) The voice seemingly shrugged. (¡°Admittedly, how you do it is probably based on however you built your wonderland. So it might be easier, might be harder.¡±) ¡°Huh¡­¡± He considered that for a moment, before finally realizing (I¡¯m talking to a Wonderlander. A real Wonderlander. They probably know all sorts of stuff that can help me and the cabaret out!) ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ theater, of sorts.¡± He admitted to the voice in half-truth, figuring that Wonderlanders were rare enough that letting a few of the more obvious details slip wouldn¡¯t hurt him. (Especially if it gets me some solid advice about this whole Wonderlander thing. Because as much as I hate to admit it, Avery doesn¡¯t know nearly as much as I wish he did.) (¡°Ooh, a theater! That sounds like it could be fun!¡±) The voice seemed to smile. (¡°And if it¡¯s like that then maybe you could store memories in like¡­ recordings or something. It¡¯d be super cool if they were old time-y film reels instead of the modern stuff.¡±) ¡°Yeah, that does sound kind of cool.¡± He agreed as he remembered Avery once mentioning some film reels about the old boss. (Those must¡¯ve been memories he stored within the Wonderland.) (¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve put the game on pause long enough.¡±) The voice told him. (¡°We need to get this game started!¡±) ¡°Alright.¡± He smiled, feeling some of his fellow Wonderlander¡¯s enthusiasm through the world around him. (That¡¯s definitely something to make note of.) ¡°Through these doors, right?¡± He asked, making his way to a second set of stone doors. (¡°Yes, oh, wait! Give me a sec, only get to do this for a handful of my players.¡±) The voice seemed to cough before taking on a different tone. (¡°Our story begins with our young adventure stepping forth alone into the guild¡¯s dungeon, in an attempt to find his fortune in this world.¡±) ¡°Are¡­ are you narrating?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask. (¡°Well, I¡¯m GM and that¡¯s kind of my job man.¡±) The voice pointed out. ¡°Whatever.¡± He shrugged, only to frown before looking at the air around him. ¡°Just make sure to make me sound like the star that I am!¡± The voice made a snorting sound. (¡°Sure, sure.¡±) Eyeing the air suspiciously for a moment, he eventually turned his attention back to the stone doors before pushing them open and finding himself glad that his super strength had returned to him, making the job significantly easier than before. (¡°Stepping into a tunnel of dirt and roots, our young hero found himself intaking an animalistic scent informing him of just what his first trial would be.¡±) ¡°So, the first floor is an animal dungeon of some kind? Got it.¡± He nodded, continuing down the tunnel until he found a large open room with a small furry creature in the middle. ¡°Rats?¡± He asked upon recognizing the creature. ¡°The first floor is a rat dungeon? Seriously?¡± (¡°Hey, hey, hey! The rat dungeon is a classic adventures trope and is great for giving players a tutorial!¡±) The voice defended against his incredulity. ¡°Fine.¡± He sighed, before giving the thing a second glance. ¡°I¡¯m guessing since there¡¯s just one this is supposed to be the ¡®how to attack¡¯ tutorial?¡± (¡°Yeah, I tried having more than one for this tutorial but¡­ People are idiots.¡±) The voice told him in resignation. ¡°Yeah, that tracks.¡± He agreed, before flexing his wrist and flicking it towards the rat with the intention of pulling it towards himself. And as the rat flew towards him he decided to give something a try before toonifying his hand and slapping the rat into the ground. An action that shattered the little beast into hundreds of pixels. (¡°Ooh, what was that?¡±) His fellow Wonderlander asked, once more in awe of him. (As it should be.) ¡°My Toon Hands, it makes my hands bigger and allows me to hit harder.¡± He explained before noticing something on the ground. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± (¡°Oh, tutorial drop.¡±) The GM answered as he picked up a rat skull that was bigger than the rat he¡¯d killed. (¡°Enemies randomly drop items, some are immediately useful like potions or equipment and others are only useful if you get to certain checkpoints like that skull.¡±) ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± He told the GM before stuffing the skull in one of the surprisingly spacious pockets of his slacks. ¡°Wait¡­ when did I change clothes?¡± He¡¯d been intending to switch into his toon clothes once he stepped into the dungeon, only avoiding it to keep people from seeing his toon identity before he was ready. A plan he¡¯d completely forgotten about with his headache, which is why he was mildly alarmed about transforming without meaning to. (¡°Oh, right. This is your first time in someone else¡¯s wonderland.¡±) The GM remembered. (¡°Whenever you step into a realm of Madness you¡¯ll automatically transform into however you see yourself in your Wonderland. Such as that dapper outfit you¡¯ve got going.¡±) ¡°I see¡­¡± He frowned, starting to make his way down the next tunnel. (If I automatically transform in a ¡®realm of Madness¡¯...) ¡°Does that include anywhere that a Wonderlander is using their powers, or just instances like this dungeon or an actual Wonderland?¡± (¡°Anywhere with enough Madness really.¡±) The GM answered as if they hadn¡¯t just admitted that he could be outed by any Madness user. (Shit does that include Chris?) He grimaced. (No, wait the GM said ¡®enough Madness¡¯ which means Chris would have to be using his powers a fair amount to trigger my transformation. Which is also probably why I haven¡¯t transformed around him given how little he uses his own powers these days.) It was still something he¡¯d have to watch out for, but at the very least it was more of a situational concern than an immediate one. (¡°A veritable swarm of rats blocked our heroes path, drawing him away from his fantasies about the future and forcing him to focus on the task at hand.¡±) The GM narrated, forcing him away from his thoughts and back into the moment. ¡°Right, so first is basic combat so I¡¯m guessing this is supposed to get people used to dealing with more than one enemy.¡± He thought aloud, upon seeing that the ¡®veritable swarm¡¯ was really only five copies of the rat he¡¯d previously crushed. (¡°Eh, pretty much.¡±) The GM admitted. (¡°Unlike the last room, the swarm gets bigger the more people are in your party, so it¡¯s also about party tactics which since you¡¯re doing a solo run¡­¡±) Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Isn¡¯t relevant to me.¡± He nodded, before rolling his shoulders as he began to flex his wrist. ¡°Still this should be easy enough.¡± He slung his (Ink Whip) forward and began hacking at the rats with a series of strikes that while not as damaging as his Toon Hand appeared to be, was hitting multiple targets at once. ¡°Hey, question.¡± He told the GM after vanquishing the last rat. ¡°How much damage does my¡­ Ink Whip do? Compared to the other weapons back there anyways.¡± (¡°Eh, kind of low, but most of your attacks are AOE so depending on how many enemies you hit, you¡¯re only slightly below average.¡±) The GM answered as he picked up whatever random junk the rats had dropped. (¡°Honestly, the chain is built more for crowd control than DPS.¡±) ¡°And I¡¯m guessing since I¡¯m by myself that means I¡¯m at a disadvantage.¡± He frowned, knowing that most ¡®control characters¡¯ were regulated to the back line be it for the sake of support or causing steady damage. (Which is pointless given how I don¡¯t have a front line to tank for me.) (¡°A small one, but don¡¯t forget you¡¯re technically a whole new class, so that doesn¡¯t matter as much for you as it does other people.¡±) The GM tried to assure him as he made his way to the next room. ¡°Right¡­¡± He sighed, figuring he¡¯d deal with that problem when it came to him. ¡°So what''s this next room about anyway?¡± (¡°Oh, hold.¡±) The GM coughed, before continuing in their ¡®narrator¡¯ voice. (¡°As our hero continues into the depths of the dungeon, he began to feel the mutative magic in the air that created the many menacing monsters of the dungeon.¡±) ¡°Mm, boss fight already?¡± He figured the first floor would be more than just three rooms, even if it was the easiest of the dungeon''s floors. (¡°Heavy unit tutorial.¡±) The GM corrected. ¡°Gotcha.¡± He nodded before creeping into the room with a rat the size of a rottweiler. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a big rat.¡± (¡°Kind of the point of a heavy unit.¡±) ¡°Right, so what¡¯s the difference between a regular unit and a heavy?¡± He asked, before realizing he could use this question. ¡°I mean from a Wonderlander standpoint. I already figure Heavies have more health and damage, and maybe a special ability or two depending on the floor.¡± (¡°There¡¯s not really a difference?¡±) His fellow Wonderlander admitted. (¡°I mean they cost more resources to make, but honestly I¡¯m kind of specced for the whole Minion Master build. I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t have too many minions?¡±) ¡°I¡¯ve kept it to a handful of dreams for now.¡± He answered, figuring that even if he was ¡®inexperienced¡¯ as a Wonderlander he didn¡¯t want the GM to realize he¡¯d been one for less than a month. ¡°Figured a bunch of Boss dreams are better than a cheap zoo deck like yours.¡± (¡°Spoken like someone who needs to get good, scrub.¡±) The GM laughed. (¡°But in all honesty I don¡¯t actually have too many dreams, since I put more points into upgrading my waking party.¡±) ¡°Makes sense.¡± He doubted outfitting an entire gang was cheap on the resources. (In fact I definitely couldn¡¯t pull that off given what I¡¯m working with right now.) (¡°Right, either way, why don¡¯t you deal with this thing so we can get a move on!¡±) The GM rushed him. Figuring there was no reason not to, and that he was admittedly interested in what that ¡®skill¡¯ he unlocked could do, he flexed his wrist before throwing out his ink whip with the intent of pulling the rat to him. An idea that while on paper was good, proved less so in practice as he ended up under the giant rat trying to bite and claw at him. ¡°Shit! Fucking! Shit!¡± He cursed, toonifying his hand to punch the rat off of him. ¡°What the fuck is the point of a skill that puts an enemy on top of you!¡± (¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t really calibrate for your super strength adding to the strength boost that naturally comes with my power ups.¡±) The GM admitted sheepishly. (¡°I-I¡¯ll fix that on your next level up.¡±) ¡°Wonder-gah!¡± His sarcasm was cut off as the giant rat reoriented itself and lunged at him once more. ¡°Fuck!¡± Eyes widening, he toonified his hand once more as threw out a sloppy uppercut into the rat¡¯s head, shattering it into pixels before a little tune unrelated to his own began to play in his ears. ¡°Wha-what is that?¡± (¡°Victory music.¡±) The GM answered as if it was obvious. (¡°Oh, and that second tune means you leveled up!¡±) ¡°I did?¡± He blinked before shaking his head. ¡°Er, cool¡­ I guess?¡± (¡°Yep.¡±) The GM agreed. (¡°Already fixed that bug you had, and made a new skill based on your big hand thing and this chain technique I know.¡±) ¡°Thanks?¡± He said before shaking his head and picking up what he assumed was a potion vial of some kind. ¡°These things safe to drink?¡± (¡°Red tastes like cherries and blue is blueberry flavored, but you¡¯re missing like one HP so it¡¯s kind of pointless to take them now.¡±) ¡°Huh¡­ is the HP thing you do an actual scanning ability or are you making a joke?¡± He asked starting towards the next room. (¡°Scanning ability.¡±) The GM seemingly shrugged as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°Is it accounting for my healing factor or is it like my current well being?¡± He prodded, maybe a little too obviously, but at the same time he might be able to learn something about one of his more important powers. (¡°It accounts for your healing factor.¡±) The GM answered in a distracted tone. (¡°Roll for perception.¡±) ¡°What?¡± He frowned in confusion. (¡°You don¡¯t notice anything.¡±) He blinked before looking at the space around him. ¡°Uh, what?¡± (¡°You still don¡¯t notice anything.¡±) ¡°Okay¡­ should I be concerned about this?¡± He felt the need to ask. (¡°Still not noticing anything.¡±) ¡°Alright, you¡¯re making me kind of paranoid here.¡± He admitted, as he cautiously continued through the tunnel. Something landed on his head. He sighed. ¡°The perception thing was for an ambush wasn¡¯t it?¡± (¡°Yep.¡±) With that confirmed he stood perfectly still before swiping at the thing sitting on top of his head. A thing that decided to retaliate by climbing down his face and ¡°Fuck it¡¯s in my shirt! It¡¯s in my fucking shirt!¡± Little claws began to nick and scratch at his skin as he tried to beat at the small vermin clinging to him, ¡°Get it out! Get it out!¡± Eventually one of his panicked swipes managed to strike the rat crawling in his clothes, pixelating it in a single blow. ¡°Fuck do the pixels have to sting too?¡± He whined, shaking his shirt out. (¡°Well it¡¯s a disruption of condensed magical energy so yes.¡±) The GM told him with a fair bit of amusement. (¡°And so glad that actually worked on someone, was scared this was broken or something.¡±) ¡°What do you mean?¡± He gasped, coming down from his¡­ fight. He was going to call it a fight. (Makes me sound more badass than a freak out.) (¡°Oh, nothing important.¡±) ¡°Whatever.¡± He sighed, before stepping into a room with a large chest in the middle. ¡°Ooh, treasure chest.¡± (¡°I don¡¯t have to explain how this one works do I?¡±) The GM joked as he made his way to the chest. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve played enough games.¡± He told her, eyeing the chest. ¡°Which is why I know not to simply trust this.¡± (¡°What?¡±) With a swift kick he knocked the chest open before leaping back and preparing for a fight. When no fight began he cautiously looked around the room before suspiciously eyeing the chest again. (¡°Okay¡­ I think this is the first time someone has reacted like this¡­¡±) The GM admitted with a bit of confusion. ¡°Then that just means they aren¡¯t genre savvy!¡± He scowled, eyes narrowing at the chest. (¡°Uh, what do you mean?¡±) ¡°Traps and mimics.¡± He explained. (¡°Really, you think I¡¯d use traps and mimics on players? On the first floor?¡±) The GM scoffed, before quietly adding. ¡°Ah!¡± He cheered having caught her. ¡°So you would use traps and mimics, just not on the tutorial floor!¡± The GM¡¯s silence was telling. ¡°See it¡¯s not paranoia if you are in fact out to get me!¡± The GM¡¯s continued silence was now as damning as it was telling. Eventually his fellow Wonderlander shook away the shock of having been caught before audibly sighing. (¡°Just, just take the coins from the chest, and head to the next room. You¡¯ve just got the boss and then you¡¯re done with this floor.¡±) ¡°Right,¡± He nodded with satisfaction before doing just that. ¡°So, what is the boss anyway?¡± (¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be telling?¡±) ¡°I mean, what kind of boss is it? Bruiser, minions, sneaky ambusher?¡± He explained, before realizing, ¡°Actually, more important question, is this one of your Boss Dreams?¡± (¡°Huh? Oh, no, no. I do have a couple of Boss Dreams on the deeper floors but I can maintain the smaller floors by myself.¡±) The GM told him. (¡°And while I do have more than the few wandering this dungeon, they¡¯re usually restricted to the monster families I¡¯ve invested a little more into.¡±) ¡°Interesting.¡± It really was given how he only had a single Boss Dream himself. And based on what she was saying, she used her Bosses to expand and maintain her Wonderland and Dungeon beyond her natural limits. (Which I guess makes sense, since Avery is supposed to manage the Cabaret when I¡¯m not there.) (I¡¯ll have to think on it a bit more, but I think I¡¯m starting to get an idea of what Boss Dreams are supposed to do.) With that final thought he stepped into a large room with a series of stone steps leading up to a small throne with a small anthropomorphic rat sitting on it, wearing a crown and holding a scepter. It took one look at all of this and said. ¡°Alright, going to call it now. Minion boss.¡± (¡°It¡¯s the rat floor of course it¡¯s a minion boss. What else were you expecting?¡±) ¡°I don¡¯t know, like some kind of were-rat bruiser or something.¡± He shrugged. (¡°...¡±) ¡°...¡± (¡°Oh, no. You failed your stealth check.¡±) ¡°I what now?¡± He blinked. The rat king suddenly screeched while pointing its scepter at him, causing two clouds of pixels to swarm through the air before coalescing into a pair of giant rats running straight for him. ¡°Oh. Oh shit!¡± He cursed, throwing himself out of the way of the lunging rats. (Okay, minion boss. Since it summoned them, that means it can probably replace them. Should see if I can hit it, before I try killing its minions.) Plan set he rushed up the stairs, while keeping an ear out for the giant rats behind him. (Just like running from the bullies at school.) As he neared the throne, the rat king hissed at him before scrambling on top of it to try and get out of his reach. ¡°Yeah, no.¡± Deciding to trust that the GM had fixed the prior bug -and that it actually wouldn¡¯t be too painful in this situation- he flexed his wrist before sending out his ink whip to grab the dungeon boss. The rat king screeched diving out of the way and off of the throne, as his whip shot through the little monster¡¯s previous location. ¡°Shit missed.¡± Stumbling for a step at his failed attack, he lost track of the giant rats behind him just long enough for one of them to tackle him into the throne from behind. ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed, elbowing the beast behind him before shoving it off of him. With a bit more breathing room he turned around and shakily stood on top of the throne, all while keeping an eye on the three rats behind him. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try this again.¡± He told himself before leaping off of the throne and trying to stomp the rat king, an action that caused all three rats to scatter away from him. ¡°Not this time!¡± He shouted before sending out another ink whip towards the rat king and actually managing to catch it this time. ¡°Yes!¡± He cheered reeling in his catch, before toonifying his hand and smashing the rat king into a cloud of pixels. This victory was of course short lived as one of the giant rats decided to avenge its king by once more tackling him to the ground and trying to claw at his face. ¡°Damn it!¡± He¡¯d been hoping the minions would die with their summoner! Blocking his face with his forearms, he waited for the giant rat to pull back before grabbing it and bringing it in for a few strikes with his elbows. The third of which caused the weight on top of him to disappear in a storm of pixels. Groaning as he got to his feet he turned towards the final rat and nodded. ¡°Just you and me¡­¡± The rat hissed at him before rushing him in the same maneuver he was pretty sure the other two had used on him. Which is why he found it significantly easier to roll out of the way, before lashing at it with his ink whip in a flurry of quick strikes that shattered the beast into lights. ¡°Fuck¡­ Is this really something tourists sign up for?¡± He groaned as he felt his heart beating to a familiar tune inside of his chest. (¡°Eh, usually I have the monsters set to easy for non-Deviants.¡±) The GM admitted, talking for the first time since his fight started. (¡°I¡¯ll then raise it to normal or hard depending on if the person I¡¯m dealing with is a regular Deviant, or a known mask.¡±) ¡°Yeah, that, uh, that makes a little more sense.¡± He nodded, as he began picking through his loot, finding another rat skull as well as another potion. ¡°So, um, what next?¡± (¡°Floor stairs are behind the throne. You¡¯ll find the floor treasure and then stairs will take you to a shopping slash break room.¡±) The GM told him as he made his way back up the room¡¯s stairs, before finding a short tunnel to a room with three treasure chests. ¡°Okay, looking at this I¡¯m guessing, weapon, armor, and potion chest.¡± He commented, looking the room over. ¡°I¡¯m also guessing, I can only take one.¡± (¡°Yep.¡±) The GM confirmed. (¡°Oh, also since you¡¯re a Wonderlander you could also cannibalize the Madness of whatever you collect for your own Wonderland if you want.¡±) ¡°Really?¡± He asked in surprise. ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± (¡°Eh, I honestly make more Madness then I can use through the guild.¡±) The GM seemingly shrugged. (¡°That¡¯s part of the reason I blow so much of it on events like this.¡±) ¡°Huh¡­ That must be nice¡­¡± He grumbled under his breath, since aside from his Malice vials he still didn¡¯t know how to gather Madness. Something that seemed so fundamental to being a Wonderlander that he didn¡¯t feel comfortable bringing it up with the GM. (¡°It is.¡±) The GM agreed shamelessly. (Should¡¯ve figured they can hear everything I say in their dungeon.) He grimaced. (¡°But don¡¯t feel bad. The only reason my Madness maker is doing so well is because my friends put a ton of effort into helping me out in the waking world.¡±) The GM admitted with a touch of fondness. (¡°I wouldn¡¯t be making half as much Madness without my party backing me up.¡±) He merely ¡®hmm¡¯d¡¯ at that, not really knowing what to say since he didn¡¯t really have much in the way of friends himself. (Even my thing with Anne is more, due to being mutual outcasts than actual friendship¡­) (¡°Still,¡±) The GM began, coming out of her memories. (¡°If you want to move onto the next floor than you¡¯ll need to go ahead and pick your prize.¡±) ¡°Right.¡± He nodded after shaking his head out of his thoughts. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take the Madness." Gamer Guilds Dungeon (2nd Floor) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (2nd Floor) --- Joshua --- ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take the madness.¡± He figured that actual madness was far more valuable to him than a power up that was only good for as long as he was in the GM¡¯s dungeon. (¡°Alright, then just give me a moment¡­¡±) The GM told him as the three treasure chests burst into a swirling swarm of pixels before recondensing into a large black treasure chest with gold trim. ¡°So, I just open this and the Madness is inside?¡± He made sure as he walked up to the chest, some instinct telling him just how different this chest was to the previous ones. (¡°Yep, though for the sake of gameplay I¡¯ve set it to randomly drop a resource.¡±) The GM admitted, which given how she was doing him a solid here he wasn¡¯t going to complain. ¡°Well then let¡¯s see how the dice roll, hmm?¡± He placed a hand on either side of the chest¡¯s lid before prying it open with a grunt as a familiar tune sung from the chest. Grinning as he decided to play along he blindly shoved both hands into the chest before spinning in place and raising a glowing black sphere into the air as he struck a pose. (¡°Heh-heh-ha!¡±) The GM laughed in delight. (¡°You got the Deceptive Madness. This Madness can be used to create effects that avoid attention or generate illusions.¡±) ¡°Huh, not bad.¡± He nodded, mentally taking note of the fact that the sphere seemed to become translucent the more he tried to focus on it. Clenching his fist the sphere burst into ink sending small drops flying all around him even as he felt the Madness settling inside of him. Something he was sure he could only notice due to how little he actually had in reserve. (¡°Huh, that¡¯s cool.¡±) The GM commented as he started making his way down the stairs to the next floor. ¡°What is?¡± (¡°Oh, you can usually tell a bit about a Wonderlander¡¯s theme based on the effects they apply to their powers. Like how my stuff has video game pixels.¡±) The GM explained. (¡°I mean I know you¡¯ve got this whole ¡®cartoon theater¡¯ thing going on, but the ink is still cool.¡±) ¡°I guess it is.¡± He agreed, not really sure what else he could say about the matter. (¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve seen some games do some cool stuff with art and ink mechanics.¡±) The GM told him. (¡°Heh, depending on how you¡¯re scripting yourself you could be one of those brought to life.¡±) ¡°Huh, didn¡¯t think of it that way.¡± He admitted considering the possibility. (Though stuff like that might take more ink than I can output right now¡­) (Still if I can put on a show with it it might be worth considering.) As he contemplated this he eventually stepped into a large room with a ladder, another set of stairs and, ¡°Ha, you made the merchant!¡± (¡°I had to go with the classics, and given how he¡¯s become memeonic I had to make an expy of him as my merchant character.¡±) The GM told him in a way that he could just hear their smile. (¡°Though I did have to give him a few changes for copyrights sake.¡±) ¡°Over here stranger.¡± The man in a trench coat called. Unable to help himself he walked over and put on a gruff voice as he asked, ¡°What are ya sellin¡¯?¡± The merchant laughed as he opened his trench coat. ¡°Whaddya buyin?¡± Another screen similar to the one he¡¯d gotten with his class flashed into existence before him with three icons representing buy, sell, and upgrade in a similar style to the game the merchant was ripped from. Clicking the buy option he didn¡¯t find too much of value given how there were only really potions and more rat skulls for sale. Though with a bit of scrolling he found another section with the things he could trade said rat skulls for. And there he found something of value. ¡°Oh, I could use a proper coat.¡± He grinned, buying the Rat¡¯s Cloak for all of his skulls. (¡°Good choice. Ooh, wait¡­¡±) The GM told him, before seeming to get distracted by something. (¡°Oh, now that is interesting.¡±) ¡°Er, what is?¡± He felt the need to ask. (¡°Just give me a second, keep browsing or whatever.¡±) ¡°But uh, the cloak is the only thing I need.¡± He pointed out. (¡°You don¡¯t want a health potion or something?¡±) The GM tried stalling. (No, ugh, fine just¡­ give me¡­ one more¡­ second¡­ and¡­ done!) ¡°Got somethin¡¯ that might interest ya¡¯.¡± The merchant told him before reaching into his coat and pulling out a small black treasure chest. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s this?¡± He asked the GM as he accepted the chest. (¡°You¡¯ll love it I promise!¡±) Figuring there was no reason not to trust them given how much the GM had already done to help him he opened the chest before pulling out a (beautiful) black suit jacket. (¡°Since you¡¯re a Wonderlander I was able to ¡®stylize¡¯ my equipment to fit your Wonderland¡¯s theme.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander explained. (¡°Meaning that while it¡¯s still got the stat bonuses of my rat¡¯s cloak, it now fits your dapper style.¡±) ¡°That it does.¡± He smiled, slipping the jacket on. (Though the tailcoat is a bit short for my tastes¡­ Eh, I¡¯ll just have to fix that myself.) (¡°Yeah, what¡¯s more I was somehow -really wondering about this power interaction by the way- able to figure out how to get the coat to eat similar equipment.¡±) ¡°Okay, not sure what that means but it sounds cool.¡± He admitted, prodding the other Wonderlander for more details while also trying to avoid the fact that some part of him was pretty sure his Malice was responsible for this weird power interaction. (¡°It means if you find anymore you can use the upgrade screen to add some -not all- of that piece¡¯s stats to your jacket.¡±) The GM explained, before asking him if, (¡°You got any idea what¡¯s up with this?¡±) ¡°No.¡± He told her before adding that, ¡°Honestly you¡¯re kind of making me wonder the same thing now.¡± (¡°Hmm, well it doesn¡¯t really matter right now I guess.¡±) The GM dismissed in a way that told him she was still going to look into it on her own time. (¡°Still you heading to the next floor or tapping out?¡±) ¡°Come on, I¡¯ve still got to break this new coat in.¡± He laughed, making his way to the stairs. (¡°Good because I¡¯m hoping you¡¯ll actually like this next floor.¡±) ¡°Uh, why?¡± He frowned. ¡°Is there something special about it?¡± (¡°Eh, not really, but I¡¯ve kind of been savoring everyone who¡¯s run it since yesterday.¡±) The GM admitted. ¡°Why?¡± He asked once more if more cautiously. (¡°Oh, there was this group that¡­ They sort of broke this level and since they broke it they were able to cheat the next couple of levels too.¡±) The GM tried to explain. (¡°Honestly, it was kind of fun seeing something new like that¡­ At least once I started ignoring the ¡®rip and tear¡¯ guy¡¯s critiquing of all my traps.¡±) ¡°He¡­ critiqued your traps?¡± He repeated in confusion. ¡°Who does that?¡± (¡°A guy who while very fun, also scares me a little. Especially with what he did on that one floor. Ergh.¡±) The GM answered, giving an audible shiver towards the end there. ¡°Uh, what did he do?¡± (And how bad could it be to freak out a fricking gang leader?) (¡°He, uh, he¡­ you ever wonder what would happen if you crossed DOOM and Bloodborne?¡±) ¡°No¡­¡± He admitted, not liking this tangent. (¡°Well it¡¯s as terrifying as it is epic.¡±) ¡°Oh.¡± He squeaked. ¡°Um, he¡¯s, uh, he¡¯s just a visitor to town¡­ right?¡± (¡°Nope. Lives here and when you look at him he is the last person you¡¯d imagine capable of doing something like this. Like I have empathic powers and this guy is just so¡­ nice, that you wouldn¡¯t expect him to literally bite someone¡¯s head off.¡±) For a brief moment he had a flashback to the weird disconnect he felt from Jon Whitaker that had his every instinct screaming to run as well as the one time he¡¯d seen Jon use a knife. He then timesed that until he reached the point of doing the things the GM was describing and- (Yeah, I¡¯m glad Jon¡¯s not that bad.) ¡°So uh, changing the topic, what exactly am I up against on this floor?¡± He asked, figuring that Madness wore enough at his sanity without adding disturbing thoughts about murderous Hufflepuffs to the mix. (¡°Like I said this floor has a few simple traps.¡±) The GM seemingly shrugged as he got to the floor entrance. (¡°They¡¯re honestly not that complicated until the fourth floor, and the ones here are meant more as set dressing with the occasional joke trap.¡±) ¡°Like this thing?¡± He half-chuckled as he found the classic cartoon trap of a box and rope behind the entrance door. (¡°Why don¡¯t you step on it and find out?¡±) Deciding that there was no harm in giving his fellow Wonderlander an easy win, he made his way to the trap before giving the rope a few gentle prods with his foot. Which is when the box exploded in size before trapping him in darkness. ¡°Huh¡­¡± He blinked despite being unable to see anything. ¡°Is this temporary or do I have to break out of this myself?¡± (¡°You could at least act like it surprised you.¡±) The GM whined before explaining that, (¡°You can either breakout or just wait for it to collapse. The thing doesn¡¯t even last a whole minute.¡±) ¡°Cool, and are all the traps like this where they sort of¡­ freak out or are they a more standard affair?¡± He wondered aloud while placing a tag on the wall to see what happened. Something he only felt comfortable trying due to the fact that he could cover up any ill effects as his way of trying to escape the box rather than his attempt to poke and prod the GM¡¯s Madness with his own. (¡°Ergh, what did you just do?¡±) The GM asked with an audible shiver. ¡°Uh, I was using one of my powers on the box.¡± He admitted before frowning. ¡°Wait, you felt that?¡± (¡°Ugh, yeah¡­ Felt like something slimy crawling over my skin.¡±) The GM shivered again. (¡°What exactly were you trying to do?¡±) ¡°I can make this Ink similar to the whip, and I was wondering if it could help break down your trap.¡± He half-lied, while making a mental note that his fellow Wonderlander could feel the tags that he thought only he could see. (Then again this entire dungeon is technically part of her Wonderland, and now that I think about it, I wonder if other Madness users can see my ink? And if they can, can Malice users see it too?) He hadn¡¯t asked Zylah if she could see his tags, but he also hadn¡¯t considered the possibility that other people could perceive them after his test with the Malice Doctor and his guard either. (That¡¯s definitely something I¡¯ll have to check the next time I see her. It¡¯d be just my luck if only non-Deviants can¡¯t see it.) (¡°Yeah, well¡­ whatever you just tried to do, can you not do it again?¡±) His fellow Wonderlander asked. (¡°At least until you unlock it as a skill in the skill tree.¡±) ¡°Sure that shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡± He shrugged, figuring that this actually gave him an excuse for why he was such a weak Wonderlander if the GM got curious. (¡°Sorry and thanks. Power interactions can be weird.¡±) The GM told him as the box finally disappeared from around him. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve seen some weird ones.¡± Admittedly those were more from his days following Chris¡¯s heroic exploits than any of his own experiences, but he¡¯d still them in person. (So it technically counts.) (¡°Tell me about it, there was this really weird one yesterday that completely threw off a few of my floors because they had this really weird magical affinity that my monsters reacted to because of their lore.¡±) ¡°Huh, that is weird¡­ in that weird way that also kind of makes sense.¡± (¡°Definition of Madness, man.¡±) Shaking his head he continued through the dungeon, before eventually asking, ¡°Is this entire floor going to be nothing but traps and puzzles or are there going to be a few fights?¡± (¡°It¡¯s mostly fighting.¡±) The GM sighed. (¡°I mean, I¡¯ve tried making a floor that was more puzzles than fighting before but¡­ it didn¡¯t work out the way I¡¯d hoped¡­¡±) ¡°Uh, what do you mean?¡± (¡°People are idiots.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander answered dry as a desert. ¡°Okay¡­¡± (Not sure if I should touch that one.) Deciding that it was better to be safe than sorry on this kind of thing he instead turned his attention to the upcoming room where he found a small group of four short lizard-like humanoids clustered together. ¡°I feel like I know what these guys are but I can¡¯t name it for sure.¡± He admitted in a frustrated tone. (¡°Eh, I¡¯ll tell you after you beat them. No hints before the big fight.¡±) ¡°Fair enough.¡± He shrugged before stepping into the room with a roll of his shoulders. Taking advantage of the fact that the creatures hadn¡¯t noticed him yet he swung his ink whip into the group a couple of times, causing them to scatter as they each took a single hit. ¡°Alright, bit tougher than the rats of the last floor, but they don¡¯t seem as tough as the big rats at least.¡± Which is why he had no problem using his whip to grab one of the lizards and shatter it into pixels as he threw it into the ground. The three remaining creatures seemed to decide that this was their best opening as they rushed him all at once, something that probably would¡¯ve given him trouble if he didn¡¯t toonify his hand and pixelate two of the lizards in a single punch. Having managed to dodge the strike the last of the creatures began trying to crawl away from him as it realized it was all alone. ¡°Please no hurt me!¡± The creature cried, causing him to pause. ¡°Wait¡­ These things are sentient?!¡± He shouted, taking a step back. (¡°Eh, semi-sapient.¡±) The GM corrected. (¡°Also they¡¯re respawning, so they don¡¯t actually experience death the way normal people do.¡±) ¡°Still¡­¡± His current plans may make him a bad guy, but that didn¡¯t mean he wanted to be a bad guy. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can kill something that isn¡¯t fighting back.¡± (¡°You don¡¯t have to kill it, though if you don¡¯t clear a treasure room you won¡¯t be able to get the treasure chest.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander warned. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± His whole point in coming here was to gather experience and Madness, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t mean I have to kill everything I see.¡± (¡°Moral integrity over treasure. I can respect that.¡±) Accepting the GM¡¯s words for what they were, he turned away from the cowering creature and towards the two doors leading further into the dungeon. ¡°So which door should I MOTHER FUCKER!¡± He screamed before grabbing the (bitch ass) lizard that just (stabbed me in the back) and crushing it¡¯s skull with a toonified hand. ¡°What the fuck was that?!¡± (¡°Yeah¡­ just because something can talk doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not going to stab you in the back first chance it gets.) The GM told him. (Does that include you?) He wanted to ask, though some part of him managed to force that question back down. (¡°Anyway while there are a couple of monsters you can reason with on lower floors, Kobolds are designed to stab you in the back the first chance they get.¡±) The GM continued, unaware of his thoughts. ¡°Meaning that even if they pretend to be defenseless they still intend to attack whenever I look away.¡± He finished for her. (¡°Just like a Boo.¡±) The GM agreed. Running a hand down his face he forced down his frustrations. ¡°Fine, whatever. Which of these rooms should I hit next?¡± (¡°Well the one across from the entrance leads further in, but the one perpendicular to those leads you to a treasure room.¡±) ¡°Right¡­ treasure room it is.¡± He sighed, turning to the door. (¡°Glad you get how it works.¡±) ¡°First rule of games.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Explore everything and take everything that isn¡¯t nailed to the ground.¡± (¡°I know but there are people out there who don¡¯t realize that!¡±) His fellow Wonderlander told him in shock, before adding in a calmer tone, (¡°Don¡¯t forget the potion and fang those two kobolds dropped.¡±) ¡°Oh.¡± He glanced at the ground. ¡°Completely missed those.¡± (¡°Trust me if you¡¯re trying to see how far you can go you¡¯re going to want as many of those as you can get.¡±) The GM warned. (¡°Each level the drop rate goes down, and by the final floor there aren¡¯t any potion drops at all.¡±) ¡°Yeah, that sounds like it could be a problem.¡± He admitted coming to the door of the treasure room. ¡°Hey there¡¯s going to be kobolds on the other side of this thing right?¡± (¡°I can¡¯t tell you for sure because rules, but it¡¯d be a safe-ish bet going forward.¡±) ¡°Right¡­¡± Slowly opening the door and peeking around the cover he found four more kobolds surrounding a treasure chest in the middle of the room while bickering with each other. (Damn they¡¯re life like.) He grimaced before shaking his head. (The GM said they¡¯re respawning so even if I kill them they¡¯ll still come back later, and¡­) ¡°Do all Dreams resurrect when they die?¡± (¡°Uh, complete honesty I¡¯ve only had my Dungeon Dreams die before so¡­¡±) ¡°So none of yours have died either¡­¡± He finished, remembering something Avery had said once about the other Cabaret Dreams fading away. (¡°Yeah, there¡¯s like four people I trust in my Wonderland unsupervised, and maybe eight non-Wonderlanders I allow in it period.¡±) The GM told him. (¡°But even if a Dream that isn¡¯t meant to die dies, you should be able to resurrect them with enough resources¡­ or at least that¡¯s how we work in most games.¡±) ¡°Um, maybe we shouldn¡¯t be trusting games on how things work?¡± (¡°Blasphemy.¡±) ¡°...¡± (¡°...¡±) (Okay¡­ I¡¯m just going to ignore that for my own sanity if nothing else.) Taking a deep breath, he re-focused himself on the task at hand and once more took note of the positions of the various kobolds before shoving the door open and using his Ink Whip to pull the closest one out of the pack. Once the lizard was within his actual arms reach he proceeded to grab it by the head and slam it into the ground with his full weight, shattering it into a small storm of pixels. As he clenched his fist around the coins dropped by the kobold, another rushed towards him only to burst into pixels as he backhanded it with a toonified fist, leaving him with the last two kobolds eyeing him as warily as he eyed them. Deciding to keep the momentum going before he lost it, he flexed his whip hand before throwing it out to lash at the two kobolds. A quick and rapid series of strikes tore them both into little pixels as a small chime echoed through the room, followed by the sound of the chest unlocking. ¡°Alright, that wasn¡¯t too bad.¡± He admitted, rolling his shoulders as he stepped up to the chest, only to stare at it. His gaze narrowed at the box as he began to spin his whip around his wrist. (¡°Oh, for the love of- Mimics are only on the demon floor and the lovecraft floor!¡±) The GM yelled at him. He didn¡¯t believe her. (¡°You know what? Fuck it, I¡¯ll open the chest myself.¡±) There was a click and the lid of the chest shot open revealing a pair of potions both red and blue within. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. He continued to eye the chest. (¡°What now?¡±) The GM groaned. ¡°How do I know this isn¡¯t a baited mimic? I mean the chest opened on it¡¯s own so¡­¡± (¡°Take the loot now or I¡¯m lowering the drop rate of the entire dungeon.¡±) The gang leader growled. Deciding that was a fate far worse than a mimic bite he quickly swiped and pocketed both of the potions from the chest before fleeing from the room. Once in the room he¡¯d previously cleared he took a moment to remember which of the doors was the entrance before taking a right and heading deeper into the dungeon. ¡°So out of curiosity how many kobold types does this floor have?¡± He asked as he continued down the tunnels that separated every dungeon room. (¡°Two, the standard grunts and then the boss, which no spoilers.¡±) ¡°Fair.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But why does this floor only have one mob compared to the previous one?¡± (¡°Right, since you focus on a few strong Dreams you¡¯ve probably never come across this issue.¡±) The GM told him. (¡°You see when I make a Dungeon I can only put so much Madness into each floor before it breaks apart. Unfortunately since the kobolds are smarter than animals this means they take up a lot more Madness, which means I can create fewer variants.¡±) ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m guessing that the deeper the Dungeon goes the more Madness you can pump into each floor?¡± It made a certain amount of sense that the further from reality one went the more easily Madness could take things over. (¡°Eh, I can power through it if I want, but the energy drain on me does go down the further down people go. That¡¯s part of how I maintain the whole upgrade system for so many people who aren¡¯t actual guild members.¡±) The GM admitted. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± This meant several things, though how much of it was actually useful to him and the cabaret he couldn¡¯t be sure of just yet. Coming to another room door he once more pushed it open gently so that he could take a look into the room without being attacked and try to plan his course out. Like the last two rooms he¡¯d cleared, this one had a small group of kobolds gathered together. In fact the only major difference between this room and the previous two was the fact that there were a number of small pits littering the room floor. (Not the biggest hazard, but something I¡¯ll have to keep an eye on if I don¡¯t want to slip and fall.) Seeing that this room was so similar to the previous two, he saw no harm in using tactics that had already proven themselves oh so useful. Which is why he once more threw out his ink whip and tried to pluck the nearest kobold from the group. Only because this room was bigger than the previous two -something he hadn¡¯t noticed during his inspection- his whip ended up falling a couple of meters short and flopping to the ground uselessly as he gave away his position. ¡°Uh¡­ this thing has a range limit?¡± (¡°You can upgrade it when you level up.¡±) ¡°I see¡­ You know this is one of those pain in the ass upgrades that¡¯s only there because it¡¯s such a pain without it. The kind that gets unlocked from the get go in the sequel.¡± (¡°You know I could just make five meters your absolute limit.¡±) The GM warned him. ¡°Right¡­¡± He sighed before turning his attention to the kobold and noticing something odd. ¡°Wait, weren''t there four of these guys? Where¡¯d the other one go?¡± One of the kobolds threw a rock at him. ¡°What the fuck?¡± He cursed, not having expected the cheapshot to his face. Growling he took two long steps forwards as he swirled his whip around his wrist before once more throwing it out in an Ink Pull. One far more successful than his previous attempt, seeing as he actually managed to grab the (little fucker) who threw a rock at him. An action he repaid by throwing said monster into one of the room¡¯s walls of stone hard enough to pixelate it. Still feeling pissed he shot out another whip to grab a second kobold, waiting until it was halfway to him before slamming it into the ground with a toon fist and turning his attention to the third kobold cowering away from him. Knowing that it was just an act to get him to drop his guard he started marching towards it with the full intention of shattering it beneath his foot. Or at least that was the plan before the fourth kobold jumped out of one of the shallow pits and stabbed him in the leg. ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± He spat, using his uninjured leg to punt the sneaky little (bastard) with all of his enhanced strength, pixelating it the moment it¡¯s head came into contact with his shoe. He heard a whimpering sound to his side, causing his attention to snap to the kobold now truly cowering away from him. Snarling, he twirled his whip around his wrist with increasing speed before sending it out in a lash powerful enough to audibly crack the air almost as hard as it cracked the kobold into a storm of pixels. (¡°Someone¡¯s got anger issues.¡±) ¡°Fuck, is this supposed to hurt this much?¡± He asked, not particularly caring for the GM¡¯s opinion beyond that matter right now. (¡°Hold on¡­ Okay I see what happened.¡±) The GM told him a tone that conveyed the fact that they were grimacing. (¡°I forgot this happens sometimes with other Wonderlanders, but because you¡¯re a Wonderlander everything is a little more real to you. Meaning that while other people would get the pain reduced based on their difficulty level, you¡¯re going to get it unfiltered.¡±) ¡°Then why didn¡¯t that other kobold hurt me this bad?¡± He frowned, pulling the knife out of his leg so that his healing factor could fix it. (¡°Uh, not entirely sure but I think it¡¯s got something to do with the fact that that kobold had more bonuses to its damage?¡±) The GM suggested. ¡°Right, so the higher their damage the more pain they¡¯ll cause me?¡± He groaned, wondering if he should continue with the dungeon or backtrack and call it a day. (Ah, ah, ah, are we really going to wimp out because of a little ¡®pain¡¯?) Closing his eyes he took a deep breath before letting it out. ¡°Fuck it. I¡¯ve got to get used to it anyway.¡± (¡°Yeah, grind that pain resistance!¡±) The GM cheered before calmly telling him, (¡°Don¡¯t get weird with it though. The people in gamer fics take it way too far with the self-harm.¡±) ¡°Well, how else are we supposed to grind those skills?¡± He grinned, feeling just a tinge of Madness creeping in the back of his head as the wound leg sealed shut. Shortly followed by the tear in his pants stitching itself shut. (¡°By adventuring in my dungeon and collecting loot.¡±) The GM not so subtly prodded him.. ¡°Right¡­¡± He chuckled, picking up his drops. ¡°Hey, how many rooms left on this floor?¡± (¡°Three. One more standard room, a treasure room, and then the boss room.¡±) ¡°Cool.¡± He nodded, starting towards the door and tunnel to the next room. ¡°Thinking of, why do you have all of these tunnels between the rooms?¡± (¡°Eh, it¡¯s mostly for aesthetic and atmosphere.¡±) The GM admitted. (¡°It also pads things out and gives that whole spelunking feel to everything for the tourists. Once you hit the fourth floor the rooms are pretty much straight connections to each other with the last one being more of an open maze than anything else.¡±) ¡°An open maze?¡± (¡°Like a forest or city dungeon in video games. It was a trick and a half getting everything right for that one.¡±) ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really have much experience with the wide scale architecture stuff.¡± (¡°Right, your Wonderland is a theater, right?¡±) ¡°Yep, the Cartoon Cabaret.¡± He nodded proudly. (¡°Aw, you named your Wonderland!¡±) The GM cooed. ¡°Uh¡­ is that¡­ weird?¡± (Because damn it if the old boss fucked me over here¡­) (¡°Eh, yes and no? I know more open Wonderlands tend to name their sections but I¡¯m not actually sure how a smaller Wonderland like yours would work. So maybe smaller ones would have a name?¡±) ¡°I thought you¡¯d met other Wonderlanders before?¡± He pointed out warily. (¡°Yeah, but only a couple of adults and a couple more kids who didn¡¯t know much themselves.¡±) ¡°Huh, figured with how open you are about being a Wonderlander more would be coming to visit you.¡± After all despite his -admittedly- one sided competition to be the number one Wonderlander in the city, he was legitimately curious to meet another Wonderlander himself. (¡°Eh, not really. Most Wonderlanders don¡¯t like to move around too much. Only reason I¡¯m cool moving throughout the city is because I moved around so much as a kid. The wandering Wonderlanders are the real outliers here.¡±) ¡°Huh¡­¡± (Wonder which kind I am?) He wasn¡¯t overly attached to the city, but at the same time he knew his situation was weird even by Wonderlander standards. Coming up to another door he quickly decided that was something he couldn¡¯t answer just yet, and instead turned his attention to clearing this next room. ¡°Hey, are all the rooms on this floor just going to be four kobolds over and over again?¡± He asked as he stealthily scoped out his competition. (¡°Uh, there¡¯s usually a little more variety for larger parties. This honestly one of the more boring floors to solo if you aren¡¯t going for a speedrun.¡±) The GM seemed to shrug. ¡°Right¡­¡± Shaking his head he quietly stepped into the room before sneaking close enough to get the Kobolds into range of his Ink Whip. A tactic he felt shouldn¡¯t have worked as well as it did given how the four were sitting in a circle around a small fire pit in the middle of the room. (Maybe it¡¯s the stealth bonus from the cloak?) He quickly dismissed the question. (Eh, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as it works.) Flexing his whip he quickly used his Ink Pull to pull one of the kobolds to him before grabbing its maw with his free hand and using his whip hand to pull a second kobold towards him. And with two kobolds in arms reach he Toonified his hands before clapping the kobolds together hard enough to pixelate them. (Ugh, it¡¯s sticking to my hands.) He frowned, dusting his hands off. Glancing towards the remaining two he took a step forward before stumbling as a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him. (The fuck?) Seeing this as an ideal opportunity both of the kobolds rushed him, and while he managed to step out of the way of the first kobold, he wasn¡¯t so lucky with the second as it drove a knife into his side. (Double fuck!) Growling he grabbed the offending lizard by its head before throwing it as hard as he could into the fire pit. And while it didn¡¯t shatter on impact it did dissolve into pixels after taking a moment to catch fire in the flames. The last kobold made an odd sort of ¡®eep¡¯-ing sound before trying to turn tail and run away. (Key word trying.) A whip of black ink latched onto the kobold¡¯s scaly hide before pulling it close enough for him to throw it on the ground, where he then proceeded to stomp on it as hard as he could. An effort that he had to repeat only once to shatter the dungeon monster. ¡°Woo, fuck¡­¡± He gasped now that he was done fighting. (¡°You okay?¡±) ¡°Yeah, just¡­ just give me a second.¡± He panted, trying to take a moment to figure out where this sudden bout of exhaustion came from. (It happened right after I used my Toon Hands¡­ and thinking about it I¡¯ve used them quite a few times in the last, what? Twenty, thirty minutes?) He knew he could tire himself out or give himself a headache if he pushed his power too much, but he wasn¡¯t used to it making him dizzy like that either. (Probably doesn¡¯t help that my Inkwell feels so close to dry.) He hadn¡¯t really noticed his whip dipping into that until he started feeling it out just now. (Though given how much I¡¯ve been using it, that doesn¡¯t really line up¡­ Unless¡­) ¡°Does your power-up skills tap into my own reserves?¡± (¡°Uh¡­ possibly? I mean it does for magic users, psychics, and Deadmen but you¡¯d be the first Wonderlander to have that problem.¡±) ¡°Of course I would¡­¡± He sighed. (¡°Has my game been eating up your resources?¡±) The GM asked with a touch of concern. ¡°Er, yes and no?¡± He admitted, trying to figure out how much he wanted to reveal on this. ¡°I¡¯ve got a designated pool of energy for some of my powers, but I didn¡¯t notice the Ink Whip was draining it.¡± (¡°Ah, a resource refinement issue¡­¡±) The GM seemed to nod as if they understood exactly what he was talking about even if he had no idea what they were talking about. (¡°Drink one of the blue potions and it should refill those reserves, and clear your head a bit. Also if you¡¯re feeling tired you might want to take one of the red potions as well since they restore stamina and I¡¯m not entirely sure how you set up your healing factor.¡±) ¡°Right.¡± Figuring there was no reason not to listen to her, he went ahead and pulled out the red and blue potions from earlier before downing them both at once. ¡°Ugh, why do these taste like grape?¡± (¡°You mixed the potions and red plus blue equals purple, which is grape.¡±) The GM explained as if he was an idiot. ¡°That¡­ that makes perfect sense.¡± He lied as the artificial grape seemed to stick to his mouth. Part of him wanted to spit the flavor out but at the same time he felt doing that in someone¡¯s Wonderland might be a little¡­ rude. (Well at least I can feel my Inkwell refilling.) ¡°Ergh, the treasure room is the one on the left, right?¡± (¡°Right, the left one.¡±) Nodding he picked up another oversized fang that one of the kobolds had dropped before making his way to the door, only to find it sticking when he tried to open it. ¡°Hey, what gives?¡± (¡°Huh, don¡¯t know¡­¡±) The GM told him in a tone that said they knew exactly what the problem was, but that they were enjoying his suffering. Rolling his eyes at the unhelpful answer he slammed his shoulder into the door to try and force it open. And while the door didn¡¯t quite open he did notice something as it cracked open a bit. ¡°You have it flipped.¡± He sighed, pulling on the handle embedded into the right side of the door. (¡°If it makes you feel better, everyone struggles with that one for a good few minutes.¡±) The GM seemed to laugh. ¡°I¡¯m sure they do.¡± He told them sarcastically as he started down the tunnel, before glancing up. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with the ceiling? Is this another trick?¡± He asked, noticing how it seemed to slant enough that he needed to crouch to get by. (¡°Uh, this one is on you.¡±) ¡°What do you mean?¡± (¡°Look down.¡±) He blinked before looking down and seeing that he was floating about a two feet above a slide going down. ¡°Oh.¡± (Since when can I do this?) Gravity decided this was the ideal moment to turn on. He hit the slide at an awkward angle that sent him tumbling down the slide and into a door that gave out to his weight, sending him rolling into a small room where his face impacted with a wooden chest. ¡°Ouchies¡­¡± (¡°Huh, so that¡¯s what it looks like when you roll a one in real life. Also you¡¯re surrounded.¡±) He painfully pushed himself up and found that (yes, I am in fact surrounded.) Not letting this revelation -(or my pain)- slow him down, he kicked off the ground to tackle a kobold to his right and break out of their circle. From there a few awkward punches into the kobold beneath him was enough to shatter it into pixels. Of course beating one enemy did absolutely nothing to save him from the three behind him, or at the very least it did nothing to save him from the one that decided jumping onto his back was good idea. ¡°Get. The. Fuck. Off!¡± He cursed as the thing tried scratching and clawing at his back. At least until he threw himself onto his back and crushed it under his weight, an action that when added with a lucky elbow behind him managed to shatter the beast, leaving him alone with the last two of their little group. ¡°Alright, who¡¯s next?¡± He groaned as it got to his feet. ¡°Come on ugly one and ugly two, I don¡¯t have all day here.¡± Both kobolds growled at him before breaking apart and trying to rush him from each side. A quick leap back had him avoiding this pincer attack, though it did put his back against the literal wall. (Wait, I¡¯ve got a whip, why am I not using it?) Flexing his wrist he began spinning his Ink Whip through the air before sending it out at the kobold to his right with a series of strikes. Half way through this combo he turned his attention to the leftmost kobold as it tried to stab him only to get a shoe to the face, quickly followed by the enlarged fist that shattered it against the far wall. ¡°No, no more!¡± The kobold he first attacked cried. ¡°What? No more life? Yeah, I can arrange that.¡± He nodded before shattering the monster with a well placed kick to its skull. (¡°Ooh, brutal.¡±) ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve already been stabbed enough times in¡­ however long I¡¯ve been on this floor.¡± He admitted, rolling his shoulders as he made his way to the treasure chest. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Another fang and a handful of coins.¡± (¡°Huh, surprised you didn¡¯t do another mimic thing.¡±) ¡°Yeah, well you warned me you¡¯d lower the drop rate if I did that.¡± He reminded them while grabbing a few coins dropped by the kobolds. (¡°So I did.¡±) ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve just got the boss room now, right?¡± (¡°Yep.¡±) The GM confirmed as he looked up the slide tunnel. (¡°Oh, the sides don¡¯t have the slide smoothness so you can just walk up those.¡±) ¡°Right, thanks.¡± He nodded, feeling for the space with his foot and once he found the more stable footing he started hiking up the tunnel. (¡°So that walking on air thing is pretty cool.¡±) The GM commented in that idle way that said they were more filling the silence than anything else. ¡°Eh, I¡¯m a cartoon character in the same way you¡¯re probably a video game character.¡± He shrugged, figuring that was simply how it worked for Wonderlanders like them. (¡°I guess that¡¯s fair, but I¡¯m honestly more like someone playing the game they built than a simple ¡®video game character¡¯.¡±) ¡°Meaning you¡¯re a video game character with admin rights.¡± He corrected himself with a huff of amusement. (¡°More like a modder, but sure we can go with admin rights for now.¡±) The GM agreed with a smile to their voice. ¡°Yep, this is definitely modder quality dlc.¡± He nodded, tapping his hand against the tunnel wall. (¡°Hey, some games live off their modder communities.¡±) ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a console player so¡­ Good luck with that.¡± He told them as he stepped back into the room before the Boss fight. ¡°There anything I should worry about with this guy?¡± He asked, walking up to the boss door. (¡°Er, probably?¡±) He paused with his hand on the door before giving the air a questioning look. ¡°Meaning?¡± (¡°Weird power interactions that you¡¯re just going to have to roll with for now.¡±) ¡°Okay, now I¡¯m worried.¡± He admitted, opening the door anyway and starting down the tunnel to the boss room. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you care to elaborate.¡± (¡°Eh, it¡¯s nothing major, just a few bits of the boss fight are undergoing¡­ play testing.¡±) ¡°Play testing?¡± He repeated. (¡°Play testing.¡±) ¡°Right¡­ and what kind of play testing is going on exactly?¡± (¡°A¡­ hacker rewrote part of this fight.¡±) ¡°A hacker?¡± He repeated once more before deciding that he should go ahead ask them if, ¡°This hacker happen to be nicknamed the GM?¡± (¡°Pft, I wish.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander scoffed. (¡°At least then they wouldn¡¯t have started this stupid cult to their mistress.¡±) ¡°I¡¯m sorry, their what to their what now?¡± A faint clicking was the only answer he got as his world flipped upside down and found himself hanging in the air by his foot. ¡°The fuck just happened?!¡± (¡°Oh, right! He taught them how to make real traps, completely forgot about that.¡±) The GM admitted. (¡°Actually, that explains why nobodies really beaten this floor today.¡±) ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± He growled not understanding anything the GM just said. (¡°Uh, you¡¯re more fucked than I thought?¡±) The GM chuckled sheepishly. ¡°The fuck is that supposed to mean?!¡± ¡°Ah, the mistress¡¯s hunter was corrected, ambushing outside of our room was the better tactic.¡± A voice whispered from the shadows. ¡°Like the hunter said, ¡®Fighting fair is for fools.¡¯¡± A second voice agreed. ¡°He¡¯s as smart as he is crafty. A true kobold even if human.¡± ¡°Shut up and cut him down so the priest can sacrifice him to the mistress already.¡± A third voice cut in. ¡°Okay, I am deeply uncomfortable with where this is going.¡± He admitted as three kobolds came into view. (¡°Yeah, uh, give me a second¡­¡±) There was the sound similar to rolling dice in his head. (¡°Okay, you passed your luck save so I can do¡­ this.¡±) The rope holding him up suddenly snapped, dropping him on his head. (¡°Oof, sorry.¡±) ¡°You idiots you didn¡¯t do the trap right!¡± The lead kobold growled. ¡°Okay, mind telling me what the fuck is going on?¡± He snarled, getting to his feet. (¡°Uh, a handful of my minions seem to have gone rogue¡­ you mind fixing that for me?¡±) The GM asked as he dodged a knife from one of the kobolds. (¡°No? Thanks, you¡¯re such a pal.¡±) ¡°And you¡¯re such a bitch.¡± He shot back as he sidestepped a kobold (with a spear? When the fuck did these things get spears?) Reaching out he grabbed the spear before using it to pull the kobold close enough for him to reach out and use a toon punch to -literally- knock its head off. ¡°Oh my mistress, he killed Kenny!¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± He froze before wheezing. ¡°Heh-ha! You didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Avenge Kenny!¡± The kobolds shouted before rushing him. ¡°Oh, heh, shit.¡± He laughed, before falling out of the way of the first knife only to get the second in his side. ¡°Fuck, heh-ha! I guess this is what they mean by side-splitting laughter!¡± Feeling the madness crawling in the back of his head as his song began to play, he threw his arm out while toonifying it, causing his hand and forearm to expand several sizes larger than he was usually capable of as he slammed both kobolds into the wall. ¡°Ah, shit.¡± One of the kobolds cursed as they picked themselves off the ground. ¡°Fall back we can¡¯t take him alone.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, you can¡¯t!¡± He smiled, throwing out another toon hand bigger than he was usually capable of. ¡°Run!¡± The kobolds cried ducking out of the way of his hand. ¡°F-fuck!¡± He laughed, pulling the knife out of his side. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you named your minions to set up a joke!¡± (¡°Uh, I didn¡¯t¡­¡±) ¡°W-what?¡± He asked breathlessly. (¡°Yeah, um, apparently your madness overlaid with mine and had my nameless minions name themselves.¡±) The GM explained, with a touch of concern to their voice. He blinked. ¡°Wait, we can do that?¡± (¡°Apparently?¡±) The GM offered unsurely. (¡°It¡¯s not something I¡¯ve seen happen with the few other Wonderlanders I¡¯ve met.¡±) ¡°Huh¡­ Can you let me know if it happens again?¡± He asked his fellow Wonderlander as he continued down the tunnel towards a visibly open set of doors. (¡°Yeah, sure. Just uh, just let me know if you notice anything weird on your end.¡±) ¡°Heh, we¡¯re all weird here.¡± He reminded her with a grin, still feeling the Madness bubbling in the back of his head. (¡°Right¡­¡±) Cautiously walking into the boss room, he noted the fact that it was very similar to the Rat King¡¯s boss room with a handful of differences. The most prominent being that instead of a throne at the top of the stairs there was a statue of what looked like a cross of a dragon on one side and a vaguely asian girl on the other. Directly in front of this statue was a kobold in robes with another warrior kobold standing next to it. (And this one is uninjured, meaning the other two are hiding somewhere.) ¡°So you¡¯re the trouble maker besmirching our dear mistress¡¯s sanctuary.¡± The robed kobold commented while giving him a look of disdain. He couldn¡¯t help but to click his tongue with a grin. ¡°Careful, Sanctuary ain¡¯t exactly a nice thing where I come from.¡± The robed kobold scoffed. ¡°Good because you¡¯ll find we aren¡¯t very nice here either!¡± The kobold punctuated this statement by throwing its hand out and sending out a bolt of electricity that (I can¡¯t dodge!) He was blown off his feet for a moment before crashing back into the ground as a tingly burning feeling spread throughout his chest. (¡°Huh, did you know when you get electrocuted, you can see your skeleton?¡±) ¡°No, but¡­ did you know that¡­ dragons breathe fire and not lightning?!¡± He yelled. ¡°Perhaps the lesser dragons who cannot match our mistress¡¯s greatness!¡± The robed kobold scoffed. ¡°Yeah, well your mistress can sh- Oh shit!¡± He stumbled back as both of the injured kobolds from before dashed out from behind the door and rushed him. Crawling away from the kobolds proved an act of dexterity he doubted he could¡¯ve pulled off without all of his parkour training, especially since (the little fuckers won¡¯t let me off of the ground!) Getting sick of being on the defensive he lashed out with his ink whip in a sloppy but effective strike that forced the kobolds back just long enough for him to get back onto his feet and deliver a follow-up strike that was far more effective seeing as it actually managed to shatter both of the vicious little kobolds into pixels. ¡°Fuck.¡± He cursed before turning his attention back to the two kobolds at the top of the stairs as well as (the bolt of lightning flying straight for my face.) By sheer luck he slipped on a loose rock and fell out of the way of a strike that he was sure would¡¯ve done some serious damage to him if it had managed to hit him. (Shit, I can¡¯t let these little fuckers set the pace like this.) (This is my show damn it!) Growling to himself he rolled back to his feet for the second time in half as many minutes before rushing up the stairs as he spun the ink whip around his wrist. The moment he felt he was close enough to actually hit the (lightning spamming bastard) he threw the whip out in an attempt to pull the kobold closer. And while he did succeed in grabbing a kobold it wasn¡¯t the one he wanted. Instead the warrior kobold had jumped in front of the magical kobold just before his whip would¡¯ve latched onto it, trading places with its leader. He couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he saw the wrong kobold flying towards him, though that didn¡¯t stop him from toonifying his hand to snatch the kobold out of the air and slamming it into the stairs as hard as he could. (Which apparently isn¡¯t hard enough.) He scowled seeing how the kobold was still alive. ¡°Just. Fucking. Die already!¡± He yelled at the kobold as he stomped it as hard as he could. ¡°Get off of him!¡± The magical kobold screamed just as another bolt of lightning slammed into his chest before throwing him off of the steps and crashing into the ground below. ¡°I¡¯m getting real sick of that.¡± He admitted with a quiet groan as he sat up. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The magical kobold asked as it helped its compatriot to its feet, earning a nod and grunt of confirmation. ¡°Good then let¡¯s finish this bastard.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s a cute thought.¡± He told the two kobolds as he stood up. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s not happening.¡± ¡°You think you can-¡± Instead of letting the kobold lecture him he rushed forward and threw out another ink pull. Like before the warrior kobold threw itself in front of its more mystical counterpart, unlike before when the kobold was close enough to strike he stepped out of the way and let it fly past him so he could throw out a second ink whip and actually grab his target this time. ¡°Shit!¡± The lizard cursed as ink wrapped around it. Not wanting the tricky (bastard) to escape him he toonified both of his hands before clapping the flying kobold as hard as he could. And when that didn¡¯t shatter the little monster, he proceeded to headbutt it as his hands reverted to their natural size before uppercutting it hard enough to launch it up the stairs. Hearing steps behind him he quickly turned around before kicking the warrior kobold in the face and sending it rolling back down the stairs to a place he followed by jumping off of the steps and landing on the kobold with enough force to (finally) shatter it. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± He groaned before hearing something else groaning at the top of the stairs. ¡°You still alive up there?¡± He asked as he made his way up the steps. A groan answered him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that won¡¯t be a problem for much longer.¡± He assured the kobold as he finally spotted it next to the statue of what he was assuming was its ¡®mistress¡¯. The robed kobold growled at him before raising a sparking hand to try and shoot him with another bolt of lightning. Something he was smart enough to avoid by stomping said hand into the ground. ¡°Any last words?¡± He asked since (I¡¯m a sporting sort of man.) ¡°Praise the mistress¡­¡± The kobold told him clearly running on fumes. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will be.¡± He admitted sadly before idly flicking some of his ink onto the statue¡¯s face. The kobold glared at him with hate in its eyes, earning a laugh out of him just before he stomped its face beneath his foot, shattering it into hundreds of pixels and leaving nothing but an oversized fang behind. Gamer’s Guild Dungeon (Second Floor Break Room.) Gamer¡¯s Guild Dungeon (Floor 2-3 Break Room.) --- Joshua --- With the last of his enemies gone his song began to fade as he was hit with a sudden wave of exhaustion. One notably different than when he¡¯d overused his powers and yet somehow eerily familiar. (Fuck¡­ that was¡­ a thing¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but realize as he took a breather on the steps to the boss room. (¡°So uh, you doing okay?¡±) The GM eventually asked him. (¡°You¡¯ve kind of been just sitting there for a minute.¡±) ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine¡­ just needed to catch my breath.¡± He admitted, before looking at the various bits of loot he¡¯d have to gather before leaving the room. (¡°Oh, let me get that for you.¡±) He heard a faint snapping sound and all of the various loot drops turned into pixels before reforming in a pile at his feet. ¡°Uh, thanks¡­¡± (¡°No problem.¡±) The GM dismissed as he collected his loot. (¡°Shame you didn¡¯t get the boss drop though.¡±) ¡°Wasn¡¯t that one of these fang things?¡± He asked, said fang in hand as he began making his way to the floor treasure room. (¡°Yeah, but he was supposed to drop this elemental ring that lets you shoot¡­ lightning bolts I guess, but he seemed to screw with his drop at the last minute just to spite you.¡±) ¡°I thought the drops are supposed to be random?¡± He frowned. (¡°They are but the monsters can nudge it a bit if they¡¯ve gathered enough Madness to become sapient. It¡¯s a system I set up a few years back when I was running this Undertale campaign where you had to befriend the monsters rather than killing them¡­¡±) The GM explained, before mumbling something about it being (¡°Kinda disturbing how no one figured that part out.¡±) ¡°Yeah¡­ That¡¯s uh¡­ Yeah.¡± He agreed awkwardly, before forcing his attention to something significantly more important. (Namely my treasure chest.) (¡°So, what¡¯ll it be? A weapon upgrade? An upgrade for your jacket? Some potions? Or more Madness?¡±) The GM wondered. He considered it for a moment. (I mean if my ink whip eats weapons like my jacket supposedly does, then both of those could be good. But at the same time those might be random drops or I could buy them from the store. Which is a similar reason not to get the potions, so¡­) ¡°I¡¯ll take another Madness chest.¡± (¡°Alright-y then.¡±) Just like before the three chests in front of him burst into a storm of pixels before reassembling themselves into another black and gold chest. Walking up to the chest he grabbed the lid before forcing it open, idly noting how the GM wasn¡¯t using an iconic tune as he did so. Inside he found a blue sphere of Madness that seemed to be almost drooping in place, and as he began to absorb the sphere he found a sort of soft sadness building up in his chest. (¡°Oof, sorry.¡±) The GM apologized with what he assumed was a wince. (¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting you to roll a Melancholic Madness.¡±) ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He assured her as the sudden bout of melancholy slowly faded away. (¡°Yeah, that¡¯s uh¡­ I¡¯ve never really used that one all that much.¡±) The GM admitted. (¡°I mean I¡¯ve got a few converters to change that resource into something else but I don¡¯t really know what to do with it myself.¡±) ¡°Mm, I¡¯m sure I can figure out something to do with it.¡± (After all, some days you just feel the need for some blissful blues.) Shaking his head at that odd thought, he started towards the stairs to the next break room, trying to figure out how something ¡®melancholic¡¯ could help with the cabaret. He unfortunately didn¡¯t have enough experience with Wonderlands and Madness to just do whatever with the Melancholy, but given what little bit of the Cabaret he¡¯d managed to restore he did have a few ideas. (If I¡¯m lucky Avery might be able to remember what the old boss would use this stuff for... If not then I guess I could use it at the bar to create a new drink, or I could see if using it in the dressing room unlocks any new costumes¡­) It wasn¡¯t much but it was something at least. (If worst comes to worst I can just feed it to Doodle and see what happens.) Rolling his shoulders he stepped into the dungeon break room before making his way over to the merchant and seeing if anything had unlocked by beating the last boss. (That¡¯s how it works in video games at least.) ¡°Got a selection of good things on sale, stranger.¡± The Merchant told him before opening his coat as the store screen appeared in front of him. Scrolling through the Buy menu he found the only new thing to be a treasure chest based on the previous floor. Something he found wasn¡¯t worth the price, though given how he¡¯d taken something of a beating with those Elite Kobolds he decided to go ahead and buy a couple of potions to help him through the next floor, in case the ones he had weren¡¯t enough. From there he switched to the Treasure Trade menu and looked at the three items he could trade his kobold fangs for. (Hmm, if I buy one more floor treasure from the store then I could get this dragon totem thing, but I¡¯m not actually sure how much good summoning a cheap minion will be. On the other hand if my jacket can absorb this necklace and talisman then I could give myself a pretty solid boost to my stealth.) You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Decision made he confirmed his selection. The merchant laughed giving him a nod. ¡°Nice choice.¡± Reaching into his coat the merchant pulled out a necklace covered in little fangs, what looked like an old dream catcher, and a pair of red and blue vials. ¡°Uh, thanks.¡± He nodded, accepting the items and stashing the vials in one of his pockets. ¡°Now, uh, how do I do this¡­¡± (¡°Since the jacket is still technically part of my Wonderland you¡¯re going to have to use the upgrade screen rather than your own powers.¡±) The GM warned him, which was probably a good thing since it meant he didn¡¯t have to admit to having no idea what he was doing even with his powers. ¡°Right, upgrade screen.¡± He nodded, reopening the Merchant¡¯s store before switching to the appropriate tab, where he found a list of items featuring his Ink Whip, his jacket, the necklace, and the talisman. Clicking the line for his jacket, a second list popped up featuring only the kobold necklace he¡¯d grabbed. ¡°Hey, what gives?¡± He cried. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t this have the necklace and the talisman?¡± (¡°Eh, I said it could absorb similar equipment.¡±) The GM corrected. (¡°That means it can absorb any armor, but not weapons or accessories.¡±) ¡°But aren¡¯t both of these accessories?¡± He asked, glaring at the pieces in question. (¡°Accessories are special items that you attach to your gear but don¡¯t wear, while armor is anything you wear such as rings and necklaces.¡±) The GM told him as if that was obvious. ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of arbitrary?¡± He felt the need to point out. (¡°Nope.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander disagreed before happily explaining that, (¡°Arbitrary means ¡®something without reason or system¡¯. Meaning that since we¡¯re using my system it isn¡¯t arbitrary in the slightest.¡±) He was quiet for a moment as he considered that, before saying, ¡°You¡¯re a rules lawyer kind of player aren¡¯t you.¡± (¡°No, but my brother is a real lawyer.¡±) The GM admitted. (¡°Besides if our roles were reversed you¡¯d be making the same argument and you know it.¡±) ¡°...¡± (¡°...¡±) ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not entirely¡­ wrong¡­¡± He conceded knowing that he absolutely would do the exact same thing if their roles were reversed. (¡°Ha!¡±) Shaking his head, he went ahead and set his jacket -which the GM had apparently dubbed the ¡®Gifted Ravenous Tailcoat¡¯- to absorb the necklace. An action that, according to whatever system the GM was using, would grant him a +1 to either Stealth or Trap checks (whatever that means.) Once more confirming his selection the screen closed before the sleeve of his jacket seemed to turn into a series of tendrils as it wrapped around his arm, leaving his hand trapped in a blob of black ink. ¡°Okay¡­ this is a little weird.¡± He told the GM, before watching the tendrils retract leaving him with just the talisman in hand. ¡°Um, does this mean it worked.¡± (¡°As far as I can tell.¡±) The GM seemingly shrugged. ¡°Uh, isn¡¯t that something you should be able to tell?¡± He pointed out. He could feel the GM roll their eyes. (¡°Power interactions are weird, and since that coat is half your powers there¡¯s a few blurry spots when I try to scan it.¡±) ¡°Uh, fair enough.¡± He admitted, just a little sheepishly as he started towards the stairs to the next floor. Figuring that even if the last boss gave him a bit of trouble he could probably still fit in one more level before he was too tired to continue. ¡°Come back anytime.¡± The Merchant told him as he clipped the talisman to his belt. ¡°Sure thing.¡± He called back as he left the break room, figuring the Merchant probably had a little more life to him than his expy status implied if he was anything like those kobolds from the last floor. (Speaking of¡­) ¡°Are there any¡­ surprises I need to worry about with this floor? By which I mean has anyone modded this floor like the last?¡± (¡°Nope. Since this floor has this special gimmick thing going, it¡¯s a little easier to clean everything up than the last one was. Especially since there weren¡¯t any weird power interactions going on.¡±) The GM assured him. ¡°Cool.¡± (Hopefully that means this floor is a little easier than the last¡­ Though there is that gimmick they mentioned.) ¡°So what exactly is the ¡®theme¡¯ of this floor?¡± He asked as casually as he could. (¡°Goblins.¡±) ¡°Goblins?¡± He repeated. ¡°Why have another starter dungeon after the Kobolds?¡± (¡°Because goblins are one of those fantasy races everyone wants to fight in their fantasy epic.¡±) The GM explained. (¡°And from there, their multiple classes make their middle floor placement slightly better than kobolds, though it switches back around the fifth floor. But either way I always try to set them before the dungeon¡¯s difficulty curve really kicks in.¡±) ¡°Huh, that makes sense I guess.¡± At least from his understanding of the situation, since he didn¡¯t really have the best frame of reference on this one even as a fellow Wonderlander. Coming to the doors to the next floor, he pushed the stone doors open before finding himself staring at a trio of goblin statues featuring one wearing armor and carrying a sword, one wearing a hood and carrying a bow, and a third wearing a mask and carrying a staff. ¡°What¡¯s up with the statues?¡± (¡°Oh, that¡¯s the floor gimmick.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander answered. (¡°You see I¡¯ve rigged this floor and a couple others to be customizable by those who¡¯ve beat the dungeon. That way I can up each dungeon¡¯s replayability so that I can get a few repeat customers here and there.¡±) ¡°Smart.¡± (I should also figure out if I can do something similar with the Cabaret once I finally re-open it.) (Maybe offering recordings my shows to the fans?) (¡°Now normally the challenge marker here would be off limits to someone doing their first run of the dungeon.¡±) The GM told him in a playful tone. (¡°Bu-ut since I¡¯m trying to help a Wonderlander out, I¡¯ll go ahead and unlock this for you.¡±) ¡°Thanks.¡± He half-chuckled as a fourth/empty pillar appeared in front of the other three. (¡°All you¡¯ve got to do is put whichever class of Goblin you want this floor to focus on and I¡¯ll up their spawn rates while lowering the spawn rates of the other classes.¡±) The GM began to explain. (¡°Now the cool thing with that is that each class of goblin has its own loot drop dice, so whichever class you prioritize also changes what kind of loot you get.¡±) ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded, looking the three statues over. ¡°But who drops what?¡± (¡°The warriors are clearly the tanks, so they¡¯ll drop more weapons or armor. Then you¡¯ve got the rogues who use a mix of stealth and archery, but they drop a bunch of Tool items and gold. And lastly we have the Shamans who buff and heal their allies but drop a bunch of potions and accessories.¡±) The GM listed for him. ¡°Well the weapons and armor could upgrade my whip and coat,¡± he admitted. ¡°But the Tools sound like they could be interesting, as do those accessories if they function like the stuff the merchant was selling.¡± Giving it another moment of thought he eventually decided to leave the statues as they are. Gamers Guilds Dungeon (3rd Floor, Pt. 1) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (3rd Floor, Pt. 1) --- Joshua --- ¡°Each of the options has an advantage, so I guess I¡¯ll just leave it as it is.¡± He eventually decided. (¡°You sure?¡±) The GM asked. ¡°Eh, I¡¯m tempted by the warrior statue since I can probably get some good upgrade materials out of it, but at the same time I¡¯m not really kitted out for a fight against too many serious tanks, and we both saw how much trouble a ranged enemy gave me with that last boss.¡± He explained, while marking those various flaws for future improvement. (¡°Fair enough.¡±) The GM seemingly shrugged as the various pedestals disappeared in a flash of light. (¡°Just figured I¡¯d make the offer, either way.¡±) ¡°Appreciate it, but uh, I¡¯d rather not push myself too hard.¡± (Especially since I¡¯ve got to do that heist in a couple of days.) He paused, before inhaling deeply. ¡°Fuuuck.¡± (¡°Uh, what¡¯s wrong?¡±) ¡°Just uh, just remembered something I have to do in a couple of days.¡± He admitted with a grimace. ¡°The kind of something that makes me wonder if picking a fight with the dungeon so close to it was a good idea.¡± (Shit, will I even have time to heal all the way after this?) (¡°Mask stuff?¡±) His fellow Wonderlander asked casually. ¡°Mask stuff.¡± He confirmed with a pained nod. (¡°Well, in that case it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve been power leveling you on this run.¡±) ¡°Yeah, it is.¡± He told them, thinking about how the few bits of gear they¡¯d given him could help with his (debut). ¡°Thanks for that by the way.¡± (¡°No problem.¡±) The GM dismissed. (¡°That said, is this a ¡®I need to prepare more¡¯ kind of problem or a ¡®I¡¯m going to be exhausted¡¯ kind of problem.¡±) ¡°Uh, the second one.¡± He blinked. (¡°Cool, then you can just buy a heal on your way out.¡±) ¡°Buy a heal?¡± He repeated with a frown. ¡°Is that like buying a metric shit ton of potions?¡± (¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s another option?¡±) The GM told him in a way that said while it was an option it¡¯d be an odd one. (¡°I actually meant you can¡¯t trade some of your end of Dungeon points for a full heal.¡±) ¡°And when you say a full heal?¡± (¡°It restores you to the state you were in upon entering the Dungeon. Though if you were part of the guild I could also heal any non-permanent injuries from before that too.¡±) The gang leader elaborated. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s¡­ useful.¡± (And completely broken if you take it to the scale of an entire gang. She basically just admitted that she can pick up and heal any of her guys.) (¡°Yeah, especially since before I set up the heal the only people I could get to run my dungeons were my friends and the occasional daredevil.¡±) ¡°Still that¡¯s better than me.¡± He admitted, starting towards the next room now that he knew he wasn¡¯t completely screwing himself over here. ¡°Aside from my passive stuff, the only heal I¡¯ve got is this one shot at a time thing. And even then it¡¯s not all that strong.¡± (¡°Ooh, you¡¯ll want to fix that if you¡¯re planning on being a solo mask.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander warned. ¡°I¡¯m aware, but¡­ I¡¯ve only really set myself to becoming a Mask recently.¡± He told them in half-truth, figuring that there were enough non-Mask Deviants to let that matter slide. Especially since Wonderlander Masks were particularly rare amongst the various Deviancies. (¡°Hmm, wanna talk about it?¡±) The GM offered. ¡°Not particularly.¡± (¡°Yeah, my start wasn¡¯t nice either.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander confided. (¡°Still if you play the game right, you can get to the best ending. I mean just look at me for example! I¡¯ve got so many people playing my games and having fun now that I can¡¯t bring myself to regret a thing!¡±) ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± He smiled, appreciating the gesture even if he wasn¡¯t entirely sure how applicable it was to his own situation. (Maybe we can do a crossover episode some time?) It was something to consider, if later since he was coming up to the door to the next room. A quick glance through a crack in said door revealed three short creatures with long ears and noses that looked fairly similar to the three goblin statues he¡¯d seen earlier. ¡°Anything you¡¯re willing to share about these guys?¡± (¡°Mm, Warriors will rush you will the Rogues try to snipe you and the Shaman heals whichever has the lowest health.¡±) The GM warned him. ¡°Right¡­¡± He considered what to do for a moment, (I¡¯ve got like three real attacks, a marking buff, and whatever my Madness field counts as¡­ That¡¯s actually not that much, especially since the GM asked me not to tag things and I¡¯ve got no idea if my field will help me or hurt me half of the time¡­) Shaking his head and focusing on what he could do, he eyed the Shaman Goblin while wondering if it was in range for his Ink Pull and (if not I wonder if I can run around the Warrior and the Rogue since they¡¯d both be pains to deal with while the Shaman ¡®s healing them. Once he¡¯s dealt with I should probably rush the Rogue so he can¡¯t backstab me or some shit while I¡¯m duking it out with the Warrior, who is probably just going to tank whatever I throw at him.) With half a plan in place he grabbed the door¡¯s handle and got ready to rush the room. (Shaman, Rogue, Warrior.) He told himself once more before shoving the door open. Not wasting time he immediately rushed around the Warrior and to the side of the room opposite the Rogue who was reaching for an arrow in the quiver on its back. Figuring he didn¡¯t have much time left he threw out his Ink Whip and grabbed the Shaman before pulling it towards him. With a flex of his wrist he Toonified his hand before grabbing the Shaman and slamming it into the floor, where he raised his foot and stomped hard enough to shatter the goblin into pixels. An arrow shot past him, grazing his shoulder but luckily doing little damage beyond a stinging cut. He twirled his Ink Whip around his hand, aiming to pull the Rogue to him before it could get off a second shot, only for the Warrior to step between them and force him to reconsider. They stared each other down, both waiting for whichever of them would make the first move. And of course since he was not known for his patience, that was him. Rushing the Warrior, he Toonified his hand before punching the goblin as hard as he could, sending it staggering just long enough for him to deliver a second Toon Punch, and a clumsy roundhouse that just barely sent the tanky monster toppling to the ground. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Not willing to waste an opportunity he ran up to the Warrior before jumping into the air and stomping it with his full weight. An action that provided just enough extra damage to shatter it beneath him. That was when the arrow caught him in the shoulder. ¡°Fuck!¡± He glared at the goblin before using his Ink Pull to drag the Rogue to him, where he proceeded to punch it across the jaw before Toonifying his other Hand and uppercutting the goblin hard enough to shatter it. ¡°Fuck! That was a bad idea!¡± He cursed, clutching at the shoulder that he¡¯d made worse by punching with an arrow in it. (¡°Yeah, that was not the smartest thing I¡¯ve seen you do.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander agreed (oh, so helpfully.) Taking a deep breath he grabbed the arrow by its shaft- (¡°Uh, hold on a second-¡±) -and ripped it out of his shoulder. ¡°Fucking hell!¡± (¡°Okay, you need to down a potion now!¡±) The GM told him with a force he hadn¡¯t heard in their voice before. ¡°Yeah, figured as much.¡± He admitted feeling a bit light headed as the wound closed at a slower than normal rate. (Must be reaching the limit of my healing factor.) Reaching into his coat, he pulled out one of his Health Potions before downing the red concoction and as it hit his tongue he couldn¡¯t help but think (I prefer the strawberry flavor with a bit of copper.) (¡°Alright, now I¡¯m going to ask if you know what you did wrong there?¡±) His fellow Wonderlander asked him in a terse tone. ¡°Um, I punched with a messed up shoulder?¡± He offered with a hint of confusion as he gestured to the wound that had almost stitched itself shut now. (¡°Yes, but you immediately realized that was a bad idea.¡±) The GM pointed out. (¡°What made that idea worse however was when you ripped the arrow out with a chunk of your shoulder!¡±) ¡°Uh, what else was I supposed to do?!¡± He snapped back despite knowing his fellow Wonderlander was just concerned about him. (¡°The arrow would¡¯ve gone straight through the meat of your shoulder. It would¡¯ve hurt to push it the rest of the way through, but it would¡¯ve done a lot less damage to yourself if you¡¯d done it that way too.¡±) The GM explained in a way that told him they were keeping their voice level on purpose. ¡°Yeah, alright¡­ I remember reading something about that in a book or some shit.¡± He admitted. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t exactly remember that with an arrow in my shoulder!¡± (¡°Right¡­¡±) The GM growled. (¡°Give me a second.¡±) ¡°For what?¡± He asked as cautiously as he could, since the GM was reminding him of Maddie whenever his brother did something stupid. (¡°I¡¯m disabling the Mask damage realism protocols.¡±) ¡°The what?¡± He blinked. (¡°I thought I told you about this.¡±) The GM sighed. (¡°There¡¯s different difficulty settings for Masks and non-Masks, one of those is the fact that Masks can receive more serious damage from their injuries than what I give the tourists who run the dungeon.¡±) ¡°And you turned that off?¡± He frowned. (¡°Yes.¡±) The GM told him bluntly. ¡°But I thought you said that was a Wonderlander power interaction thing?¡± (¡°It is, but this is the same as lowering the enemy damage by a percentage, which will hopefully keep you from being hurt worse.¡±) The GM explained. He bit his lip to keep from giving her his immediate response, which was infuriated by the idea of someone forcing the kid gloves on him just like- (¡°Come on, why can¡¯t I go on patrol with you?¡± He whined. ¡°I thought I was supposed to be your sidekick!¡± ¡°You are.¡± Chris smiled ruffling his hair. ¡°But we have to wait on your powers to come in before you can help out with the serious stuff. Just wait and see a couple more years and you and I will be kicking bad guy butt all over the place.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°Promise.¡±) He shook his head, forcing himself not to remember just how many times he heard that promise as he was sidelined. (No, I¡¯ve got my powers now, and no one is sidelining me ever again.) He assured himself as he forced down his rage. (But just because I¡¯ve got those powers doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m good enough to take on the big leagues just yet.) (But one day I will.) Taking a deep breath and then letting it out, he eventually began picking up the bits of loot the goblins had dropped including a handful of coins, a goblin ear, and what looked like a metal bracelet. (Hopefully this¡¯ll give me a decent upgrade later.) Once his loot was collected, he started towards the next room while trying very hard not to think about the fact that it would be just a touch easier than the previous one. (¡°Are you okay?¡±) The GM eventually asked him, having apparently grown wary of his silence. ¡°Yeah.¡± He sighed. ¡°Just remembered something I¡¯d rather not.¡± (¡°Sorry.¡±) ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯ve had issues for a lot longer than one afternoon.¡± He laughed with just a hint of bitterness. (¡°Still¡­¡±) The GM trailed off for a moment before continuing. (¡°I shouldn¡¯t have snapped the way I did, it¡¯s just I¡¯ve got so many players who think because they¡¯ve got powers now it makes them invincible. At least until¡­¡±) ¡°Until they take a bullet and take a trip to the hospital.¡± He finished with a touch of dark amusement. (¡°Well, we can¡¯t take them to the hospital, but basically.¡±) The GM admitted. (¡°Most people don¡¯t realize it takes more than a few levels for my Players to get a proper Phys resist.¡±) (Yeah, I don¡¯t really have a frame of reference for that¡­ Though I am curious,) ¡°You don¡¯t break Physical damage into slashing, blunt, and piercing?¡± (¡°Nah, it¡¯s all physical damage, and piercing would just ignore armor.¡±) The GM seemingly shrugged. (¡°For the most part I use a homebrew system based off of the Deviant¡¯s Masquerade tabletop system, just with a Gaming skin over it.¡±) ¡°So no Wind or Water damage but you can get Wind and Water resistance?¡± He¡¯d always found those freeform rules a little weird compared to the video game versions. (¡°Stacking with and at half the price of Physical Resistance.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander confirmed in a chipper tone. ¡°Yeah, no offense but I think I¡¯ll stick to my cartoon powers.¡± He told them. ¡°Keeping track of all those numbers is a bit too much of a pain for me.¡± (¡°But watching your numbers go up is the best part!¡±) The GM whined. ¡°Perhaps, but the reverse can be true too.¡± He pointed out with a mad grin. ¡°After all there¡¯s nothing quite like a show that¡¯s sold out.¡± (Not that I¡¯ve had one of those yet.) (¡°Lower numbers are only good if it¡¯s the other teams.¡±) The GM argued. (¡°You can¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want to up your number of subscribers.¡±) ¡°Hmm, I do.¡± He conceded, as he considered the possibility of an online presence. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that a live performance is superior to a recorded re-run.¡± (¡°But sometimes you won¡¯t catch everything of value on a single play through!¡±) ¡°Oh, I never said there was anything wrong with giving an encore.¡± He felt his smile widen to maddening proportions as he came to the door to the next room. A laugh bubbled out of his throat as he kicked open the door, not even bothering to study the room as he gave into the moment, (improv his most infamous skill.) ¡°What I said is that I have a preference towards a live audience, where I can watch their every reaction to the show moment by moment!¡± Like the room before there were three goblins sharing the stage with him, (not that any of them can match my star power.) ¡°To custom tailor the performance to match their every emotion!¡± He skidded around the warrior even as it tried to strike him, before wrapping his Ink Whip around its throat and reveling in the stage music playing inside of his head. ¡°To draw out the depths of passion and tragedy!¡± He shifted his weight, using the entirety of his strength to throw the Warrior into the air before tugging it down with enough force to slam the goblin headfirst into the ground, shattering it into a dazzling flurry of lights and leaving only its sword behind. ¡°To take every available tool and add it to a performance to remember!¡± Flicking his wrist to the side he easily grabbed the blade with his whip before throwing the blade hard enough to impale the Shaman through its chest and into the wall ten feet behind it. An experience that proved far too strenuous for its frail constitution, as it and the blade exploded into a swirl of pixels. ¡°To inspire awe and terror the likes of which they¡¯ve never experienced!¡± Turning to the final goblin, as it struggled to draw an arrow across its bow, he walked up to it in just a few short strides of his rather long legs, before grabbing it on either side of its face and staring into its panicking eyes with his own unblinking gaze. ¡°As I make sure none of them will ever forget the name, !#^@, %#& #@!$!#&@ #@@#!¡± With all of his strength and a mad laugh he crushed the goblin¡¯s skull between his hands before throwing his hands up and freeing its firefly-like lights into the air. As mad laughter echoed all around him, he idly wiped at the space above his mouth before noting the fact that the back of his hand was covered in ink. (¡°Oh, that¡¯s not good¡­¡±) Gamer Guild’s Dungeon (3rd Floor, Pt. 2) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (3rd Floor, Pt. 2) --- Joshua --- ¡°What¡¯s not good?¡± He smiled, flicking the ink off of his hand. (¡°Um¡­ Hey, you know how I like games?¡±) The GM asked instead of answering him. ¡°I suppose I do.¡± He admitted with a gesture the game that made up his current (stage.) (¡°Cool, then why don¡¯t we play a little mini-game me and my brother used to play whenever I was¡­ in the middle of a fun time?¡±) His fellow Wonderlander suggested in a chipper tone of voice. ¡°Okay?¡± He nodded with an amused smirk. (¡°Alright, so you¡¯re having fun, now let¡¯s make sure you can save the memory for later!¡±) The GM told him. (¡°First I need you to say five things you can see.¡±) ¡°Easy enough.¡± He shrugged before giving the room a once over. ¡°Let¡¯s see, I see a precious pile of glittering gold¡­ A vial of brilliantly violent blue¡­ A shattered sword¡¯s shards¡­ There¡¯s our stage¡¯s sturdy stone floor and walls¡­ Let¡¯s count that as one, so the last thing I see is¡­ the billowing black coat you gifted me.¡± He finished with a flourish. (¡°Good, now give me four things you can touch.¡±) ¡°Ooh, tricky.¡± He grinned gladly. ¡°Hmm, like before there¡¯s the black beauty you gave me¡­ I could say the floor but that feels boring repeating the same performance over and over¡­ So instead let¡¯s go with the cool clear air that¡¯s found all around. Third there¡¯s the smooth, leather -I believe- of my shoes. And then finally we have the insatiable ink on my hands.¡± (¡°Okay, now give me three things you can hear.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander continued. (Hmm, this is starting to sound familiar¡­ but why?) ¡°I¡­¡± He frowned before shaking his head. ¡°I can hear: Well, I don¡¯t think I hear you exactly but I can hear your Wonderland whispering in a wicked way. Hmm, oh! I can hear the beautifully brutal beating of my heart right here.¡± He tapped his chest with a grin before it grew into a full blown smile. ¡°Ah, I also hear that sweet symphonic swing playing in the background.¡± (¡°You do, huh?¡±) ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, before remembering that the swing was supposed to mean (something¡­) (¡°Alright, well then, give me two things you can smell.¡±) He blinked, both because he wasn¡¯t really sure if he could smell anything as well as the fact that he was pretty sure he¡¯d seen Maddie play this game with his brother once. (But that wasn¡¯t a good time¡­) (¡°I know this is a tough one but we¡¯ve only got one more after this.¡±) The GM told him in an encouraging tone. ¡°Er, right¡­¡± He coughed into his hand. ¡°I can um, I can smell¡­ smoke? From, from the campfire in the middle of the room.¡± (How¡¯d I miss that?) ¡°And¡­ Um, I can also smell¡­ books er, paper and ink I guess?¡± (Where¡¯s that coming from?) (¡°Good now I just need you to tell me what you can taste.¡±) ¡°Taste?¡± He frowned once more, because he was now positive he remembered Maddie asking his brother these questions while forcing him to sit still. ¡°I can, I can taste¡­ copper and something sweet?¡± There was something important about that but he couldn¡¯t quite remember it. (¡°Okay, now I need you to close your eyes take a deep breath and count back from ten, alright?¡±) ¡°Um, yeah.¡± He swallowed, feeling an odd sort of anxiety he hadn¡¯t felt previously, before closing his eyes. ¡°Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. What now?¡± (¡°Well that depends. How are you feeling?¡±) The GM asked him cautiously. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not really sure.¡± He admitted, rubbing at his eyes. ¡°My head feels¡­ kind of fuzzy?¡± (¡°Yeah, do you um, do you know what just happened?¡±) ¡°I¡­ you made me do the¡­ panic attack thing¡­¡± (¡°I did.¡±) The GM confessed without defense. (¡°Do you know why I did that?¡±) His head throbbed as he tried to think. ¡°No?¡± (¡°Alright, well, you know how we Wonderlanders have a tendency to uh, get little¡­ crazy?¡±) The GM asked. ¡°Uh, yeah. Comes with using Madness.¡± He chuckled weakly, not wanting to admit that he¡¯d just thought that ¡®crazy¡¯ was a normal Wonderlander¡¯s default before today. (Wait¡­) It clicked in his head. ¡°I um¡­ I was¡­ I was having an episode?¡± He asked with no small amount of dread. (¡°Yeah, you were.¡±) The GM sighed. (¡°When I was little, whenever I had an¡­ ¡®episode¡¯ my brother would make me go through the list to try and drag me back from the edge of my¡­ madness.¡±) ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He began tapping his thumbs against his fingers as he found himself unsure of how to process both that and what it meant in reference to his own episode. And in the end what little he could process left him feeling like he should- ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± (¡°Don¡¯t be. It¡¯s not your fault.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander assured him. (And who¡¯d know better than her?) ¡°So, um, what now?¡± He asked, feeling a little directionless at the moment. (¡°Well, that¡¯s up to you.¡±) The GM told him. (¡°If you want you can go back and I¡¯ll evac you from the previous safe room.¡±) ¡°No, I¡­ I don¡¯t like the idea of going back.¡± He admitted, feeling a little small since he knew that applied to more things than one. (¡°Okay, then you can go right and it¡¯ll take you to the boss room where you¡¯ll be able to exit on your own after clearing the rooms between you and the safe room.¡±) He glanced to the other door in the room. ¡°And what¡¯s past the left door?¡± (¡°There¡¯s a treasure room down that way, but you¡¯d have to clear a couple more rooms full of enemies.¡±) The GM told him with an audible frown. (¡°But, uh, I wouldn¡¯t recommend going down that way as beaten up as you are.¡±) ¡°Yeah, I probably wouldn¡¯t recommend it either¡­¡± He agreed with a wry grin before heading towards the left door. (¡°Uh, what are you doing?¡±) Ignoring their question he asked his own. ¡°Hey, even if I get my ass kicked, I¡¯m not going to like, die in here, am I?¡± (¡°Uh, no¡­¡±) His fellow Wonderlander answered with obvious reluctance. (¡°But why risk it?¡±) ¡°Because if you leave a single treasure chest un-open then you haven¡¯t actually cleared the dungeon.¡± He explained. ¡°Really, as a gamer shouldn¡¯t you know this?¡± (¡°... This is totally karma isn¡¯t it.¡±) He heard the GM grumble quietly. ¡°Karma for what?¡± (¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±) The GM sighed. (¡°Fine, but just so you know if you get your ass kicked you lose like half of your points.¡±) That actually made him pause for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re scoring all of this?¡± (¡°Yeah, it¡¯s part of my whole prize system here.¡±) The dungeon master explained as he started moving once more. (¡°The better you do the more points you get, and when you exit the dungeon there¡¯s one final shop where you can trade your points to get prizes based on all of the items available up to your last finished level.¡±) ¡°Huh¡­ I¡¯m guessing the amount of points someone gets is based on how much Madness you get out of them.¡± He figured, knowing that no gang leader would operate an event this large and with prize, if they didn¡¯t get something out of it too. (¡°Yep.¡±) Said gang leader admitted shamelessly. (¡°And don¡¯t worry I¡¯m not penalizing you for the Madness I¡¯ve given you, though I am having to grade you a bit differently since I can¡¯t really get much Madness from you.¡±) (Makes sense, since we¡¯re both apparently Madness sponges.) ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± He assured her. ¡°After all it just means I¡¯m a class all my own.¡± (¡°Well, I mean, I did have to make you your own class.¡±) The GM conceded. ¡°Exactly.¡± He grinned as he continued to force all the bad thoughts into a little box he had zero intention of opening anytime soon. ¡°Oh, look! The next room ¡®s here already!¡± Skipping over to the door as a bit of Madness continued to bubble just below the surface, he kicked the door open and screamed, ¡°Do not fear the murderhobo is here!¡± (¡°Pfft!¡±) The goblins in the room all jumped at the sudden intrusion, leaving him free to throw out his Ink Whip and pull a nearby Warrior to him, before grabbing the goblin by the sides of its head and- ¡°Hello, so sorry you¡¯ve got to go!¡± -slamming it face first into his knee over and over until it finally shattered under the assault. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Grinning like mad he didn¡¯t notice the arrow flying towards him until it struck his shoulder and shattered into pixels after breaking skin. ¡°Fuck, again!¡± (At least I don¡¯t have to rip it out this time, but still¡­) He turned a glare at the Rogue and began spinning his whip around his wrist and taking a step forward, and right onto a patch of greenery that quickly wrapped around his foot. ¡°The fuck?¡± His eyes shot to the Shaman standing behind the Rogue and faintly chanting, (Right support unit has a snare, got it.) A movement from the Rogue had him bending out of the way of a second arrow, and putting himself off balance as he whirled his arms through the air. (Shit!) Twisting his leg he stomped down to regain his footing before using all of his enhanced strength to rip his leg free of the vines that had ensnared it. Not taking another chance and seeing how it was the only real damage dealer he rushed the Rogue before tackling it to the ground and wailing on it. He could hear the Shaman chanting still, and given how he knew it was supposed to be a healer he immediately knew what it meant when the Rogue started glowing with a faint green as little plus signs rose off of it. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t!¡± He scowled toonifying his hand before punching the Rogue¡¯s face into the floor hard enough to crack the stone beneath them as the goblin finally gave and broke apart into a swarm of pixels. ¡°Just you and me, friend!¡± He smiled at the Shaman that had given him a surprising amount of trouble this fight. The goblin took a step back as he started towards it, and his hand shot out, grabbing the goblin by its throat and picking it up off of the ground. His grip tightened as he began to hear a tune playing in the back of his head, before an arrow shot through his forearm forcing him to drop the Shaman. ¡°Shit!¡± His eyes darted to a rogue hiding in the shadows nearby, already knocking another arrow to fire at him. Scowling at the monster he threw his hand out and grabbed it with his Ink Whip before pulling it towards him as he ignored the throbbing building in the back of his head. Knowing that using his powers again was probably a bad idea, but that it¡¯d take more than his bare hands to kill the Rogue with the Shaman healing it, he reached into his coat and pulled out the broken blade he gotten in his last fight and proceeded to stab the goblin through the chest shattering the Rogue into a storm of lights. ¡°Right, now then¡­ where were we?¡± He asked the cowering goblin as he turned his attention back to it. As a final desperate gambit the Shaman sent out a wave of greenery to try and snare him again. An attack he just barely dodged by throwing his body to the side hard enough to roll across the ground before shaking himself off and rushing the final goblin, where a quick stroke of the knife brought the fight to an even quicker end. With no enemies left he couldn¡¯t help but gasp as his aching body and mind made their grievances known. ¡°Fuck, that fight shouldn¡¯t have been that hard.¡± (¡°Well you¡¯re probably still suffering from the backlash of giving so far into your Madness.¡±) The GM pointed out dryly. ¡°That¡­ is a possibility.¡± He grimaced, realizing that maybe he shouldn¡¯t have decided to push his luck after his little episode. He slapped his cheeks. (No, what am I saying. The show must go on!) (¡°Uh, you okay?¡±) ¡°Yeah, just¡­ just still having some¡­ odd thoughts.¡± He lied. (¡°If you¡¯re sure though you really should reconsider tapping out.¡±) He frowned. ¡°I said I¡¯m getting that treasure chest, and damn it I will.¡± (I¡¯m probably also going to get my ass kicked but so be it!) Durands were all stubborn bastards. Shaking his head he looked around the room before spotting a red vial, (Yeah, that¡¯ll help me.) Pulling out the blue vial he¡¯d picked up from the previous room, he downed both vials before shivering as he felt something creeping and crawling through his veins. ¡°Okay¡­ That was weird¡­¡± (¡°What was weird?¡±) ¡°Just, I¡­ I think I felt your Madness¡­ healing me that time.¡± He guessed, trying not to think too hard about the odd sensation. (¡°Hmm, maybe you¡¯re still feeling some Madness sensitivity from your episode too.¡±) ¡°M-maybe.¡± He admitted, before shaking his head again and gathering the various bits and bobbles dropped by the goblins. ¡°Either way I hopefully won¡¯t need another one today.¡± (¡°And you just jinxed yourself.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander helpfully informed him. ¡°Whatever.¡± He turned towards the door to the next room. ¡°Either way, one room down, two to go.¡± (¡°Unless you count the boss route.¡±) He pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Not helping.¡± (¡°Wasn¡¯t trying to~¡±) ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± He sighed exiting the room, and continuing through the Dungeon tunnels in relative silence as the GM seemed to content themselves with just watching him for the time being. (Or I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re watching me.) (Something was watching him after all.) (Right, the Madness sensitivity thing is going to drive me crazy¡­ Wait.) He frowned at that thought as he realized that might¡¯ve been -terrifyingly- the point. ¡°Hey, uh, you ever wonder if Madness is¡­ purposely trying to drive us crazy?¡± (¡°What? Oh, yeah, it absolutely is.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander confirmed. He swallowed. He¡¯d meant the question as an idle thought, but with how quickly a confirmation came¡­ ¡°That, uh, that doesn¡¯t worry you?¡± (¡°Not really.¡±) The GM seemingly shrugged. (¡°I mean it worried my brother for a moment there but he worries about everything.¡±) (This sounds like something we should be worried about.) (¡°A way a friend of mine explained it is that it¡¯s like every other genetic time bomb we¡¯ve all got. It¡¯s not something I can really stop, so why worry about it?¡±) His fellow Wonderlander explained. (¡°Even if I don¡¯t use my powers it¡¯ll just drive me crazier faster, so the only solution is to find people who will help keep me anchored and play the game as best I can with my class.¡±) He didn¡¯t necessarily agree that he shouldn¡¯t worry about it, but he could see her point at the very least. (And having someone to keep me anchored sounds nice¡­ an Alice to my Jack.) He could feel the mad grin growing on his face once more and immediately forced it down. Deciding that it might be best to ignore whatever weirdness was in that last thought, at least until he wasn¡¯t so sensitive to Madness, he instead picked up his pace hoping to reach the door to the next room faster. A hope he fulfilled upon finding said door around a bend in the Dungeon tunnel. (Finally.) ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get a preview of the next show¡­¡± He mumbled to himself as he cracked the door open a smidge to see the goblins within. He blinked. ¡°Um¡­ Are they supposed to be doing this?¡± (¡°Supposed to be doing wha- For fucks sake.¡±) The GM growled. (¡°Okay, I need you to kill my goblins. They aren¡¯t going to fight back so it should be easy enough.¡±) He watched the four goblins rocking back and forth in the middle of the room. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m comfortable with this.¡± (¡°Look you remember how there was that weird glitch with my kobolds well the same thing is happening here, only instead of having cleaned it up like I thought, I apparently crammed all of the trauma into the middle room.¡±) The GM broke down for him. (¡°Now in order to completely fix this mess I need you to off my goblins in here.¡±) He opened the door enough for him to step into the room, and had to suppress a flinch when the goblins started sobbing. ¡°Do I have to?¡± (¡°Hey, hey, hey! You¡¯ve gone evil in my dungeon at least twice now, don¡¯t go wimping out on me when I need you to get your hands dirty.¡±) The gang leader told him. (¡°Besides it¡¯s more of a mercy killing than an actual murder.¡±) Upon hearing that some part of him connected to his Wonderland couldn¡¯t help but agree even if the rest of him was deeply uncomfortable with this whole thing. ¡°I, um, this your Wonderland, can¡¯t you¡­ I don¡¯t know, like¡­ kill them with admin rights or something?¡± (¡°No, like with the kobolds I need you to do me a solid and kill them so I can do a hard reset on their coding.¡±) The GM firmly refused. The goblin sobbing was beginning to get on his already fraying nerves until finally- ¡°Fine, it¡¯s not really killing them after all.¡± (¡°Nope, can totally respawn them after giving them more therapy than my brother¡¯s put me through.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander assured him. (¡°Though it¡¯ll probably be a while before I use goblins for any of my events again after this mess.¡±) ¡°Right, right¡­¡± He nodded, pulling his broken blade out of his coat again. ¡°Just got to do this quick and painless.¡± It was not quick and painless¡­ for him at least. Each of the goblins were quick painless affairs, with one even thanking him in a way that was probably twice as traumatic as the rest of the kills combined. ¡°I feel so dirty.¡± He admitted, as decided to firmly repress the last five minutes. (¡°Welcome to the Masquerade, where everyone is traumatized and we¡¯re all laughing it off.¡±) His fellow Mask told him with faux cheer. (¡°Just be glad you didn¡¯t have to perma-kill anyone.¡±) ¡°Yeah¡­¡± (¡°Look if it makes you feel better, once I¡¯ve got the goblins sorted out I¡¯ll let you visit them.¡±) The GM promised in an attempt to cheer him up. ¡°Yeah, that¡­ that might help.¡± He nodded, running a hand through his head as he felt his own Madness bubbling and a faint song playing in the back of his head. ¡°How about we just skip to the next scene and return me to my emotional status quo?¡± (¡°Not exactly healthy, but our power is Madness so you do you man.¡±) Rolling his shoulders and straightening his coat, he reached out to the song in his head and stopped it from getting any louder, before turning and making his way out of this room. ¡°I do hope you don¡¯t mind cleaning up the mess I¡¯ve left behind.¡± (¡°Right, uh, I¡¯ll just break this stuff down and add it to your end score.¡±) The GM told him. After a few moments traveling through the tunnel, some morbid part of him felt the need to ask, ¡°What uh, what exactly happened back there? Yesterday I mean.¡± (¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±) The GM shut down with a tone that (spoke of trauma and regret.) The extended bout of silence as he moved through the Dungeon firmly underlined the point of his fellow Wonderlander¡¯s reluctance, as he began to notice several scorch marks on the walls that he could not see a practical reason for given how the goblins had been sticking to their rooms thus far. (Just how much damage did this pyromantic psycho do in here?!) (Don¡¯t they know you¡¯re not supposed to destroy your stage and venue?) All in all between the kobolds, the way the goblins had broken down, the scorch marks, and the way the GM had reacted he was more than convinced that the people who wrecked the dungeon yesterday were monsters he was going to do everything in his power to avoid. (Oh, look a new room where I can use the best method of distracting oneself, violence!) (Well second best if we include alcohol.) (But I¡¯m sadly under age.) Shoving the door open with a theatrical flourish he stepped forward ready to duke it out with whatever guardians there were for the treasure room, only to find it completely empty. ¡°Um, isn¡¯t there supposed to be something I have to fight, like with the treasure rooms on the last floor?¡± He pointed out. (¡°Since this was the first major fork in the road, I decided not to make players fight for the treasure chest and to even upgrade the rarity of it for choosing to take those two extra fights.¡±) The GM explained. ¡°That uh, makes sense I guess¡­¡± (Though it kind of defeats the whole purpose of distracting myself¡­) He finally spotted the large chest sitting in the middle of the room. (Then again I suppose I can use the fourth best distraction,) (shiny shiny, pretty pretty.) (¡°Okay, so now that you¡¯ve found the treasure room you¡¯ve got two choices.¡±) The GM told him as he walked up to the chest. ¡°Uh, what choices?¡± He frowned. ¡°I mean isn¡¯t this supposed to be one of those things where I open the chest and find some random treasure in it?¡± (¡°Technically yes.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander admitted. (¡°But since you¡¯re pushing yourself so hard -and probably going to die to the boss- I¡¯m giving you a special bonus where you can either open the treasure chest that has a guaranteed piece of equipment, or I can change the chest into Madness like the last two floor chest you¡¯ve opened.¡±) ¡°Huh¡­¡± (That¡¯s actually something worth considering. I mean if I take the chest I¡¯ll get a piece of equipment that I can feed to either my cloak or my whip. On the other hand the whole point of this little venture was to gather Madness. Madness that would probably be less than what I need to upgrade my cloak and whip myself. Though I could probably use that Madness for things other than my cloak and whip¡­) He tapped his thumb against his fingers as he eyed the chest, before telling the GM ¡°I¡¯ll take the equipment.¡± Gamer Guild’s Dungeon (3rd Floor, Pt. 3) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (3rd Floor, Pt. 3) --- Joshua --- (¡°Alright, then just open the chest up and let¡¯s see what you get.¡±) Nodding he made his way to the treasure chest, before forcing the chest open and finding, ¡°A black book?¡± He frowned. ¡°Uh, shouldn¡¯t this be like a weapon or a piece of armor.¡± (¡°Uh, yeah¡­ Just uh, just give me a second¡­¡±) The GM told him before mumbling something about item dice and personality customization feedback, the second of which he did not understand. (¡°Okay, I see what happened here. So, because I made you your own class, there was a bit of wiggle room in the system for setting what equipment the dungeon drops for you based on this whole thing where the dungeon observes its players and picks items that suit their current playstyle before rolling a dice for what they get.¡±) ¡°Uh-huh.¡± (Still have no idea what any of that means for me.) (¡°To make a long story short, ¡®the black book¡¯ is the weapon that I usually give to offensive spell classes, and given how many of your ¡®spells¡¯ you¡¯ve been spamming the dungeon put it on your drop list.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander explained. ¡°Alright, but um, how exactly am I supposed to use a book?¡± He asked with just a touch of confusion. ¡°I mean I guess I could just feed it to my Ink Whip later, but would that even do?¡± (¡°Oh, uh, no. That¡¯s not how you use the books.¡±) The GM shot down in a disappointed tone. (¡°You read them and then it¡¯ll unlock a new spell for your class, but again only magic users can use it.¡±) ¡°Meaning I can¡¯t use it.¡± He sighed. (¡°... Dude, I just said you¡¯ve been using spells this entire time.¡±) The GM reminded him. (¡°For the sake of my system your Wonderlander powers count as spells, meaning you can use the book.¡±) ¡°Huh, so what do I just open it and-¡± A blue screen similar to the one he¡¯d seen after getting his Ink Whip popped into existence, showing off the various skills he did not remember unlocking for himself. (¡°Oh, right, probably should¡¯ve mentioned I¡¯ve been filling in your character sheet as you go, since you¡¯re beta-testing this Toon class for me.¡±) The gaming Wonderlander answered to his unspoken question. (¡°You¡¯re new spell should¡¯ve just popped in with a new skill branch. It¡¯s the hand holding the blob of ink.¡±) Pushing aside the fact that the GM had set him to auto-spec, he quickly found the icon the GM was talking about. ¡°Uh, yeah, it says ¡®Throw a blob of ink at enemies, damaging foes and inflicting status ailments based on other ink abilities. To use, make a claw shape with your hand and pull on ink. Consumes resources with each cast.¡¯¡± (¡°Cool, I only had the broad strokes with what that would do, since I wasn¡¯t sure just how cross-platform our Wonderlands are.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander admitted. ¡°Makes sense, both of our powers are Madness based but they¡¯re also two separate themes.¡± He nodded, before half-curling his fingers and pulling at the ink in his hand. A knife of agony tore through his skull sending him hunching over as he gasped weakly, the pain leaving as suddenly as it came. ¡°The fuck was that?!¡± (¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s our powers pushing that connection limit.¡±) The GM seemingly grimaced. (¡°On the plus side, you¡¯ve got a new power?¡±) Feeling something squishy in his hand, he blinked before holding up a shifting black sphere dripping ink between his fingers. ¡°Okay¡­ this is¡­ weird¡­¡± Shaking his head, he forced him past the odd shock and ache left in the wake of that brief bout of agony, before pulling his arm back and throwing the ink blob at the wall, where it spattered against the wall. (¡°Ew, ew, ew, eww! I can feel it crawling on my skin!¡±) His fellow Wonderlander cried. (I should probably feel bad about that¡­ but I really don¡¯t.) ¡°I¡¯m guessing like with my tags you don¡¯t want me using that in the dungeon either?¡± (¡°Please don¡¯t!¡±) The ruthless gang leader whined pathetically. He couldn¡¯t help the slight smirk that made its way onto his face as he started back towards both the fork in the dungeon path as well as his final trek of the dungeon. --- (¡°Are you sure you want to fight the boss?¡±) The GM asked him once more as he left the final room before the boss room, a small pile of gold and goblin ears his reward. ¡°Like I said before, I¡¯m finishing this dungeon.¡± He told them. ¡°Though I¡¯ll admit, I do kind of wish that last shaman dropped a potion or something because I am starting to flag a bit, but the show must go on.¡± (¡°Yeah, I know¡­ Just going to suck if you die. This isn¡¯t a SoulsBourne game where you can recollect your lost points.¡±) The GM reminded him once more. ¡°As you¡¯ve said before.¡± He sighed with a roll of his eyes. (When will the reruns end? We need some new entertainment! Actually, thinking about it,) ¡°Anything you¡¯re willing to tell me about this floor¡¯s boss? I mean just from one Wonderlander to another.¡± Said fellow Wonderlander gave him a snort of amusement. (¡°You know, what sure. Since this floor had this whole thing with pick your enemy priorities, those also would¡¯ve changed the class of the floor boss and the loot for most other players.¡±) ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is if I¡¯d changed the priority to Warriors I¡¯d be fighting a Warboss goblin or something?¡± (¡°Yeah, and you would¡¯ve gotten a Chieftain for the Shaman, or a Bandit Leader for the Rogues.¡±) The GM confirmed. ¡°Cool, I can see the replayability in choosing your own boss.¡± He admitted. ¡°But since I didn¡¯t choose a floor specialization, what''s my boss going to be?¡± (¡°Since you¡¯re so determined to finish this floor why don¡¯t you find out for yourself?¡±) The GM suggested as he came to the door of the boss room. ¡°Fair enough.¡± He shrugged, before pushing the door open just enough to peek inside and catch sight of several stone walls surrounding the ruins of an empty burned out village. (Wait¡­) ¡°Where are the goblins?¡± (¡°Unlike the previous floors this one¡¯s boss won¡¯t spawn until you actually enter the room.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander told him. He considered that for a minute, and then considered the names of the various alt-goblin bosses, before calling that, ¡°I¡¯m going to get ambushed and surrounded by goblins if I go in there aren¡¯t I?¡± (¡°...¡±) The GM¡¯s silence was telling, at least until a cough broke it. (¡°What? No! No, no, no¡­ There¡¯s no ambush.¡±) (They can¡¯t expect me to believe that.) This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Seeing that he wasn¡¯t buying it his fellow Wonderlander apparently decided to level with him, (¡°Look, if you want to finish the floor you¡¯ve got to go in there. Otherwise you¡¯ve got to back track all the way to the start of the floor where you can give up.¡±) (Ugh, this script is so predictable¡­) He sighed before pushing the door open and entering the room. ¡°Alright, where¡¯s this ambush boss?¡± He asked, after nearing a campfire in the middle of the burned down city. ¡°Ugh, what now?¡± A voice called, drawing his eye to a goblin in armor standing on top of the stone structure to the side. ¡°Great, another intruder¡­ I thought we were getting a break after that dragon yesterday.¡± ¡°Dragon?¡± He repeated with a frown. (¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±) The GM told him perhaps a little too quickly. Shaking his head, he focused on what he was assuming was the boss goblin again. ¡°Sorry, but nope, we¡¯ve got a show to put on, friend.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± The goblin cursed before bellowing out, ¡°You heard him boys! This bloody blighter wants us to put on a show!¡± From all around the ruins goblins began to appear, until he was surrounded by six goblins with two of each class excluding the boss watching them from on high. ¡°Called it ambush boss.¡± (¡°Shut up, before I undo that difficulty drop I put on you earlier.¡±) ¡°Ouch,¡± he grimaced. ¡°I uh, I actually sort of forgot about that.¡± (There goes my pride. Better kill something to get it back.) Idly, he threw his hand out grabbing a Shaman with his Ink Whip and pulled it over before throwing it to the ground with a toonified hand. At which point he lifted his foot up and stomped on the goblin¡¯s head with his full weight and strength behind the blow, shattering both the goblin and the ground beneath it. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± (Feels like I might have to kill a few more of these disposable extras, before I¡¯m feeling like a proper star again.) ¡°Seriously, you dumb shites couldn¡¯t even go a whole minute without someone dying?!¡± The boss goblin berated. ¡°And it was one of the healers too! Oi, you better not go slacking just because you¡¯re the only healer now! In fact I expect you to cover your and his job or else I¡¯ll be flogging you for not healing him before he died!¡± The remaining Shaman winced before shaking its head and gaining a flaming aura of some kind as it began to chant, causing the two warrior goblins to each gain a healing aura of green plus signs despite their full health. ¡°Ah shit, he¡¯s a minion support boss!¡± He realized with a groan, knowing how much of a pain these bosses could be until you manage to chase them down. (Fuck, this is going to suck¡­ Might as well knock out the other Shaman since he¡¯s the one getting buffed.) ¡°And the rest of you dumb bastards remember to protect the healer this time unless you want to die a miserable and painful death! And I don¡¯t mean by this fucker¡¯s hand!¡± The boss goblin continued, getting the warriors to rush between him and the last Shaman significantly faster than the previous warriors had. ¡°Need a drink after yelling at these dumbasses.¡± (Yep, going to suck so much.) He reiterated to himself, as he leapt out of the way of a Rogue¡¯s arrow. Changing targets to the ranged DPS, he threw his Ink Whip at the Rogue that hadn¡¯t attacked, but was getting ready to. (Which I¡¯m going to have to give a hard pass on.) Once he¡¯d gotten ahold of the goblin he drew his knife and stabbed it into the dungeon construct¡¯s neck, where with a pull both rough and brutal he tore the knife out pixelating the Rogue. ¡°Oh, come the fuck on! What was that you stupid fuck!¡± The Boss Goblin cursed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you rogues supposed to be stealthy?! How the fuck did he find you two? Oh, right you¡¯re standing out in the middle of the fucking clearing!¡± Much like the Shaman before it, the remaining Rogue winced before developing a flaming aura. Only instead of chanting like the magic user the more stealthy rogue leapt backwards while turning invisible and disappearing from sight. ¡°And an invisible archer is just what I need.¡± He groaned, running a hand down his face as he focused on the three enemies he could see. (Actually¡­) He rushed forward as fast as he could, not towards the warriors but rather slightly to their left where a small stone building laid. One that with a bit of effort, his burgeoning climbing skills, and just a smidge of super strength, he was able to climb up to where the boss goblin had holed himself away. Finding himself alone with the Boss Goblin he cracked his knuckles before suggesting, ¡°Let¡¯s see if those buffs of yours fall when I kill you, huh?¡± The Goblin just gave him a flat look in return, before downing a mug of something -¡°Yeah, no.¡±- and proceeding to grab him by his collar and throw him off of the stone tower. Hitting the ground with a tumble and roll, he felt several of his earlier aches decide to make themselves known as they reminded him that even with a healing factor and the GM¡¯s potions, he was still running on fumes. ¡°You dumbass, I¡¯m the captain of a band of goblins!¡± The apparent goblin Captain yelled at him. ¡°You don¡¯t get this job by being a fucking push over, I have to be stronger than the rest of these dumb fucks or else they¡¯ll kill me first chance they get!¡± ¡°Well¡­ Given how shit of a boss you seem to be I don¡¯t blame them!¡± He told the Boss Goblin as he forced himself back onto his feet. ¡°Yeah, well I¡¯m not the one getting his ass kicked so ha!¡± The Captain laughed before downing another mug of what he assumed was ale. Glaring at the boss goblin, and feeling a deep ache in his bones, he had an odd thought of sorts as he turned to the remaining goblins. (If their employers are so toxic¡­) ¡°How much gold do I have to pay you lot to help me kill your Captain?¡± An odd silence filled the ruins as everyone processed his question. ¡°The fuck did you just say?!¡± The Boss Goblin screamed, ¡°You think you can just bribe the stupid shites into betraying me you dumb fuck?¡± The Shaman and the two warriors looked between each other before turning back to him. ¡°You know you won¡¯t get the gold back if you give it to us, even if you kill us after the fact right?¡± ¡°Are you stupid bastards actually considering this?!¡± ¡°Honestly, at this point I just want to shut him up.¡± He admitted with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll flog all of you sons of bitches for this!¡± ¡°Yeah, I can totally get that.¡± The warrior nodded. ¡°Honestly, of the bosses for this floor he¡¯s always the pain to deal with. Which sucks since he¡¯s in charge more often than the other three.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll shatter all of you with my own two hands!¡± ¡°Yeah, that does suck.¡± He nodded in sympathy. ¡°Kind of wondering why the GM let¡¯s this slide, if you guys hate it so much.¡± ¡°And you, you stupid fuck I¡¯m going to flay alive with my-¡± (I¡¯m just going to ignore the rest of his ranting, because it¡¯s more annoying than anything else.) (¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I actually had no idea he¡¯d gotten this bad. His early insults were funny but at this point he¡¯s kind of being a dick.¡±) ¡°Eh, it¡¯s flanderization boss. We liked his whole gig at first, but you might want to load one of his earlier saves; he''s gotten a little extreme with all of it.¡± The Shaman told the GM, since apparently the monsters could hear his fellow Wonderlander too. (Which makes sense I guess.) ¡°I don¡¯t know, I actually kind of like the way he talks to us more.¡± The warrior he hadn¡¯t been talking to admitted before being promptly knocked out by the rogue coming out of stealth. ¡°I¡¯m not paying his bribe.¡± He told the remaining goblins. ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± The still standing warrior nodded. ¡°Ten coins a piece fair, or?¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d do this for free at this point.¡± The Rogue told him before shooting the still yelling boss goblin with an arrow, pixelating it. ¡°Wait, how the fuck did you kill him so easy?!¡± ¡°Extra five coins.¡± The Rogue answered sticking its hand out, and earning a look from him. ¡°I¡¯m a rogue, this is what we do.¡± ¡°Fair.¡± He admitted, handing over thirty-five coins to the goblins, because (you should always keep your minions happy and well paid, so they don¡¯t shoot you in the back.) (Like that guy.) (Though technically, that was more in the face which is a little more honorable than the back.) He blinked before rubbing at his head as his migraine began to claw its way back into existence. ¡°Anyway, he had a buff on himself that made it so his stats go up the more goblins he has working for him. Since we all defected, died, or got knocked out¡­¡± The goblin trailed off. ¡°He became a one hit chump.¡± He finished. ¡°Yep.¡± The rogue nodded, before giving him a look. ¡°Now then are we fighting still or are you moving on?¡± He considered it for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°Nah, if you guys aren¡¯t going to attack me, I don¡¯t see any reason to attack you.¡± The rogue gave him another nod before walking away and taking a seat against a nearby wall, as the remaining goblins decided to join it (or were carried over in the case of the unconscious warrior.) Giving the odd sight a brief chuckle he turned and made his way through the ruins and inside of a stone building where he found the usual three chests waiting to be opened. (Alright, last chest what¡¯s it going to be?) Gamer Guild’s Dungeon (Gift Shop and Exit) Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon (Gift Shop and Exit) --- Joshua --- Thinking about it for a minute, with part of him tempted to grab another Madness chest, the rest eventually decided, ¡°Why don¡¯t we try one of the other chests for once?¡± (¡°Alright, mixing it up, but same question as before which one is it going to be?¡±) He gave the three chests that most people choose from a once over before nodding towards the chest with a shield on, ¡°How about the Armor chest, so I can feed it to my tailcoat later?¡± (¡°Go for it.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander told him. Walking up to the chest and opening it to the GM¡¯s usual fanfare, he found a metal chest plate of some kind within. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to go out on a limb and guess this raises my defense?¡± (¡°Yep, and it¡¯s one size fits all too.¡±) ¡°Cool.¡± (Wonder how many of these I have to feed my jacket to make it bullet proof?) (¡°So after beating the floor, now you¡¯re tapping out, right?¡±) The GM asked once he¡¯d started down the stairs to the safe room. ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe I can fit in one more floor¡­¡± (¡°You know, just because I don¡¯t like seeing a fellow Wonderlander in pain, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m afraid to hurt you myself.¡±) The GM warned him. ¡°I¡¯m screwing with you.¡± He shook his head with a grin, before grimacing. ¡°Honestly, don¡¯t feel like I can take another floor on. I¡¯m running on fumes and my head is sort of just¡­ blergh, at this point.¡± (¡°Yeah, takes a while to get used to running around for hours on end.¡±) The GM agreed. (¡°Just be glad you don¡¯t fall asleep in the middle of gang negotiations and need your brother to summon a Bear Beats to bail you out.¡±) ¡°No idea what that is, but that does indeed sound like it¡¯d suck.¡± He nodded. (¡°Yeah and, actually hold on a second.¡±) The GM said, making him pause as she seemed to talk to someone a small distance away. (¡°Hey, you''re heading out, right?... Great, you think you can do me a solid?... No, I just need you to drop this off on your way out¡­. Look I¡¯ll make it into an official side quest, okay?... Cool, thanks.¡±) (It¡¯s like listening to someone on the other side of the phone.) He thought idly, noting the weirdness of the voice in his head as he continued down the stairs. (¡°Alright, I¡¯m back.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander told him. ¡°Everything okay?¡± (¡°Yeah, no, just had to take care of a¡­ guild thing.¡±) The gang leader explained, in a way that made him wonder if he wanted to know or not. (¡°Hey, since you¡¯re leaving do you mind if I scramble the stairs for a minute and just skip you straight to the exit shop?¡±) ¡°You can do that?¡± (¡°Well, yeah. I mean it¡¯s my dungeon, and you¡¯re a Wonderlander so I can reshuffle the rooms however I want.¡±) The GM seemingly shrugged even as he froze with a foot in the air. ¡°Then why the hell have I been walking so much today?¡± He asked, feeling his eye twitch. (¡°Because it¡¯s all part of the dungeon experience.¡±) The GM bullshitted him. (¡°That and the tunnels are actually hidden loading screens, so I can tell my shit together for the adventurers passing through. I mean seriously I¡¯m running like five instances of this dungeon at once, and cycling between all of you as you go to tailor your adventures to be a fun challenge for all of you. And in complete honesty, I¡¯ve kind of been phoning it in on the other guys while we¡¯ve been talking and I really should TPK them before they get any further.¡±) ¡°Alright, that makes a little more sense.¡± He admitted, while not admitting how that sounded like a terrifying level of multi-tasking for a Puppeteer/Tactician to be capable of. Especially one that could summon five times the number of enemies he¡¯d fought today, and still have resources left over. (Right, note to self do not piss off the GM.) ¡°Uh, yeah, anyways¡­ Uh, if I¡¯m keeping you from your job, you can go ahead and skip me to the exit, if you uh, want.¡± He chuckled, suddenly very nervous about the fact that he¡¯s been chatting in bickering with the leader of arguably the largest deviant gang in the city, while inside their domain of power. (You know that really should¡¯ve occurred to me earlier.) (¡°Thanks¡­ and there we go.¡±) The GM told him as he suddenly found himself in front of a door. ¡°Right, uh, thanks for the short cut.¡± He nodded at the air around him. (¡°No problem.¡±) Shaking his head, he began pushing the door open before grimacing as he the darkness of the dungeon slowly gave way to brightness of- He couldn¡¯t help but blink at the sight before him as his eyes slowly drifted around a large open tent, with several T-Shirts and hoodies along the tent walls as well as a number of nick-nacks here and there, and to complete the look was a counter with the Merchant behind it looking completely bored for once. ¡°A gift shop¡­ really?¡± (¡°Look I have to make money off of this whole thing or else absolutely no one will trust it.¡±) The GM told him sheepishly. (¡°And this was the best way that didn¡¯t limit people by charging money at the entrance.¡±) ¡°I can see that but¡­¡± He waved to the space around him. ¡°A gift shop, really?¡± (¡°Just go talk to the merchant and turn in your points.¡±) The GM huffed. ¡°Fine¡­ but I¡¯m not buying one of your novelty mugs.¡± He warned them. Making his way to the merchant, the Dream straightened his back before yawning. ¡°Welcome and congratulations on finishing your run through the Gamer¡¯s Guild¡¯s Dungeon.¡± The Merchant told him, (completely breaking character) and not sounding happy about it. ¡°Now the entire time you were in the dungeon you were being scored for all of the things you did. For you that means you have a grand total of¡­¡± The dying inside Dream clicked a button and a nearby machine lit up with the numbers, ¡°eight hundred and eighty two points. Points which you can spend here at our dungeon prize counter. So what do you want?¡± ¡°You really do not sound like you want to be here.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but note. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± The Merchant admitted. ¡°Given how you¡¯re supposed to be a Wonderlander I¡¯m sure you get why I don¡¯t like being so close to¡­ reality.¡± The Dream shivered. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m the only dream built to actually handle all of the shop mechanisms, meaning I have to come here whenever someone finishes a dungeon run.¡± ¡°Well that uh, sucks.¡± ¡°Yeah, it does. Especially since I can¡¯t actually use all of my functions, given how we have to hold some of the power back to keep people from razing reality to the ground by upgrading their power ups.¡± The Merchant gave that thought a bitter chuckle. ¡°Though that¡¯d be good riddance I say.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He nodded, feeling a little uncomfortable by the Merchant¡¯s new attitude. (¡°Oh, actually, that functions still unlocked for him because of that power interaction thing we¡¯ve got going.¡±) The GM told the Dream. ¡°Oh?¡± The Merchant asked, looking just a touch more interested now as he turned to Joshua. ¡°That does sound like a break from the monotony, so tell me¡­ What are ya buyin, stranger?¡± A little blue screen flashed in front of him, listing a large variety of options and their costs as well as various empowerments he could grant his own equipment to extend their- ¡°My gear has an expiration date?¡± He frowned. (¡°Uh, yes and no. For most gear there is a time limit before my Madness quits reinforcing it, but your tailcoat and whip won¡¯t since they¡¯re directly connected to you and your Wonderland that expiration date is non existent.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander explained. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Okay, cool.¡± He¡¯d been about to have a panic attack, given how useful those things had proven and could prove to be. (¡°Actually, since you¡¯re just going to feed your gear to your tailcoat and whip, let me just simplify this for you.¡±) The GM cut in again as the screen blinked off for a moment before turning back on with significantly fewer -though still a lot in their own right- options. (¡°These are the ones that are relevant to you, or that you might be interested in.¡±) ¡°Uh, thanks, I guess.¡± He told the GM, not sure if there¡¯d have been other options he was interested in or not. (Still no point worrying about it.) Shaking his head he went through the list once more before immediately stopping on one of the earlier options, ¡°Oh, this one.¡± A quick click and he felt a wave of the GM¡¯s Madness crawl across his skin, before washing away and taking all of his physical aches and pains away with it. ¡°Much better.¡± (¡°Yeah, pretty much everyone buys a heal at this point, but that still leaves you with another seven hundred and eighty two points.¡±) ¡°Next up¡­ I think I¡¯ll grab one of those potion vials for the road.¡± He said, paying fifty points. (¡°Uh, you¡¯re going to need to pay more than that if you want it to last longer than a week.¡±) The GM warned him. ¡°Only need it to last the week.¡± He shrugged, taking the potion from the Merchant who wasn¡¯t bothering with his usual fanfare. (¡°Ooh, planning mischief.¡±) ¡°Something like that.¡± He admitted, before finding an odd option. ¡°You¡¯re selling Madness?¡± The Merchant gave him a mildly alarmed look at that, which he guessed meant the Dream did not know about that. (Which also means he probably doesn¡¯t know the GM has been feeding me Madness all day¡­ Better keep that to myself.) (¡°I¡¯m only selling it to you since you need a bit of help getting your Wonderland off of the ground.¡±) The GM explained. ¡°Uh, thanks¡­¡± He told her, before clicking the cheaper buy ¡®random¡¯ button despite the look that the Merchant was now giving him. (Wonder if Avery would react that way to me giving Madness away¡­ When my ass isn¡¯t broke I mean.) The Merchant seemed to glare at him for a moment before reaching under the counter and placing a glowing red sphere on the counter top, all without breaking eye-contact. (¡°Right, there you¡¯ve got a Raging Madness.¡±) The GM told him, even as his eyes were locked with the Merchant. (¡°This Madness is born from a deep burning rage, and is good for empowering things of physical, or flammable nature, while also inflicting rage effects.¡±) ¡°Ah.¡± (The Merchant is clearly telling me something¡­) (¡°You¡¯ve still got a little over five hundred points, you going to get some more Madness, or buy something else?¡±) (Given the look the Merchant is giving me,) ¡°I¡¯ll uh, I¡¯ll grab these really expensive gauntlets.¡± He answered just a touch nervously. (Hopefully, he¡¯ll back off if I don¡¯t have enough for anymore Madness.) ¡°I¡¯m hoping it¡¯ll cause another weird power interaction and unlock something good for me.¡± While not glaring as harshly, the Merchant still didn¡¯t give him a particularly happy look as he reached under the counter and plopped a box on top of it. (¡°Alright, the Madness is flowing just open it up and you¡¯ll get something unique to you and your Wonderland.¡±) The GM assured him. Chuckling nervously, he opened the box before frowning and giving the Merchant a look. (You¡¯re responsible for this aren¡¯t you.) Instead of some kind of powerful weaponized gauntlet or a gallant piece of knight¡¯s armor like he¡¯d been expecting, inside of the box was an unassuming pair of white gloves with two black buttons on them. (¡°Huh, guess that fits.¡±) ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked, pulling the gloves out. (¡°Well a ton of those old classic cartoon characters wear gloves don¡¯t they?¡±) ¡°I guess, but I¡¯m not really sure how I¡¯m supposed to wear these and still use my powers.¡± He pointed out. ¡°I mean most of the stuff I can do right now involves me making Ink from my hands.¡± (¡°Uh, wouldn¡¯t having your hands covered be a problem for all gauntlets?¡±) His fellow Wonderlander asked just a touch confused. ¡°Well, yeah, but¡­ I was hoping for like an upgrade to my Toon Hands or something.¡± He admitted, thinking that maybe he should¡¯ve considered the possibility gloves could screw him over. (¡°Maybe you¡¯re lucky and they work as a power modifier or something.¡±) The GM suggested. ¡°Maybe.¡± He frowned, before pushing his ink out of his skin and seeing it drip out of the glove. ¡°Now the question is, did I just ruin these things by staining them?¡± A moment to dry the ink told him that no, he did not trash the five hundred point item he¡¯d just bought. ¡°So, I guess after all of that, the question is¡­ what exactly do these things do?¡± (¡°Give me a second¡­ Huh.¡±) ¡°What?¡± He blinked looking around for something to place on the GM. (¡°Uh, my Scan says the Classic Toon Gloves allow the wearer to use any touch based power as if the gloves were part of their skin, without damaging the gloves or hindering the users powers, despite not doing the same for others. It uh, it has no special abilities or stats beyond that.¡±) The GM explained, before seemingly shrugging. (¡°Well it sucks you rolled a one on the loot dice, but I guess you can always upgrade it with your own Madness.¡±) ¡°I guess.¡± He nodded, more concerned with the wording of that scan description than the seemingly lame power. (That¡¯s something I¡¯m going to have to check out at some point.) (¡°So, there¡¯s not really anything else you can buy for just thirty-two points, so I guess that means you¡¯re just going to have to cash it out.¡±) The GM told him, as the Merchant put a five, two ones on the counter. (¡°Oh, and since you¡¯ve been so much fun I went ahead and had him round it up for you.¡±) ¡°You''re paying me to run your dungeon?¡± He asked, unable to hide his incredulity. (¡°Eh, once we post the video online we usually make a decent amount off of the ad and site money.¡±) The GM dismissed. (¡°Besides my brother slipped this little clause in the liability waivers that says we have to pay in either trade or money based on your measured performance to allow us to use any footage we like. Though you can opt out, if you sign a little section saying so. It¡¯s just a really little section.¡±) ¡°Huh¡­ That is probably the most criminal sounding thing you¡¯ve said to me thus far.¡± He admitted, trying to remember if he signed that section or not. (¡°All we do is make a mix of epic and fail compilation videos. Or we¡¯ve got someone that does that anyway. I try not to micromanage. I¡¯ve got people for that too.¡±) The gang leader told him cheerfully. ¡°And uh, where exactly would you say my performance rates?¡± He chuckled nervously. (¡°Thinking about it, while your fight with the kobold was kind of epic, I don¡¯t really think I should let them release too much of your run.¡±) The GM confessed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned, feeling an odd impulse for extreme hyper violence at the idea of someone (trying to fucking censor me and kick me off the air!) (¡°I just figured you¡¯d prefer I didn¡¯t out you as a Mask before you do so yourself, since you seem like you¡¯d make a big deal out of it.¡±) His fellow Wonderlander explained, before continuing by adding, (¡°I also figured you wouldn¡¯t want someone else to see your uh, little episode.¡±) He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at the reminder of that. ¡°Right.¡± (¡°Also, I kind of don¡¯t want anyone else trying to skip the third floor boss with a bribe before I fix that mess.¡±) The GM admitted sheepishly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fair.¡± (Nothing wrong with letting you get your house in order.) (¡°Still, you¡¯ve got upgrades for your gear still.¡±) The GM told him, getting them back on track. ¡°Ah, right.¡± He nodded, before shifting through his menu until he got to the section with his Tailcoat, Ink Whip, and brand new Gloves. (Which has no upgrades for some reason¡­) Shaking his head, and deciding that that wasn¡¯t important, he instead opened his menu for his Ravenous Tailcoat and fed it the chest plate and iron bracelet. Which when done, the store¡¯s menu told him would cause his jacket to gain a slight bump to defense and give him a slight increase to his max HP. Moving onto his Ink Whip, he fed his weapon the broken sword he¡¯d picked up prior, and found that this upgrade was much more interesting than a few stat points. ¡°Let¡¯s see here¡­¡± He flexed his hand, forming his Ink Whip as it wrapped around his wrist. Now with the Ink out he flexed his hand again while pushing a new idea into the Ink based weapon, before watching as the Whip condensed and slowly reformed into the shape of a small black knife. (¡°Ooh, now that is a nice upgrade.¡±) The GM told him, and he couldn¡¯t help but agree as he read the pop-up informing him that his Ink Whip had evolved into Equip Ink, and now had an Ink Blade form. Shaking his hand out with a smile on his face as his weapon faded into nothing, before closing the pop up and the store menu, leaving him to look around the tent as he slowly realized that after what felt like so long, he was just about done with the dungeon. ¡°Huh¡­¡± (¡°Ah, finally here.¡±) ¡°Uh, what is?¡± He asked, looking around once more and seeing nothing new. (¡°Oh, uh, I kind of need you to step out of the dungeon now.¡±) The GM answered, just a little brusquely. ¡°Oh, uh, sure thing.¡± He nodded, not wanting to admit that quick dismissal stung a bit. ¡°Uh, good bye¡­ I guess.¡± (¡°Uh-huh, come on hurry it up.¡±) Grimacing, he sighed, figuring he should¡¯ve realized that he was just a random player to the GM¡¯s game and that they weren¡¯t actually friends so much as two people who met in the solo queue of a game. Stepping out of the tent he felt an odd sensation wash over him, before looking at his now ungloved hands and down at his now regular clothing. ¡°Guess this means I¡¯m back in the real world now.¡± ¡°Ah, there you are.¡± A voice told him, drawing his attention to a brown haired girl and freckles towards him in a neon paint stained hoodie. ¡°Uh, can I help you?¡± He blinked as the girl seemed to have no concept of personal space as she got just a little too close. ¡°Yep, can feel the Madness rolling off of you.¡± The girl nodded. ¡°Uh, excuse me?¡± He frowned, instantly on guard. ¡°The boss wanted me to give you this.¡± The girl told him, handing out a piece of paper with the words ¡®To My Fellow Wonderlander¡¯. Blinking once more, he accepted the piece of paper before opening it to find a phone number beneath a kiss mark and the Gamer Guild¡¯s GG logo, with the words ¡®call me¡¯ written next to them. ¡°Oh.¡± Act 20: Coats, Arms, and Hideouts Act 20: Coats, Arms, and Hideouts --- Joshua --- ¡°Your savior is here.¡± He called stepping onto the main floor of the Cartoon Cabaret and striking a pose to show off his entrance as he accepted the accolades of his Dreams for bringing back so much Madness in a single outing to the land of the waking. A tumble weed rolled past him as he realized the Cabaret was empty. ¡°Where¡¯s Avery and Doodle?¡± He frowned, before scowling at the tumbleweed caught on a table chair. ¡°And who spent Madness on a tumbleweed when we¡¯re barely keeping the lights on?!¡± The tumbleweed hopped off the chair before rolling out of sight, his glare following it the entire way. Shaking his head, he gave the cabaret another once over. ¡°Seriously though where are those two, my fragile ego demands validation!¡± A faint scream from the cabaret stage reminded him that he¡¯d added another room to the cabaret a few days prior. (Feels like it¡¯s been months longer than that.) Making his way to the dressing room, he opened the door to find Avery fighting to keep a wardrobe closet closed as Doodle watched on with a frightened expression. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, h-hey b-boss!¡± Avery greeted nervously, still struggling to keep the wardrobe closed as it seemed to shake in place. ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll repeat: What¡¯s going on?¡± He asked cautiously. Doodle made several exaggerated gestures on the wall seeming to depict a monster and a fight of some kind. ¡°Oh, come on it¡¯s not, it¡¯s not that bad.¡± Avery lied. Whatever was in the wardrobe seemed to disagree as it gave a particularly violent attempt at escape sending the Cabaret manager stumbling forward a step before he leapt back slamming the wardrobe shut with his back and giving Joshua a nervous grin. ¡°Yeah¡­ what¡¯s in the closet exactly?¡± ¡°Um, j-just some clothes.¡± Avery stuttered, still struggling. ¡°Then you won¡¯t mind stepping aside and letting me see what¡¯s in it?¡± He pressed, causing the closet to quit struggling against the cabaret manager. Avery gave the wardrobe a wary look. ¡°I¡¯m uh, I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good um, a good idea boss¡­¡± ¡°And I¡¯m sure you¡¯re just exaggerating.¡± He argued, shooing the dream out of the way. ¡°Besides I¡¯ve got this new thing I need to find so I can show it off and then you can- gah!¡± Something tackled him from within the wardrobe sending him flying half way across the dressing room as it creeped and crawled all over his body. ¡°Boss!¡± Avery cried, rushing over and pulling at the thing crawling all over him. ¡°Get off of him you mangy, moth bitten, dish towel!¡± The thing seemed to hiss at the manager before settling down and wrapping itself around him. He blinked, sitting there while wondering (what just happened?) ¡°Oh, Boss, is it hurting you? Are you okay? Do you want me to get some scissors so we can cut it off of you?¡± Avery asked, fretting all over him. Ignoring the panicking cabaret manager for a moment, he glanced down and saw that he was now wearing the Ravenous Tailcoat the GM had gifted him. ¡°Huh, was wondering where this got off to.¡± Avery grimaced. ¡°You uh, you know what that¡­ thing is Boss?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a gift from a friend, though it is a bit more lively than the last time I saw it.¡± He admitted, climbing back onto his feet. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s a gift from your friends I don¡¯t want to know what your enemies get you.¡± Avery muttered, still eyeing the coat warily. ¡°But uh, I do like the gloves though. They match mine!¡± Scene Consequences -Can now upgrade Ravenous Tailcoat and Classic Toon Gloves by feeding them Madness. (Upgrades are based on Madness used.) --- He knew he was cutting it close with his deadline, but at the same time he felt like he could squeeze in just a bit more training to make sure he was ready for whatever he came across before his heist. And so with that in mind, some part of him had had the brilliant idea to try and put all of his enhanced strength into a single limb and see if that helped him at all. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. His smarter part had argued that, (strength is a full bodied thing you can¡¯t just focus all of it into a single limb, because the base amount is the same either way, at best I might pull something by pushing it the wrong way.) His more¡­ cartoonish part however pointed out that, (our power is Madness and you¡¯re a cartoon. Tie a cinder block to that logic¡¯s legs and throw it off a dock, because we can pull off any show we put our mind to.) Figuring there was no harm in trying, -(especially since my healing factor can fix any damage)- he decided to give his idea a try. Which is why he was currently standing in the middle of one of his usual training spots while slowly tensing his various muscles one by one trying to get just a little more control over them. (Alright, I think I¡¯ve got it.) Nodding to himself, he raised both of his hands into a boxer stance before punching the side of a metal dumpster in a series of blows that left a few small dents but no major damage. Frowning he took a step back before focusing on the muscles going into his punches and delivering his strongest punch yet. The groaning of metal could be heard echoing throughout the alley as the dumpster¡¯s metal gave out beneath his immense strength. Sadly he did not hear this because all he heard was the snapping of his arm echoing throughout his head as it gave out beneath his immense strength. ¡°Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!¡± Scene Consequences -New Potential Power Upgrade Discovered. (Requires Perk Point or Lv. 5 Enhanced Strength and special training to unlock.) --Critical Impact (1 Stamina): Cause D6 damage to self, but double Strength value of next Unarmed attack or skill. (Can be upgraded.) -Gained 1XP to Toon Enhanced Strength. --Skill Level Up: Toon Enhanced Strength Lv. 2 (0/6). --- Collapsing on his bed he couldn¡¯t help but run groan into his hands in a mix of frustration and anxiety. Since he was doing some last minute prep before his heist he¡¯d decided that it¡¯d be a good idea to try and find some places to hide after said heist, whether that be to stash his stolen goods or to give him a moment to switch from Toon to Reality. Admittedly this meant he¡¯d spent the last few hours retracing his steps from the day prior as he tried to spot anything new along his handful of escape routes, but having gone over the routes pretty thoroughly the day before most of what he¡¯d found were ideas rather than actually good hiding spots. The first of said ideas was a follow up to his sewer escape plan, with him taking advantage of the city¡¯s maze-like pipeworks to hide from any gangsters desperate enough to follow him into the abyss. The obvious problem with this plan was (I really don¡¯t want to spend who knows how long in the sewers.) He doubted anyone did. His second idea was less a single point of interest and more the idea of hiding out on one of the rooftop patios for the various apartment buildings between the gang house and the Saint¡¯s Crossing. On the surface this was pretty much a matter of hiding in plain sight, with his transformation offering him anonymity and the patios offering him a reason to be there that wouldn¡¯t immediately make him stand out. The problem with this idea though was that it didn¡¯t give him much to work with as far as stashing the goods once he got them. Not to say he couldn¡¯t hide them on the rooftops for a couple of hours if he had to, just that there was a fair chance of them being found by the apartment dwellers unless he broke the door to said patio, which might just draw attention to it instead if he was unlucky. (And when have I ever been lucky? I mean really, my big break has me stuck as a lab rat for some shady organization that I can¡¯t even name.) Running from there, his best and final idea was to find an abandoned building somewhere and hope that there weren¡¯t any homeless trying to turn it into shelter for the night. If this worked out then there were decent odds that he could lose anyone following him pretty quickly, as well as possibly getting a hide out for any future capers he might run. Of course there were two reasons why he was reluctant to follow through with this plan of action, the foremost being that most of the abandoned buildings he could think to look for were on the other side of the crossing in comparison to the gang house. Meaning that if he wanted to hide and stash everything he¡¯d probably have to travel twice as far while carrying his ill gotten gains. Something he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to risk. The second reason why he didn¡¯t want to try finding a hideout just yet was because he knew that the Malice Doctor and associates were going to be watching him through his heist, meaning if he found someplace to hide out and used it then they would know about it too. (Which would defeat the point of having a hideout.) Running his hands down his face as he looked up to stare at the spinning ceiling fan above him. (It might just be best to go with my default option of hiding out here at the crossing, after all the Malice Doctor already knows where I live, and the Crossing should have enough of a reputation as a cop bar to keep people from looking too closely at it.) (I don¡¯t really like bringing any heat on the crossing, but at the same time it should be far enough from the gang house for me to ditch anyone following me. And since Chris usually respects my privacy I don¡¯t really have to worry about him or Mads finding anything I stash there as long as it isn¡¯t too obvious.) A chiming from his pocket broke him out of his musings and despite knowing what it was, he still pulled his phone out of his pocket to stare at the final alarm telling him to get ready for his big heist. Sitting up he couldn¡¯t help but sigh to himself. ¡°Guess this means no more stalling, huh?¡± Scene Consequences -Due to synergy gained 2XP to Street Smarts and Slyness. --Currently: Slyness Lv. 2 (3/6) --Skill Ranked Up: Street Smarts Lv. 4 (0/8) For ranking up a skill please Select a New Perk/Upgrade. []- Street Kid (I)- Slightly increases all Rep gains with people featuring a [Street] background and/or profession. [X]- Mental Conditioning (I)- Increase Max Focus and Mental Health by a small amount. First Heist (Prologue) First Heist (Prologue) --- Joshua --- Having pushed his deadline as far as he could, he found himself unable to waste any time making his way to the gang house he¡¯d marked as his target. Especially after getting an ominous text saying, ¡®Watching the house and you.¡¯ Which he figured meant that the Doctor and his people -or at least whoever they had working as his safety net- were getting impatient. All of this compounded with a bad case of nerves from his first real Mask outing found him pacing back and forth on a rooftop capable of spying on the gang house a few blocks away. ¡°Okay, I can do this. I can totally handle one little gang house.¡± He told himself. (You absolutely can, which is why there¡¯s no need to panic.) Himself told him back. ¡°What? No!¡± He chuckled nervously. ¡°I¡¯m not panicking. I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m just suffering from a bad case of first show jitters.¡± (Right¡­ Does lying to yourself help with that?) ¡°A little bit.¡± (Then continue.) Inhaling and then letting out a deep breath he shook out his hands and feet. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got this. This is no different than what Chris used to do when he was a Mask.¡± (If for less altruistic reasons.) ¡°Shut it you.¡± He glared at the space around him. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! (...) He gave himself a nod of satisfaction before¡­ deciding to stall just a moment longer by pulling out his phone and using his scoping app to give the house another once over. ¡°What? A little bit of extra recon never hurts.¡± (...) ¡°I can feel you judging me!¡± (You mean you can feel you judging yourself?) ¡°I told you to shut up!¡± He snapped at himself, before frowning as he messed with his phone. ¡°Huh, what are they doing?¡± From what he could see, the various gang members seemed to be coming and going from the house and to the cars they were leaving open, almost as if they were, ¡°Ah, shit, they¡¯re packing up to move safehouses.¡± Meaning that a number of the goods that had been stashed at the safe house had likely already been transported to a second unknown location, where there was no telling what kind of defenses he¡¯d be up against. ¡°Fu-u-uck, this is bad.¡± (Maybe not entirely.) He blinked, before considering it. ¡°If they¡¯re moving their goods to another location, odds are they¡¯re also leaving some of their guys there to watch the stuff. And that¡¯s not including whichever guys they have transporting the stuff in the first place. Meaning if I¡¯m lucky, the more trips they make the fewer of them I¡¯ll have to fight my way through should things go sideways.¡± (But¡­) Some part of him prodded him to continue. ¡°But if I wait too long, then there won¡¯t be any goods worth stealing, which could turn this entire night into a bust.¡± He realized with a grimace. ¡°Which the Doctor probably isn¡¯t going to appreciate.¡± Running a hand down his face, he shook his head before giving the house another once over on his phone. ¡°Okay, in that case, I¡¯m just going to have to figure out how I¡¯m going to do this quick. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard, I mean I was mostly going to make this up as I go anyway.¡± (Heh, plan can¡¯t go wrong if there¡¯s no plan in the first place.) He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that terrible bit of advice. (Then again, it¡¯s not necessarily wrong as long as I know what I want to get done.) ¡°Either way though,¡± He spun in place, turning into a whirl of black ink, before reappearing dressed in his cabaret best. ¡°It¡¯s showtime.¡± First Heist, To Ride In Audacity First Heist, To Ride In Audacity --- Joshua --- Walking up to the gang house with his money bag over his shoulder, he couldn¡¯t help but hum an increasingly familiar tune to himself as he found an odd beat to his steps. One both foriegn in a way he couldn¡¯t quite place and yet familiar in a way he couldn¡¯t bring himself to resist. He waved at one of the gangsters loading a car full of the houses goods. ¡°Good night for crime, don¡¯t cha¡¯ think?¡± Ignoring the man¡¯s dumbfounded stare he walked through the house¡¯s front door before making his way to the living room, one of his hands idly swiping anything that caught his interest, a slight application of his enhanced strength breaking any resistance the objects gave their new owner. Stepping into the living room, he nodded towards a trio of Dealers sitting on a couch in front of a small table covered in drugs, money, and other paraphernalia. ¡°Oh, hello there.¡± He greeted as he calmly walked past them and up to a TV in the middle of the room. ¡°This is a nice TV.¡± Which was the obvious reason as to why he reached around and unplugged it before picking it up and stuffing it into his bag. ¡°W-wha, who the fuck are you?!¡± One of the gangsters yelled as he and his friends got off the couch. ¡°Who the fuck am I?¡± He asked indiginantly as he pressed a hand to his chest. ¡°Why I¡¯m Robin D. House, surprised you didn¡¯t realize that.¡± ¡°Robin D. House?¡± A different Dealer repeated. Crouching down and sweeping the table¡¯s contents into his bag he nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°The fuck you are!¡± The leader of the trio shouted pointing a gun at him. ¡°Of course I am.¡± He scoffed, easily grabbing the gun by its barrel and pulling it out of the gangster¡¯s hand before throwing it in the bag. ¡°Wha, da, gah?!¡± The gangster¡¯s face twitched, going through a number of increasingly enraged expressions as his two compatriots watched on in confusion, at least until said gangster shouted. Seeing that this conversation was going nowhere, he turned on his heel and made his way to what he guessed was the kitchen based on the tile flooring connecting to the living room¡¯s carpet. (Wonder if I can steal their kitchen sink?) Inside the kitchen he found a very large Traveler of some sort wearing an oversized hoodie sitting at the table (with two chairs) reaching for a slice of pizza from a box on the table, or rather the last slice of pizza in the box. A slice of pizza that he managed to swipe before the Traveler could grab it. The Traveler blinked before turning to him with a single raised brow made of a yellowish-brown leather like material for their skin. He met the eyes of the traveler that could fit his entire skull in their hand, and proceeded to take a bite out of the pizza. ¡°You have balls.¡± The Traveler told him almost approvingly before they slowly stood to their full height, their hand lightly banging against the ceiling. ¡°Too bad I¡¯m going to have to rip them off of you.¡± ¡°Yeah, dat dosh shuck.¡± He agreed, stuffing as much of the pizza as he could in his mouth before raising a single finger into the air as he somehow swallowed it all down in one go. ¡°But you¡¯re forgetting one very important factor in said testicular removal.¡± The Traveler crossed their arms. ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°I can still run away like a little bitch.¡± ¡°You could do that.¡± The Traveler nodded with some amusement. They both stood there in silence for a moment before- ¡°Run away!¡± -he ran away like a little bitch. ¡°Wait!¡± He stopped on his heel and turned back to the Traveler before picking up the empty box on the table and grabbing the still full pizza box beneath it. Once his fresh loot was safely stashed in his bag he looked at the Traveler and coughed into his hand. ¡°Now, then¡­ Run away!¡± Reaching the exit to the kitchen he ended up shoving past one of the gangsters from the living room, before grabbing them by their shoulder and spinning them back towards the kitchen at which point he kicked them in the ass as he screamed, ¡°Protect me meat shield!¡± The other two gangsters from the living room he just backhanded with an oversized Toon Hand before rushing past them and towards the door he¡¯d closed behind him, because he was courteous like that. Which is why he used his enhanced strength to kick off the ground and dropkick the door off of its hinges, because he didn¡¯t want to stop and open it. (Well that and I thought it¡¯d be cool.) (Only if you stick the landing.) Which he did not given how the door ended up impacting the Dealer that had been loading the car outside, causing both to crash to the ground and thus ruining his epic escape. (Because people are stupid like that.) (You sure it¡¯s people?) Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Not now self-confidence issues!¡± He cried, slapping his cheeks as he stood up and stepped off of the door that was on top of the downed gangster. ¡°Now, escape plan.¡± He told himself before spotting a nearby car. More specifically a car that seemed to be loaded down with the goods the Dealers were moving. Even more specifically a car that was still running with the keys in the ignition. He inhaled through his teeth as he grimaced at the sight, before crouching next to the groaning Dealer on the ground. ¡°You left your car running? At night? In this neighborhood? That¡¯s just asking for your car to be stolen, and I will happily oblige you.¡± He assured the gangster with a pat on their cheek before rushing to the car. Sliding into the driver¡¯s seat and putting his hands on the wheel a thought that probably should¡¯ve occurred to him a few minutes prior popped into his head. ¡°I have no idea how to drive a car.¡± (Meh, can¡¯t be that hard. I mean how much have they really changed in sixty, seventy years? They¡¯ve got to be pretty much idiot proof at this point.) ¡°Yeah, I can just wing this. Worse comes to, I¡¯ve got a healing factor.¡± He nodded, trying to steel his nerves. At least until he spotted the Traveler stepping out of the house and promptly floored it because he¡¯d chosen this house specifically to avoid a fight with another Deviant. This of course proved to be a very poor decision when he hit the stop sign at the end of the road, jogging his memory about the fact that not only had he never driven, but that he was pretty sure Chris couldn¡¯t drive either. Meaning the only person he knew who could drive was Maddie who he was fairly certain wasn¡¯t legally allowed to drive. (Not that that stops her.) ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed, instinctively taking his foot off of the gas as he felt the stop sign and curb bumping beneath the car, causing the entire vehicle to jump about. ¡°Right, so uh, turning¡­ Need to be more careful about that.¡± A quick glance in one of his mirrors let him see that the Traveler was climbing into the back of the truck while the Dealers got into the actual vehicle itself. A sight he was sure he would find comical if not for both the fact that said truck after him and that the mirror clearly said ¡®objects in mirror are closer than they appear¡¯ (Meaning I should really get the fuck out of here.) Powering through he pressed down on the gas pedal and drove across someone¡¯s lawn as he tried to force the car back onto the road. (He would¡¯ve backed up if he could but he had no idea how to actually do that.) Once on the road he started pressing down on the gas as he drove down the center of the street trying to avoid the various cars parked near the curb. ¡°Okay, okay, I think I¡¯m starting to get the hang of this.¡± He told himself as he barely clipped a mailbox on one of his turns, instead of actually decimating it. (See just like riding a bike.) A bullet shot through the back window, filling the windshield with a spider web of cracks as it shot through. ¡°Shit, fuck!¡± He cursed, turning just enough to see the Dealer¡¯s truck gaining on him with the Traveler standing in the truck bed with their hands on the truck¡¯s roof and a gangster half hanging out of the windows with a gun aimed at him. ¡°Okay, uh, car chases¡­ How do I win those in video games?¡± He asked himself drawing upon his only source of experience in this kind of situation. (Meh, cartoons are better.) ¡°Um, hard left!¡± He shouted spinning the wheel for all it was worth, which apparently wasn¡¯t much given how he ended up half driving on the sidewalk while the Dealers made their turn far more smoothly. ¡°Fuck, uh, floor it on straights!¡± He called, slamming his foot down on the pedal and hoping no one else turned onto this street as his car slowly sped up. It was while moving at this extremely illegal and dangerous speed that his toonification wore off of his bag spewing everything he¡¯d stolen into the backseat. ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± He panicked, the sudden explosion of goods causing him to swerve the car in panic. Hitting a mailbox and then the curb as he swung back onto the street, he was forced to take his foot off the pedal to try and retake control of the car. A series of actions that gave the Dealers just enough time and space to catch up to him, their truck driving next to his car long enough for the traveler to slam their massive fist into the top of his vehicle, denting the roof and causing him to lose even more control of the vehicle. ¡°Fuck, this isn¡¯t mario kart you assholes!¡± He screamed at the dealers, before noticing a gun aimed at his face. (Oh, shit!) On instinct he threw his hand out, a glob of ink having quickly formed before flying at the gunman¡¯s face. ¡°My eyes!¡± The dealer screamed, dropping his gun to claw at his ink caked eyes. (Still got it!) Saidly, this little victory was not something he could celebrate as the traveler slammed another fist onto the car roof, denting it hard enough to shatter the back window and warp the back door frame. ¡°Gah, damn it!¡± He cursed, swerving his car to the side before- ¡°Back off already!¡± - ramming it back into the side of their car, something that surprisingly did not cause him to lose control of the car even as the truck was forced to hit the curb of a street corner and scrape its side along a lamppost. Seeing that he¡¯d bought himself a bit of breathing room, he tried an idea that popped into his head and began pushing his ink into the car steering wheel, hoping to toonify the car for whatever edge that would bring him. ¡°Come on¡­¡± He told his power, feeling his ink seeping into the vehicle though nowhere near the rate necessary to toonify such a large object. ¡°Come on¡­¡± He repeated, pushing his ink production as hard as he could, fully aware of the fact that the Dealers were once more beginning to catch up to him. ¡°Come on!¡± He yelled his hands gripping the steering wheel hard enough to crack it, sending a small slurry of ink flying out of it as the Dealers began to once more pull up beside him. ¡°Fuck!¡± He spat, as some part of him realized this was a dead end just before his foot twitched pressing down on the brake instead of the gas, bringing his car to a near stop while the Dealers shot forward at their high speed. He blinked, watching the Dealers as they flew half a mile down the road, before realizing that (really should get moving before they turn around!) Taking a quick turn down a road and breaking line of sight with the Dealers he had a moment of sly inspiration as he spotted a small shopping center, or rather the alleyway behind the shopping center, before pulling in and getting out of the car. Moving quickly, he ran to a nearby dumpster and using his enhanced strength dragged it so that even if someone were to look down the alleyway they wouldn¡¯t spot the car or his goods within. Once he was sure the car couldn¡¯t be seen he climbed back into the driver¡¯s seat and let the adrenaline crash hit him, as he leaned back to wait for the heat to die down and the dealers to give up their chase. (Meh, not bad for a first drive. Should probably still look into a getaway driver though.) He couldn¡¯t help but cackle at that. First Heist, First Fencing (End of Season 1) First Heist, First Fencing --- Joshua --- Pulling open the door to the warehouse the Malice Doctor and co worked out of, he was only mildly surprised to find said doctor waiting for him with a van and his usual bodyguard waiting nearby. ¡°Was wondering how long you were going to sit in that alley for.¡± The doctor told him, setting a tablet down on the table. (Well, that answers whether or not he had someone watching me.) He¡¯d assumed, given how he was supposed to have a safety net, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he actually trusted the shady organization to bail him out in such a case. ¡°Needed to wait for the Dealers to quit searching for me.¡± He pointed out as the bodyguard started towards him. ¡°Good thing you did since they ended up in a secondary fight with a handful of the guild as they were making their way back from an¡­ Arcane event.¡± The doctor informed him. ¡°It would have been a difficult fight for you if you hadn¡¯t gone to ground.¡± ¡°Everyone says you can run but you can¡¯t hide, funnily enough they never bother actually looking.¡± He shrugged, before glancing behind him as the guard walked past him and climbed into the driver¡¯s seat of the car. ¡°Quite¡­¡± The Malice Doctor nodded before gesturing for him to take his usual seat. ¡°Shall we begin a review of this evening¡¯s activities?¡± ¡°I guess, though I¡¯m not really sure what you were looking for beyond how much loot I could grab.¡± He admitted, taking a seat across from the doctor and hoping for a little more information. ¡°Truthfully, we were more interested in how you would carry out this task than the actual amount of money you would generate from it.¡± The doctor confessed, before seeming to scoff. ¡°And based on what we¡¯ve seen, you possess little in the way of practical stealth despite Zylah¡¯s attempts to beat it into you, your overall power growth is notably slow compared to other subjects, and you possess a level of recklessness and poor planning that honestly astonishes me with the fact that you¡¯ve made it to near adulthood without getting yourself killed.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that scathing critique, especially since given how from an outside perspective he could see how all of that appeared true. (Maybe saying ¡®fuck it¡¯ wasn¡¯t the best approach to passing a practical test¡­) ¡°But on a more useful note, you have demonstrated at least minor information gathering skills and a level of adaptability that, luckily for you, counteracts your recklessness.¡± The doctor continued in a much more considering tone. ¡°So, uh, what does all of that mean?¡± He asked just a little warily. ¡°I mean am I hired or am I just a guinea pig?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re both.¡± The doctor told him bluntly. ¡°What?¡± The malice doctor rolled his eyes. ¡°You were always going to be both. Do you really believe we were going to give you powers without making some kind of use for you?¡± ¡°Uh, I thought you just needed a test subject for mixing madness and, uh, malice?¡± He reminded the doctor, before remembering to (keep your mouth shut before he decides to dissect us on a lab table!) ¡°Yes, and throwing you out into the world will give us more data than keeping you locked in a cage.¡± The Malice Doctor explained. ¡°After all, we''ve already done all of those tests.¡± (And I¡¯m suddenly terrified.) (Just don¡¯t go running your mouth and we¡¯ll get through this in one piece.) ¡°Which is why you shall be working as a distraction when needed.¡± The doctor continued, unaware (or uncaring) about his sudden dread. ¡°More specifically you¡¯ll be working as Zylah¡¯s distraction when she needs it.¡± ¡°As long as it means I don¡¯t have to babysit him, I can make do.¡± He glanced to the side where the shadow dancer had suddenly appeared. ¡°Um, what exactly is my, uh, job going to be¡­ exactly?¡± ¡°Whenever we send Zylah to complete a task, we shall also send you to complete your own more public task.¡± Their boss(?) elaborated. ¡°Neither of you will know what the other¡¯s task is, just that you¡¯re working at the same time.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m¡­ her distraction¡­¡± He summarized dully. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Yes, that is what I said.¡± He bit back his response about how distraction was such a low tier crimin- (Actually, we can make this work.) He blinked, as his mind continued to work for him. (As a distraction we¡¯ll be expected to put on big loud shows, with their backing, while any other position would have us hide in the shadows.) His mind figured. (Meaning that while it might not be the most glamorous title, for us it is the best position to become a star of the streets.) (That¡­ Actually,) ¡°I can work with that.¡± ¡°Good.¡± The malice doctor nodded. ¡°Of course neither of you are restricted to solely the jobs we give you. You¡¯re both free to pursue your own interests at your own discretion, just so long as you don¡¯t miss our jobs for you. In fact, should you desire, we may even be persuaded to assist you either with your jobs themselves or with escaping the authorities¡­ for a fee, of course.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He nearly scoffed, before glancing at Zylah, who based on her bored look had already gotten this speech. ¡°Speaking of fees, we shall be taking the majority of your profits for this evening.¡± The criminal doctor told him. ¡°Kind of expected that.¡± He admitted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll only be taking a reimbursement for the Malice vials we¡¯ve thus far given you. A cut we will be taking from your future heists as well in exchange for continuing your weekly five vials.¡± The doctor explained. ¡°Wait.¡± He frowned. ¡°I thought you wanted me to have the malice for the sake of your experiments.¡± ¡°Oh, we do, but¡­¡± The Malice doctor leaned forward. ¡°Are you really willing to give up your powers so soon?¡± His bitter lack of an answer was answer enough. ¡°Remember, your madness wasn¡¯t the only reason we picked you, Durand.¡± The doctor warned him. ¡°And continuing on that topic, I¡¯ll also inform you of the fact that going forward should you desire more Malice than your weekly dosage¡­ my employers are willing to provide you with additional vials during our meetings¡­ for a fee of course.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He actually scoffed this time. ¡°Now, on the note of money, what do you wish to do with the car?¡± The doctor asked, as the bodyguard pulled the car up next to them. ¡°The car? You¡¯re not just taking it?¡± ¡°We could.¡± The doctor nodded. ¡°But a vehicle can be a powerful tool. I figured you may wish to keep it for future jobs. Of course we could always buy it for¡­ a reasonable amount given its-¡± The car¡¯s fender fell off. ¡°-less than stellar condition.¡± (He¡¯s right that having a car could be useful in the long run, but at the same time if I can buy more malice, the cash might be more useful now¡­ And of course there¡¯s the fact that I¡¯d only be able to use the car as a Mask since I can¡¯t let Chris or Maddie see it.) He realized with a grimace. ¡°Well?¡± The Malice Doctor prodded. ¡°I¡¯ll sell it." ¡°Then I suppose that concludes this week''s business.¡± The Malice Doctor told him standing from the table. ¡°Since you¡¯ve completed your first job, and due to events in the background you¡¯ll both have the rest of this month to yourselves. Though I do expect to see you both here on the first.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Zylah nodded, before he could say anything. ¡°Good.¡± The doctor nodded once more before turning towards the van his guard had been loading full of stolen goods. Running a hand down his face he made to stand himself before a hand on his shoulder forced him to sit back down. ¡°Just because the boss is done with us, doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t have business.¡± Zylah told him as she sat down across from him. ¡°And what business is that?¡± He frowned. ¡°Well for one I saw your¡­ we¡¯ll call it ¡®heist¡¯, and while there are a number of things I could say about that mess, there is only one thing that actually matters to me.¡± The shadow dancer began, raising a single finger into the air as she crossed her legs. ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°You need more training.¡± She answered. ¡°And you¡¯re going to give it to me?¡± He asked more than a little incredulously. ¡°For a fee.¡± Zylah shrugged. ¡°Of fucking course.¡± He groaned, rubbing at his eyes.. ¡°We both know you¡¯re going to get your ass handed to you out there, especially given how¡­ lacking that show was tonight.¡± The shadow dancer continued. ¡°I¡¯m offering to help you actually stand on your own two feet, without recklessly throwing yourself into the fire.¡± ¡°For a fee.¡± He repeated, both of them knowing that this was not out of the kindness of her heart. ¡°We¡¯ve all got bills to pay, and training you is safer than pulling more jobs where the heroes or Sanctuary can come after me.¡± Zylah explained, before texting something on her phone. ¡°Hence why I¡¯m giving you my number should you decide to take me up on this offer.¡± Part of him wanted to tell her to shove it, but the more mature part reminded him that (if we want to be a star we need the skills to pull it off, and if she¡¯s offering¡­) Inhaling and exhaling, and pulled out his phone and saved the number she¡¯d texted him from. ¡°If I¡¯ve got the money to spare, I¡¯ll consider it.¡± ¡°Good enough.¡± Zylah nodded, before standing up. He took another look around the warehouse to see if anyone else was going to stop him and- (Yep, here comes the bodyguard.) ¡°Your pay.¡± The guard told him, handing over a manilla envelope and a container of vials. Accepting both, he slipped the vials into his pocket before looking inside the envelope and finding a number of bills sitting inside. (A few hundred, not a lot in the grand scheme, but definitely more than I¡¯ve ever made in a single day.) Nodding to the guard, (who is already walking away¡­) He sighed before shaking his head and making his way toward the warehouse exit, knowing that just because the Malice Doctor was giving him time off, that didn¡¯t mean that he could just sit around, after all, (This is just the first season of the show.) Act 21-Frights, Friends, and Unintended Consequences Act 21-Frights, Friends, and Unintended Consequences --- Joshua --- Having crashed as soon as he¡¯d gotten home, he found himself in an odd sort of mood when he woke up the next day. On the one hand he¡¯d successfully completed his goal for the night, earning eight hundred dollars in a single go after selling the car, and leaving him with almost a thousand dollars saved up. Far more money than he¡¯d ever owned himself, and all without having been caught by either the police or the Dealers. On the other however he¡¯d also taken a step further into working for whatever shady organization was supplying him with Malice. Something he just knew would bite him in the ass one day. (Not that there¡¯s really anything I can do about that at the moment¡­) Figuring this moral quandary was not something he¡¯d be getting an answer to just yet, he instead forced himself out of his bed and into his living room where he found his brother frowning at a news report half way through cooking breakfast. ¡°Everything alright?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°It¡¯s not something you need to worry about.¡± His brother sighed, turning the TV off before he could get a good look at it. ¡°You sure, because you seem pretty worried about it.¡± Chris thinned his lips before shaking his head. ¡°Just more trouble in the city is all. Apparently, the gangs decided to go on something of a rampage last night, tearing up several streets.¡± (Oh¡­) ¡°Huh, they know who it was?¡± He asked, despite knowing the answer already. ¡°No, just that there was a high speed chase, a lot of gunfire, and even more property damage.¡± His brother answered with a shrug. ¡°Well, at least no one was hurt, right?¡± (As long as no one was hurt there¡¯s nothing anyone can really complain about, since all of that¡¯s just par for the course in this city.) Chris grimaced. ¡°There was someone hit by one of the stray bullets but they¡¯re going to live so that¡¯s¡­ whatever that is¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He swallowed, wondering just ¡°who was caught in the crossfire?¡± Chris blinked before giving him another shrug. ¡°Uh, don¡¯t really know, just some guy out for a walk too late in the night.¡± ¡°Yeah, uh, you really shouldn¡¯t be out late in this kind of city¡­¡± He agreed, just a little numbly. ¡°No you shouldn¡¯t.¡± His brother nodded before going back to making breakfast. --- Running a hand through his hair, and deciding he needed something to distract himself he remembered a number he¡¯d gotten a few days prior and pulled his phone out before dialing it. ¡°Yo, who dis?¡± A feminine voice answered after a few rings. ¡°Uh, my name¡¯s uh, actually I¡¯m looking for the GM?¡± He answered with a grimace as he realized he probably shouldn¡¯t give his name until he knew exactly who he was dealing with. ¡°And you¡¯ve got her.¡± The GM acknowledged in a patronizing tone. ¡°Oh, uh, this is Josh.¡± ¡°Josh who?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown at that. (Could¡¯ve sworn I told her my name¡­) ¡°Uh, the, um, Wonderlander from the other day.¡± ¡°Oh, the Cartoon Kid!¡± The GM laughed. ¡°Um, I¡¯m not a kid¡­¡± He felt -no- needed to point out. ¡°Or at the very least you don¡¯t sound that much older than me anyway.¡± ¡°Yeah, no, I was taking a shot at what kind of title you¡¯re going to get when you make it big.¡± The GM explained. ¡°And given how you¡¯ve got cartoon powers and some ¡®bad guy¡¯ energy going, I figure ¡®The Cartoon Kid¡¯ was a good working title for you.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He paused, before legitimately considering it. ¡°The Cartoon Kid¡­ Meh, I¡¯m not really feeling it. Makes me sound like a villain from an old western.¡± ¡°Point¡­¡± His fellow Wonderlander conceded. ¡°Still, Titles are important if you¡¯re going to be in the Mask game so you¡¯re going to need something that really gives off a ¡®Boss Battle¡¯ vibe, you know what I mean?¡± ¡°Yeah, it needs to be something that stands as a Memorable Monster Moniker.¡± He agreed wholeheartedly, the idea of a (stage name) igniting something within him. ¡°Something that when heard offers an immediate Vision of a Villainous Visage!¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Ah, but it¡¯s not just the title that makes a boss memorable.¡± The GM reminded him, getting into it almost as much as he was. ¡°It¡¯s their name, their fighting style, their story, music and everything coming together in a fight for the ages!¡± ¡°Ooh, yeah, I definitely need my own theme music!¡± Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to the GM. -Josh has established a line of communication with his fellow Wonderlander, The GM of the Gamers¡¯ Guild. --In addition to standard socials, you can now write in questions to ask the GM about the local Mask scene and being a Wonderlander/Madness User in general. (Note: She will not offer any information that might harm the Gamers¡¯ Guild.) --- ¡°Okay, and you¡¯re sure this is how we funnel a unit of Madness into Doodle?¡± He double checked as Avery flitted about behind the bar. ¡°Well, um, there are a couple of other ways, but, uh, given what we¡¯re working with¡­¡± The Cabaret manager shrugged, before setting a mug full of an ominously bubbling purple liquid on the counter. (Maybe feeding him a Frightening Madness first isn¡¯t the best idea¡­) ¡°Alright, but uh, how is he supposed to drink it?¡± He felt the need to ask as gesturing between the glass on the counter and the doodle on the wall. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Avery frowned for a minute before snapping his fingers. ¡°You got a pen?¡± He blinked, before checking his pockets and pulling out an already toonified pen. ¡°Thanks.¡± The cabaret manager nodded accepting the pen as he tried to figure out, (Why the fuck did I have a random pen in my pocket?) Avery proceeded to take the pen and draw another mug on the wall, at which point he picked up the bubbling liquid and proceeded to pour it into the cup on the wall. (Da fuq?) ¡°And there you go.¡± Avery nodded with a smile. ¡°Bottoms up!¡± Doodle saluted the cabaret manager before grabbing the mug by its handle and downing it in a single go. The 2D dream licked his lips and sat there for a moment. Then his eye twitched. His whole head twitched next. Then his entire body began to spasm as his face twisted and he began to spin in place, before finally seizing and collapsing onto his back. He and Avery were both quiet for a moment. That moment steadily grew longer. He swallowed. ¡°Uh, did we just kill Doo-¡± The doodle on the wall exploded in size becoming ten times larger with a fierce visage upon his face. ¡°Sweet mother of fuck!¡± He cursed falling out of his chair as Avery screeched before leaping to the other side of the cabaret. Picking himself off the ground he stared at Doodle sitting on the wall and looking no bigger than before as he stared back with an innocent expression and a halo over his head. He swallowed again before a smile slowly worked its way onto his face. ¡°Can you do that again?¡± Doodle¡¯s expression became noticeably less innocent as he grew a set of devil horns and popped his halo. Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Ink Doodles. --Currently: Lv. 1 (2/4). -New Doodle Power: Jump Scare (Cost 1 Ink)- Doodle performs a Jump Scare on an unaware enemy, inflicting [Intimidated] on them. -New Skill: Scare Tactics- Determines the user¡¯s ability to inflict Fear based debuffs through either their immediate actions or preset environment. --- ¡°This is getting ridiculous¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but groan to himself as he felt his instincts screaming at him to (run for fucking life already!) as he walked past Jon Whitaker once more. At first it had just been odd, but after the dozenth or so time of walking past him or seeing him with his mom at the crossing, it went from odd to (annoying as fuck.) What¡¯s more he still couldn¡¯t tell why his instincts were screaming at him like this given how Jon was literally the nicest guy he knew. (Annoyingly so even! I mean he taught the guy who pulled a knife on him how to actually use a knife!) He paused to consider that. (Alright, maybe he¡¯s a little dangerous, but still a nice guy.) Shaking his head at that thought, he decided to take a detour from his actual route and instead follow the other teen for a bit, in the hopes of either desensitizing himself to whatever was going on here or finding out why his instincts were screaming at him. (Bad idea. Bad idea! Bad fucking idea!) Well, he¡¯d been ignoring the little voice in his head telling him that he¡¯d had a bad idea for weeks, so he saw no reason to start listening to it now. Figuring that following from the rooftops would be a safer bet at avoiding detection he turned down an alley before climbing up a nearby fire escape and making his way to the roof. Where he then proceeded to Toonify himself and catch up to Jon by leaping across the rooftops using his enhanced acrobatics and parkour skills. After a few minutes of this he noticed the other teen pause in front of an alleyway before seemingly sighing and turning down it. Curious as to what was going on -and pointedly ignoring the voice begging him to (Please just drop this!)- he leapt to another rooftop to get a better view before peering into the alley below, where he found Jon slamming a man¡¯s skull against the brick wall. (Wait what?) Another man rushed Jon with a punch that the other teen easily side stepped before (stomping the man¡¯s fucking kneecap in) and earning a scream that was swiftly muted by a backhand. Jon tilted his head before turning to a third man and slowly making his way towards him. The man pulled a gun out and aimed it at Jon only to have the teen blur forward, rip the gun from his grip, and then proceed to beat the man with it as his victim slowly sunk to the ground. Dropping the gun, Jon rolled his shoulders before cracking his neck at which point the teen tilted his head back and looked him dead in the eye. Which is when he decided that it was much better for his health if he was anywhere else but here as he promptly turned around and ran from quite possibly the scariest teen he¡¯d ever seen. (Including the one that had caved his skull in.) All the while making a mental note to trust his instincts whenever they warned him about something dangerous. Well that and to stay the fuck away from Jon Whitaker of course. Scene Consequences -Power Revealed: Dangerous Detection Lv. 1 (0/4)- Allows the early detection of threats in the immediate vicinity, the higher an enemy¡¯s threat level the lower the skill check for this ability to trigger. Act 22: Dreams, Doodles, and Respect Act 22: Dreams, Doodles, and Respect --- Joshua --- (¡°You know that¡¯s actually really good advice.¡±) A voice told him. (¡°Or the spirit of the statement is good advice.¡±) ¡°W-what?¡± He blinked, before looking around the empty space. ¡°Where am I?¡± (¡°Don¡¯t you remember? Between mind and matter. Dream and reality.¡±) A man in a black suit told him, before seemingly pausing. (¡°Ah, right, forgot you forgot.¡±) ¡°Forgot I forgot, what?¡± He frowned in confusion. (¡°The thing you¡¯re forgetting. I forgot that I made you forget it.¡±) The man in the mask explained. (¡°I mean, technically I didn¡¯t forget. Can¡¯t actually do that. But I fake it, lock it up in a part of my mind I¡¯m not focusing on so the me dealing with things doesn¡¯t know, despite the rest of me knowing still. Makes things more interesting.¡±) ¡°I- What?¡± He asked, his confusion worsening. (¡°Oh, the remembering bit. Sometimes another part of me will realize something would go so much smoother if I remember something that I thought was more fun not to remember.¡±) The man in the mask continued to unhelpfully elaborate. The man in the mask tilted his head as he stared at Josh for a moment. (¡°You know this¡¯ll be so much easier if I just¡­¡± The man in the mask reached across the table and tapped between Josh¡¯s eyes. (¡°Boop.¡±) ¡°Motherfucker!¡± He screamed as his mind felt like it was put through a blender before being unblended in the exact same second. ¡°Fucking hell!¡± (¡°You know, Jon takes these things much more civilly than you.¡±) The man in the mask said. (¡°I mean, it¡¯s fun that you¡¯re not the exact same as him, but still¡­ Calling me that? I don¡¯t even have a mother! Though technically¡­¡±) ¡°What?!¡± He spat, not understanding what the entity before him was going on through the pain in his head. (¡°Hmm, right.¡±) The man in the mask coughed into his hand. (¡°Going off on a tangent. Sorry about that.¡±) ¡°Can we¡­ Can we get to the point of this?¡± He begged, feeling the entity before him eating away at his sanity. (¡°Ah, sorry, sometimes I don¡¯t realize I¡¯m doing that.¡±) The man in the mask apologized, waving away some of the black smoke surrounding them. (¡°Comes with being a personification of Madness.¡±) He did not like the sound of that. (Probably best to just ignore that.) (¡°Probably.¡±) The man in the mask agreed. (¡°Still you wanted to get down to business, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for so let¡¯s get to it.¡±) ¡°Fan-fucking-tastic.¡± He sighed. ¡°So why am I here?¡± (¡°Well, as you now remember I promised to be a silent producer for your little performance so long as you prove to be entertaining.¡±) The entity reminded him in a less painful manner than before. (¡°Don¡¯t be a baby. Anyway since you¡¯ve completed your first show I figured we could have a little chat.¡±) He swallowed remembering that the entity before him had threatened him should he bore it. (¡°Technically, I implied a threat without actually giving one.¡±) The man in the mask argued. (¡°And you have nothing to be worried about. I mean stealing a car from that gang, after Robin D. House. Your first show was a hit kid!¡±) ¡°Oh¡­¡± He felt a weight slide off his shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± (¡°Oh, it is!¡±) The man in the mask agreed standing from the table. (¡°In fact you did so well that I decided that as your producer I should provide you with a bit of metaphorical funding. Not a lot mind you, but enough to establish the benefits of doing your job well.¡±) ¡°Funding, you mean like Madness?¡± He blinked as the entity walked around the table. (¡°Meh, not quite. Giving you Madness would make things a little too easy, especially given how easily you can earn it from your shows now.¡±) The man in the mask explained placing a hand on his shoulder. (¡°I have something a bit¡­ harder to come by in mind for funding.¡±) ¡°Like what?¡± He asked curiously as the entity raised a gloved hand in front of his face. (¡°Oh, you¡¯ll see.¡±) The man in the mask assured him. (¡°Just remember¡­ Whatever you do, don¡¯t blink.¡±) And with that the entity shoved its hand through his mind. Scene Consequences -You have gained 1 Perk point to be spent on any available perk. (Or it can be saved for future perks.) This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. --Perk Menu can be found here. (Or it will be when I finish it in five minutes. (I can only do so many menus at once.)) --- ¡°Focusing¡­ I am focusing¡­¡± He lied to himself. (Did you actually expect this to work?) ¡°Kind of did.¡± He frowned. (Improving one¡¯s focus isn¡¯t a simple task.) The more mature part of him pointed out. (It¡¯s the kind of thing that takes time and effort to accomplish.) ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s so boring¡­¡± He groaned, falling back on his bed. (Yep.) That more mature part agreed. (Which is why our best solution is to cheat.) ¡°Cheat you say?¡± He liked where his mind was going with this. ¡°Let¡¯s continue this train of thought.¡± (I thought you¡¯d like that.) He chuckled to himself. (Now then, I wonder what would happen if we focused a bit of Madness into our own mind?) Scene Consequences -Made 1 Progress towards new Power: (1/4) -Made 1 Progress towards new Perk: (1/4) -A/N: There was a slight misconception that I didn¡¯t correct in time, so I¡¯m giving progress to both a new power and taking a rank in Mental Conditioning here. (Progress carries if we take a rank through a skill, though the level requirement increases too.) That said, this new power is focus based, but will not raise max focus with its levels. --- (Ugh, I can¡¯t believe I have to put up with this.) He sighed to himself, as his bullies managed to once again corner him. From there things went the way they usually did with him taking a beating as they tried to get money that he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to carry with him, all while being belittled for the ¡®weirdness¡¯ he couldn¡¯t quite help. Luckily, after years of their words, his healing factor, and the pain tolerance he¡¯d built through Zylah and the GM¡¯s dungeon, it was all more of an annoyance than something to be feared. Just a chore he had to put up with because- (Actually, why am I taking this shit?) He blinked to himself before frowning as one of his bullies threw him against a locker. (Because if I use my powers I¡¯ll out myself as a Deviant.) He reminded himself. (And if I out myself kicking the shit out of these guys I¡¯ll get Sanctuary and the Guild after me too.) (Well, technically we don¡¯t have to hurt them.) The devil on his shoulder whispered. (All we have to do is scare them into leaving us alone.) (But what if they tell someone?) It wasn¡¯t worth risking it. The sound of glass on tile snapped him out of his thoughts as he saw a vial of Malice hit the ground as his bullies emptied his backpack on the ground. (Oh, that¡¯s not good.) His eyes darted between his bullies, who thankfully hadn¡¯t noticed the vial rolling towards him as they kicked through his stuff, more to make it a pain to clean up than to actually find anything worth stealing. Knowing that he didn¡¯t have much time if he didn¡¯t want to get caught with a (definitely illegal) drug, he slowly shifted down the locker as if he¡¯d given up the fight before snatching the vial off the ground after nudging it a bit closer with his foot. As he moved to stash the vial in his pocket he had a stray thought of, (they haven¡¯t searched my pockets yet.) Something they frequently did after beating him just in case he was stupid enough to bring money to school that day. (If I stash it in my pockets they¡¯ll find the vial.) Briefly, the image of his bullies drinking the vial flashed through his mind. (Do we really want to risk that?) Deciding that (no, I don¡¯t,) he popped the vial open before swiftly downing it. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s he got there?¡± One of the (bastards) who regularly made his life hell asked, as that sweet sadistic symphony began to play in the background. ¡°You holding out on us durand? I thought you knew not to do that by now.¡± Another said as they stepped on him. (...) He looked his bully in the eye¡­ (...) and had one thought. (Fuck this.) Following the instincts the Malice gave him, he flooded his hands with Ink and pressed them into the ground as he twisted upon his Madness in a way he couldn¡¯t quite follow without the instincts guiding him. (I just remembered this important lesson I picked up back in the day¡­) He felt the Ink creep and crawl further than any distance he¡¯d managed thus far as each hand¡¯s pool split off to do its own thing. (You want to be respected, the best way being to be admired, and surrounded by those who love you¡­) Batch from his right hand bled into the lockers behind the bullies, while the Ink from his left began to form and reshape itself into Doodle. (But if people still hate you, you can still make them respect you if you remember one thing¡­) Doodle saw the image of his Wonderlander on the ground being stepped on by a bunch of worthless scum and grew furious as more power than the little dream had ever felt flooded it. (Respect is just as much fear as it is admiration.) Practically leaping off the wall Doodle screamed from behind hid bullies while throwing open all of the toonified lockers as a wave of terror swept through the hall. ¡°What the fuck is that thing?!¡± One of his bullies yelled. No one answered him as the rest of his friends had already turned tail and ran, something the bully quickly proceeded to copy as he found himself alone with a very angry Doodle on the wall. ¡°Thanks for that Doodle.¡± He told his dream, as he picked himself up and dusted himself off. ¡°Couldn¡¯t quite deal with those nerdowells myself without drawing too much heat.¡± Doodle gave him an understanding nod before sending another glare down the way his bullies had fled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± He smiled, running a hand through his hair. ¡°No one is stepping on this star ever again.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained (1 + D6 = 3) XP to Ink Doodles and Scare Tactics due to scene synergy. --Power Level Up: Ink Doodles Lv. 2 (1/6) --Currently: Scare Tactics Lv. 1 (3/4) Act 23: A Worldly Perspective And A Quicker One Act 23: A Worldly Perspective And A Quicker One --- Joshua --- Looking at Avery one day, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the Dream shared any of the toon-like features he developed in his disguise. (I always knew Avery was kind of pale but now that I¡¯m looking for it, he and his clothes are actually kind of monochrome.) He realized after a more focused inspection. (And his eyelids are a little more prominent than a normal person¡¯s, but they aren¡¯t quite at my ¡®guy-liner¡¯ yet¡­ Or is that just the lighting?) He frowned, realizing he didn¡¯t actually know all that much about how makeup worked. (Might want to look into that a bit.) ¡°Um, something on your, uh, mind boss?¡± The cabaret manager asked after a moment. ¡°Hmm, you know what? Yeah, actually.¡± He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. ¡°You mind holding still for a moment?¡± ¡°Uh, sure?¡± Avery nodded a little unsurely. Taking a photo of his dream, he found that not only had Avery¡¯s image become a 2D image but so had the bits of the cabaret in the shot with him. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s¡­¡± He spun around on his bar seat and took a few more photos of the cabaret, each turning into a black and white cartoon. (I wonder what it looks like on film?) Switching to record, he had his camera film the entire cabaret and its manager before turning it on himself as well. ¡°Uh, what have you got there, boss?¡± Avery asked, walking around the bar counter. ¡°I¡¯m using my phone to record everything because the camera is making everything come out kind of weird.¡± He explained, playing back the recording only to find everything looking like a cartoon. (Huh, it¡¯s even got that old film grain to it.) ¡°That thing¡¯s a phone?!¡± Avery blinked, staring at the little black box in fascination, before catching sight of the screen. ¡°A-and it¡¯s a camera too?!¡± He stared at the cabaret manager for a moment before realizing, (Right, the cabaret has been around since prohibition, and cellphones have only been around a couple of decades, let alone smartphones.) ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a, uh, phone and camera.¡± He nodded, before giving Avery a better look at the screen. ¡°Only everything I record is coming out kind of weird.¡± The cabaret manager looked at the screen before frowning. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know what you mean boss. Everything looks alright to me.¡± He gave Avery a look, before wondering just how far the cabaret¡¯s cartoon effect really went. ¡°Hey, Avery, do we have a mirror somewhere?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah? In the, um, dressing room?¡± Avery answered in a seemingly confused manner. ¡°Right.¡± Getting up he made his way to the dressing room before finding what had to be a large mirror with a cover on it. And after removing the cover he found that even with the mirror cracked and covered in dust the image on it was clearly that of a cartoon world. He glanced at Avery as the cabaret manager stepped behind him. ¡°This is how you see the whole world, right?¡± ¡°I guess?¡± The cartoon dream nodded looking at him oddly. Not that he really cared as he stared at his cartoon reflection in fascination as he realized that he was probably the one seeing the world of the cabaret as something other than a cartoon. A revelation that reminded him of this old philosophy thing he¡¯d read in one of his webcomics. (I guess reality really is a matter of perspective.) This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Scene Consequences (¡°That it is.¡±) --- ¡°Surprised you¡¯re asking for a driving lesson.¡± Maddie admitted as they stepped out into the alley behind the crossing. ¡°It just seems like one of those things I should learn, considering.¡± He shrugged, hoping the fact that his lack of powers was an awkward point with his brother would carry over here too. ¡°Yeah, well there¡¯s plenty of things us normies can do that Chris can¡¯t.¡± The closest thing he had to a sister assured him, not realizing that she was the only non-Deviant left in their family. (And now I feel like shit¡­) He frowned, before wiping it off of his face as Maddie checked her pockets. ¡°Ah, shit, forgot my keys. Just give me a second.¡± Maddie told him before running back inside. Standing alone in the alley, a thought occurred to him and he decided to try something a little different from normal. Up until this point he¡¯d been consuming Malice just to work on developing his powers, but he¡¯d yet to consider the possibility of using it to enhance his learning speed for other skills. And while he wasn¡¯t necessarily sure how well this would work, (it¡¯s at least worth a try.) Which is why he quickly downed a vial of Malice before tossing the empty container into a nearby bin, feeling a notable warmness in his veins that hadn¡¯t been there before. ¡°Alright, you ready to do this?¡± Maddie asked, shaking the keys in the air. --- ¡°You sure this is your first time driving?¡± Maddie asked him fifteen minutes later as he slowed to a stop at a red light. ¡°Because you¡¯re doing a lot better than I was expecting.¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve got beginner''s luck.¡± He smirked, figuring that given what his actual first time driving entailed that that was more than likely true. ¡°Well, if you do you¡¯ve got a hell of a lot of it.¡± His sister in all but blood laughed, as the light turned green. He was half way through the intersection when he noticed a truck to his right not stopping, something that wouldn¡¯t have been a problem to avoid by braking if the car behind him wasn¡¯t riding his tail lights. Realizing that Maddie was about to be hit by a truck twice the size of their car his heart stopped before suddenly speeding up as the world around him seemed to come to a crawl and a sweet symphony sung in his ears. Not taking a moment to think about it, his body moved quickly despite the world seemingly slowing around him, his foot quickly pressing down on the gas pedal as his hands quickly turned the wheel, all while his madness flexed on the world around him. A series of actions that allowed him to send the car into a drifting turn that had them spin around the speeding car at an angle that left them untouched even as the two cars passed. Leaving him panting heavily as their car faced the direction they¡¯d come from just a hair breadth away from the stopping line for that (thankfully) empty lane on the opposite lane of the road. ¡°I¡­ I think¡­ I think I¡¯m done driving for the day.¡± He told an equally shaken Maddie. --- ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Chris asked him once more as he made his way through the apartment. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m shaken but I¡¯m still standing.¡± He sighed, unable to hide the slight shake to his hands that still hadn¡¯t left him. His brother gave him a concerned look and he shook his head, cutting off whatever the older Durand wanted to tell him. ¡°Look I¡¯m alive, but honestly all I want to do right now is go to my room and crash.¡± Chris gave him another look before finally relenting. ¡°Fine, just¡­ Just let me know if you need anything, alright?¡± ¡°I will.¡± He promised with a tired grin before making his way to his room. With the door shut behind him, his grin became notably more manic as he quit fighting to suppress his excitement before biting down on his fingers to keep from laughing like a maniac as he reached into his pocket to grab a quarter. While the near car accident had been a terrifying experience given how close he¡¯d come to losing Maddie, that terror was completely overlapped by the fact that his quick reflexes had saved her. He tossed the coin into the air and flexed his Madness as he focused on it. That he had saved her using- The coin¡¯s fall slowed, not by the defiance of gravity but by the acceleration of his perception. -his new power. He swiped the coin out of the air, and smiled just a little too widely as he forced down a giggle. (Now we¡¯ve got all the stage time we could ever need.) Scene Consequences -Unlocked New Power: Toon Time at Lv. 1 (0/4) --Toon Time: (Costs 1 Focus) Through a mix of Focus and Madness dilate your perception of reality for a short time. (Add Toon Time¡¯s Lv. to any skill or power check using a Reflex stat. (Dexterity, Agility, and Perception.)) -Due to steering through a car accident gained 5XP to Driving. ¨C*Skill Level Up* Lv. 3 (3/8) -Gained 2 points of progress towards Mental Conditioning (II) --Current Progress: (3/4) -Grown a bit closer to Maddie. Act 24: Training and Advice Act 24: Training and Advice --- Joshua --- Sitting in a meditative pose, he forced himself to focus as he tried to draw on his Toon Time without actually using it. An exercise he hoped would help him develop a greater control for whatever mental muscle allowed him to use his powers. A few moments prior, he¡¯d tried doing the same with his Madness Field figuring that even if he had a more instinctive grasp of it, it still required something resembling focus to use. At which point he learned that his field was less a power of will and focus, and more a matter of building up Madness and letting it loose on the world in a general direction. Not something that actually helped him all that much with developing the power, but it did provide a certain insight into his powers in general. Especially when he compared that result with a couple of his other active powers, slowly working away at whatever ¡®mental switches¡¯ controlled his various powers in an attempt to maintain a general sort of focus with all of it. Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t something he could exactly test without pushing it against something and hoping it worked. The rusty squeaking of a wheel alerted him. (And there¡¯s my test.) He thought, uncrossing his legs and hopping to his feet. ¡°Was wondering how long you were going to take.¡± ¡°There are a few things I have to work around, but it¡¯s whatever.¡± Zylah shrugged walking into the warehouse. ¡°Still, you ready to do this?¡± ¡°As ready as I can be.¡± He nodded, stretching his arms out. ¡°You said you wanted to practice your fighting, right?¡± The shadow dancer asked, double checking their purpose here. He considered it for a moment, before admitting, ¡°Sort of. I¡¯ve got this new power I figured out, and I¡¯m trying to figure out how to use it.¡± ¡°Oh, and what power is that?¡± Zylah inquired curiously. ¡°It¡¯s a sort of enhanced reflexes thing.¡± He half-lied, figuring it was close enough to the truth that he could pass it off if he had to, while still generic enough that no one would give his Toon Time a second look. (What¡¯s more that kind of is what my enhanced acrobatics are¡­ Though, now that I think about it, why does that power only work when I¡¯m in the air?) ¡°Reflexes are a common enough thing.¡± Zylah told him, interrupting his thoughts. ¡°Are you just trying to get used to having them in a fight or what?¡± ¡°It seems to be a bit, uh, conditional.¡± He answered a little unsurely. ¡°On what?¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s the point of the training.¡± He grimaced. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Mmhmm¡­¡± Zylah gave him a considering look. ¡°Money?¡± ¡°Uh, here¡¯s two hundred.¡± He told her handing over a handful of bills. Zylah counted it before it disappeared into the shadows of her dress. ¡°Alright, have you figured out your theme, yet?¡± ¡°My theme?¡± He frowned, wondering where she was going with this change of topic. ¡°Something I¡¯ve noticed with those of us who use Malice, is that each of us seems to have a ¡®theme¡¯ of some kind.¡± Zylah explained. ¡°For instance my theme is ¡®Shadow Dancer¡¯, which is why all of my abilities tend to lean themselves towards manipulating shadows or quick and agile movements.¡± ¡°Um, I guess my theme is Ink?¡± He offered, knowing that his theme was actually [Cartoon] but also knowing that he had no intention of letting that get back to the shady organization the Malice Doctor worked for. ¡°Themes seem to be¡­ two-part in function, or the one¡¯s I¡¯ve encountered have been at least.¡± Zylah elaborated with a shake of her head. ¡°Usually it¡¯s some material or element, followed by a role of some kind.¡± ¡°So your element is [Shadow] and your role is [Dancer]?¡± He figured, wondering if this meant his own theme was [Ink Toon] or something. (No, that doesn¡¯t feel quite right¡­) ¡°Right.¡± The Shadow Dancer nodded. ¡°If you look at it this way it becomes significantly easier to piece together what you can do and how you do it.¡± ¡°I guess that helps some¡­¡± (At least once I figure out how to mix [Toon] and [Ink].) ¡°Hey, you¡¯re paying me to help you, need to make sure you get your money¡¯s worth or else you might not come back.¡± Zylah shrugged, before rolling her shoulders. ¡°Speaking of, the fighting thing?¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s see if I can¡¯t figure something out.¡± He agreed, raising his fists in front of his face. Scene Consequences -New Perk Unlocked: Mental Conditioning (II)- Increases Max Mental Health and Focus by a small amount each tier. -Thanks to training with Zylah gained 4XP to Brawling. --*Skill Rank Up* Brawling Lv. 4 (1/10) -Thanks to Malice Vial gained (1 + (D6=2)=3)XP to Toon Time. --Thanks to Zylah¡¯s advice gained 1 Bonus XP to Toon Time. ---*Power Level UP*: Toon Time Lv. 2 (0/6) -Grown a bit closer to Zylah. --- ¡°Alright, Toon powers¡­¡± He sighed, sitting in his room and spinning his pen in hand as he contemplated Zylah¡¯s words. ¡°What kind of stuff fits the ¡®Ink Toon¡¯ theme...¡± Slowly his eyes drifted to the door of his room before sliding back to the pen in his hand. ¡°Hmm, there¡¯s an idea¡­¡± He admitted, before getting out of his chair and making his way over to his wall, where he put his pen to the wall and paused. (Actually, if I¡¯m doing this to my wall I might want to use my regular Ink rather than something that can stain the wall.) He knew his Ink from his hands dissolved, or at least was invisible to others, he wasn¡¯t so sure if that was the case with Ink from his Toon Pen. Shaking his head, he proceeded to rub his hands together as he coated his palms in ink before rubbing it into the wall while thinking about doors or holes, hoping his power would take the clue from his intent to do what he wanted. And at first it seemed like it was, as his Ink turned into a round hole and seemed to set into the wall, but after a moment he realized while the wall was accepting the ink he couldn¡¯t push his hand through the hole. (Though it does have a bit more of a rubbery quality than the rest of my wall, so this is doing something.) He frowned before shaking his hand out as he took a step back and looked at the large fading circle on the wall. (Just going to have to keep trying until this does what I want, I guess.) (Just need to keep at it, until you make it work.) Scene Consequences -New Power Progress: (1/4) Act 25: A Stunning Hat, Grappling Ink, and A Hole In The Wall Act 25: A Stunning Hat, Grappling Ink, and A Hole In The Wall --- Joshua --- ¡°Uh, you sure this is the best use of resources, boss?¡± ¡°Maybe not, but I¡¯m hoping I can get something out of this that¡¯ll make my future shows easier.¡± He told Avery, before explaining that, ¡°If I can put on a better show, then I can gather more Madness faster. It¡¯s all an investment game.¡± The cabaret manager gave him a mixed expression, ¡°If you¡¯re, uh, sure boss¡­¡± With that settled the Boss Dream manipulated the Stunning Madness in front of them and began funneling it through the Cartoon Cabaret¡¯s Dressing Room as the two spheres began to circle around each other. After a few moments of this the spheres collided, unleashing a flash of light as they combined, launching his newly formed hat into the air. Reacting more on instinct than actual intent, his hand snatched the hat out of the air and spun it around before placing it on his head as he faced the dressing room mirror to see how it looked. ¡°Hmm, a fedora¡­ Not bad.¡± He admitted, looking at his reflection and making his best guess at how it¡¯d look in 3D. ¡°Goes with the jacket and vest at least.¡± ¡°Yeah it looks alright, but I¡¯m not really sure it was worth it with everything else we need to take care of.¡± Avery confessed with a nervous look. ¡°Well, that all depends on what kind of special tricks it has.¡± He reminded the cabaret manager before frowning. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t suppose you know how to figure that out?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Avery frowned in thought. ¡°Try¡­ Try pushing some Madness into it.¡± Pulling on his connection to his powers, he rooted around for what felt like the thread between him and the fedora before pushing some of his power along the line. There was a sudden drain that felt more intense as if the Fedora wanted more power than he could give at the moment. Something in the air shifted, and instead of taking from him the fedora seemed to take from the air itself until finally- Out of nowhere instinct took over and he placed a hand on his hat before striking a pose as a the song in his head grew louder and a wave of blinding light burst from his body. ¡°Okay¡­ that was something.¡± He blinked as he regained control of his limbs. Rather than commenting, Avery just stood there staring at him with a blank look. ¡°Avery?¡± He frowned, before waving his hand in front of the cabaret manager¡¯s face. ¡°You still there Jones?¡± The Boss Dream slowly blinked before shaking his head and looking around. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s uh, what¡¯s going on boss?¡± ¡°I think I just figured out what the Fedora can do.¡± He answered, turning back to his reflection with a smile. (Though I might want to be careful of whatever that drain was.) Scene Consequences -Gained: Stunning Fedora --While equipped, can spend 1 Madness of any kind to Stun all nearby units. --- This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Standing on the edge of a rooftop he rubbed his hands together as he got ready to test, what was absolutely a stroke of genius on his part. That genius being that he could use his Equip Ink to form an Ink Whip, and then he could use the Ink Whip to pull things towards him. So why couldn¡¯t he use the Ink Whip as a grappling hook to swing around the city like Vigilance and all of the copycats he¡¯d inspired? (Only since he¡¯s a hero and I¡¯m a villain, I¡¯m not copycating him.) He reassured himself. (I''m flat out stealing his schtick and pulling it off with more swag.) (Meh, good artists borrow, great artists steal.) With all of this in mind he formed his ink whip on his hand before throwing it out at a nearby ledge, a bit of intent making the whip stick to the ledge without coming back. ¡°Okay, good start.¡± He nodded, grabbing the whip with both hands before pulling on it in the same way he would his actual Ink Pull. And while normally this would pull his target towards him, the fact that the building was so much larger than him meant that he was the one pulled towards it. (Exactly as planned.) What was much less planned was the fact that the ink whip snapped half way to the building, leaving him floating a good five stories in the air. (Uh, oh.) Against his better judgment he slowly glanced down and saw the pavement below. Pavement that was now quickly growing closer. ¡°Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit!¡± A painful impact rattled his bones and left him with what he just knew was going to be a full body bruise, though luckily his healing factor was more than enough to let him walk off the fall that had managed to crack the pavement. Feeling a deep ache throughout his body and knowing that it was only going to grow worse as the day went on, he pulled out a vial of Malice and downed it. As the super serum hit his veins and his song began to play, he felt his healing factor going into overdrive to undo the damage of his fall and ready itself to undo the damage of any other falls. Standing up straight, he cracked his neck to either side before looking at the ledge above him. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try this again.¡± Scene Consequences -Training Synergy: Gained 2XP to Mobility and Equip Ink. --Thanks to Malice Vial gained (D6=2/2=1) bonus XP to each skill. --Currently: Mobility Lv. 3 (5/8) and Equip Ink Lv. 3 (7/8) -Potential Power Upgrade Discovered: Grappling Ink (Requires Lv. 5 Mobility and Equip Ink) --- Figuring that after a couple of hours his ass had taken enough of a kicking, he decided to try changing tracks and put some effort into a different power for the time being, and started working to form a more viable hole in the wall with his ink. Unfortunately, like with his previous attempt most of these new holes had a sort of rubbery texture and a bit of give that the wall beneath the ink most certainly did not. (I¡¯ve still got something here, but I¡¯m not quite making a breakthrough¡­) He paused at that thought. (Literally or figuratively.) Remembering how his powers had developed a little easier after consuming a vial of Malice, he went ahead and downed another one in the hopes of making something resembling actual progress with this power. And so with strawberries on his tongue and a sweet symphony playing in his head he began drawing another hole on the wall. Though this time he was unable to keep himself from giving it a little flourish as he did so, despite the fact that it didn¡¯t actually seem to do anything. That said¡­ (There¡¯s a method to this madness, just doing the same thing over and over gets dull and boring. You quit putting in your all, and your work suffers. You need to have fun with it if you want to go all out.) With his Malice boosted hole drawn, he put his hand against it and pressed just like he had with all of his previous attempts. Only this time rather than giving a few inches to his fingers the hole gave enough that he could push his whole arm into the wall. Thinking he¡¯d finally done it, he grabbed the edge of the circle with his other hand and started to step through the hole. At which point he was promptly shot out of the hole and into the brickwall on the other side of the alley, where he hung for a painful moment before slowly sliding down to the ground. (Almost¡­ but not quite.) Scene Consequences -Thanks to Malice Vial made 2 progress towards [Hole in the Wall] power. --Current Progress: (3/4) Act 26: Powers, Paper, and a Projector (AKA Turning Toons and Project Projector) Act 26: Powers, Paper, and a Projector (AKA Turning Toons and Project Projector) --- Joshua --- Several hours after still failing to figure out how to get this Hole In The Wall power to work, he found himself staring up at his ceiling while trying to figure out what he was doing wrong. Part of him was tempted to just take another vial of Malice in the hopes of cracking it, but a more practical part of him pointed out that (we¡¯ve almost got this, we¡¯re just missing one little, obvious thing.) The only problem was that he couldn¡¯t figure out what that obvious thing was. He felt a slight migraine coming on, and let his eyes drift close in the hope of making whatever was going on with his head would fade. When it didn¡¯t he couldn¡¯t help but growl as he climbed out of bed to try and find something to make the ache behind his eyes go away. (Maybe I should take a vial of Malice for the headache if nothing else. If I¡¯m lucky the healing boost will cancel out the headache.) A piece of paper crinkled under his foot and knowing that it was going to annoy him as much as the migraine he reached down to pick it up before noticing a small hole torn in the thin piece of paper. (...) (...) (You figured it out didn¡¯t you?) ¡°It cannot be that easy.¡± He sighed, before taking the page over to his desk. (Sometimes it is.) Instead of applying his Ink to the wall he applied it to the paper, going through the same thought and intent that had almost let him walk through the wall as he made a large black circle on the piece of paper. Raising it into the air he pressed his fingers against the page before watching as it disappeared through the hole and appeared on the other side of the paper, with neither side showing anything other than a black abyss despite him eventually sticking his whole arm through. ¡°Right, so I can¡¯t make a hole in the wall but I can make a hole in a piece of paper.¡± This revelation did nothing to help his headache. Scene Consequences -New Power: Hole In The Wall Lv. 1 (0/4) --Create a Hole In The Wall allowing you to walk through. (Costs 1 Ink) ---Max Wall depth and duration are based on Power Level at 1 Inch/Min per Level. (Note: Smaller Depth increases Duration.) --- Knowing how upset Avery had been by him spending Madness on his hat, he decided to go ahead and invest some resources into the Cabaret in the hopes of making Avery feel better about following his decisions. ¡°Okay¡­ got to be¡­ careful with¡­ this one.¡± The Cabaret Manager told him as they struggled to keep an [Excited Madness] under control. ¡°Just have to¡­ get this¡­ near the¡­ stage¡­ Boss¡­¡± The Madness between them suddenly zagged, causing him to crash into one of the tables as he just barely managed to maintain his grip on the thing. ¡°You¡­ already¡­ said that.¡± He reminded the Dream, before glancing over his shoulder. ¡°How much¡­ further?¡± ¡°Just¡­ a few, gah¡­ more¡­ steps¡­ and¡­ Let go!¡± Avery shouted. He let go of the Madness and watched as the Cabaret Manager essentially punted it into a beat up projector hanging from one of the ceiling¡¯s catwalks. (Did not know those were up there.) When the two collided there was a moment where electricity seemed to crackle where they touched before there was a sudden flash of light as the projector began to spin, looking a good bit newer than it had before they¡¯d chucked the Madness into it. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Cool, so the¡­ projector is¡­ working.¡± He gasped, trying to catch his breath as a light flickered on showing an old black and white countdown looping on the wall. ¡°Yep¡­¡± Avery nodded back equally as winded. ¡°What¡¯s this thing do again?¡± He asked, pointing a thumb at the screen. ¡°Um, well, without a few uh, other bits all it really does right now is let the Cabaret see what you¡¯re uh, up to in the real world.¡± Avery explained. ¡°Which when we get things open, should let us make a fair few resources whenever you put on a show.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I already get Madness from my shows?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Eh, sort of?¡± Avery made a so-so gesture. ¡°Right now you¡¯re pulling resources from the people who, uh, watch your shows. This though will let us make Madness off the Dreams of the Wonderlands, and once we get the filming equipment set up again, we should be able to keep making a small profit off your old reruns in between your shows.¡± ¡°Nice.¡± He nodded, thinking about how (my diehard fans are of course going to want to watch and rewatch my performances, over and over again.) That thought actually brought up a question that left him frowning. ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t the fact that you guys have this thing mean you should¡¯ve been making Madness even without the old boss?¡± Avery grimaced before shaking his head with a sigh. ¡°No, uh, or yes but¡­ Without the old boss all we had were re-runs¡­ And even with the massive number of shows the old boss put out, after a couple decades people got tired of seeing the same old shows. Especially not when there were all these new and exciting Wonderlands popping up left and right.¡± The Cabaret Manager ran a hand down his face. ¡°Eventually we were just barely paying the costs to keep this place running and then¡­ I uh, I don¡¯t really want to talk about what came next, Boss¡­¡± He briefly remembered the first time he¡¯d seen Avery when he was sitting alone at the bar drinking himself away and decided to leave the matter be. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± He assured his Dream with a pat on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll turn this place so far around that you won¡¯t have to worry about that ever again.¡± Avery gave him a tired smile. ¡°Heh, that¡¯s the plan, Boss.¡± Scene Consequences -The Cartoon Cabaret¡¯s Projector has been restored. --Avery is now more aware of Joshua¡¯s adventures going forward. --When Cabaret opens, Projector will increase Madness gains from Shows. --New Cabaret Upgrades unlocked. --- After returning to the waking world he curiously felt the need to double down on his training so that his next show could really blow the socks off of whoever saw it. And as such he proceeded to down yet another vial of Malice, filling his head with that sweet symphony as he couldn¡¯t help but sway his hips ever so slightly to the tune. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give this idea a try.¡± He told the space around him as he stretched his fingers out. Rolling his wrist, he brought forth his Ink Whip and began spinning it through the air as he looked at the various bits of debris laying around the alley he was practicing in. Eventually picking a random bottle he threw out his Ink Whip much like he would to pull something towards him, only instead of pulling the bottle towards him he instead tried pushing his Ink. Which resulted in him throwing the bottle into a brick wall and shattering it instead of what he was actually trying for. Frowning, he went to pick up a different bottle -(because there are way too many of these in this alley)- and Toonified it, which as far as he could tell didn¡¯t actually change all that much besides making the colored bottle significantly less transparent. He waited a moment for the bottle¡¯s Toonification to wear off before setting it on the ground once more and taking a couple steps back. With the Ink Whip still wrapped around his wrist, he sent it out once more to latch onto the bottle without pulling it towards him. Forcing himself to remain loose, he tried to listen to the Malice and Madness flowing through his veins, hoping the two would give him a hint as to how to do this as they tended to every other time he consumed a vial of Malice during his training sessions. (You¡¯d think this would be easier since this is technically my third vial to-) Something inside of him lurched, and a bulb of ink was sent flying down his whip before colliding with the bottle in an explosion of Ink that he¡¯d believed his Ink Blot more responsible for than his Toonification. ¡°Okay¡­ closer, but still not quite right¡­¡± He told himself as he shook out his aching wrist. Quickly grabbing a third bottle, he went through the paces of the exercise once more as he tethered the bottle, sent ink through the tether, and the ink then- (exploded against the bottle¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he ran a hand down his face trying to figure out what he was doing wrong here. As he did this his eyes caught sight of the remains of the last bottle, and curious of what he was seeing he picked some of the glass shards up. Shifting through the shards he found that about half of them had taken on the same odd opaque glass of his Toonification while the other half still retained the more transparent nature of their ¡®real¡¯ selves. ¡°So there¡¯s definitely something here, but¡­ maybe I just need more control over my Ink to pull this off?¡± Scene Consequences -Thanks to Synergy gained 2XP to Toonification and Equip Ink --Thanks to Malice Vial gained (D6=6/2=3) XP to each skill ---*Power Level Up* Toonification Lv. 5 (1/12) ---*Power Rank Up* Equip Ink Lv. 4 (4/10) ---For rolling a Malice Crit gained 1 Malicious Madness. ---Potential Power Upgrade discovered: Toonifying Tether (Requires: Lv. 5 Toonification and Equip Ink) Act 27: Holes In Security and Holes In The Wall Act 27: Holes In Security and Holes In The Wall --- Joshua --- Knowing that if he wanted more resources for the Cabaret he was going to have to put on another show, he decided that it wouldn¡¯t hurt to put on a show without the Malice Doctor telling him to. (After all he said as long as I do his missions he doesn¡¯t care what I do on my own time.) Of course given how said doctor had given him a fair bit of intel on two other targets, he figured it¡¯d be a terrible thing to let that intel go to waste. And given how the goal of this show was to gather as much madness as possible, he went for the venue that would have the largest audience. Namely the mall with the jewelry store inside, because while the place was likely to have a junior hero, he felt a bit more confident in his combat abilities after his time in the Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon. What¡¯s more since his goal was neither to actually succeed in the robbery (though it¡¯d be nice) or defeat whichever junior hero he came across (which would be even nicer), the fact that the junior heroes¡¯ PR events always drew in a crowd could only work in favor of his actual goal of gathering as much Madness as possible. (And maybe we could steal a few of their fans while we¡¯re at it.) (Ooh, I like that idea.) Still all of that was tomorrow¡¯s objectives, today¡¯s objectives were more focused on what he felt was the most important part of any heist: The getaway plan. Much like when he¡¯d searched for escape routes from the Dealer¡¯s house his larger scale options were mostly using a mix of rooftops and back alleys to break sight with the heroes and then change back from his Villainous persona into his more civilian identity of ¡®Joshua¡¯. (Hmm, I wonder if I could steal another car to escape?) (With police that¡¯d probably end with our face plastered all over the news in a high speed chase with the coppers.) (You act like having our face known everywhere would be a bad thing.) (Point.) He shook his head clear of the fantasy of being the city¡¯s most wanted criminal, and instead focused on the smaller scale escape options that could let him get away before things escalated to that level. (Because I¡¯m not actually stupid enough to go against the big boy heroes if I can help it just yet.) His research on this front offered him a few more options, though they were all variants of the same general plan revolving around a useful bit of information he managed to pick up about malls while digging around. During his previous show, he¡¯d taken advantage of the fact that most outdoor stores and shopping centers had back alley loading areas for them to restock their goods to hide from the dealers. As he was going over the mall layout he eventually realized that despite being inside of the mall, a fair number of the stores in the mall would require a similar loading area for them to stock their own goods. This led to the discovery that most malls had a number of service tunnels connecting to a loading dock and/or parking area. (Meaning if I can get into those service tunnels I¡¯ll have an express route to a non-standard exit, which I doubt the junior heroes will know about until someone tells them.) (By which point we¡¯ll be long gone.) (And since all of the stores should connect to the service entrance, that means I can use any store to escape, and even if they follow me into the tunnels I can just cut through another door to get into the rest of the mall. Enough zigs and zags like that I¡¯m bound to kill their line of sight long enough to drop my costume and stuff my loot in a backpack.) Scene Consequences -New Escape Routes Added to Mall Heist. -Gained 1XP to Thievery and Slyness.* --Currently: Thievery Lv. 3 (3/8) and Slyness Lv. 2 (5/6) Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. *A/N: You got 2XP here because I realized I never gave XP on the last escape plan search and his stats are still low enough to get points from them. --- Seeing as how he¡¯d finally cracked his [Hole In The Wall] power and was planning another heist in the near future, he decided to run a few experiments with the power in the hopes of having a better understanding of it before his next show. (And if I¡¯m lucky I might even be able to use it to help with my escape and entrance there.) ¡°Now then, first test: Can I use more than one hole at a time?¡± He asked himself, as he created two separate holes on a glass pane, something thin enough for his power to work on but solid enough that he couldn¡¯t just tear through it. Placing his hand on each he began pushing against the holes, finding that both had the rubbery feel of his first few attempts at cracking this power, but that neither wanted to let his hand actually pass through them. (Well, something is here but I¡¯ve got to figure out what it is¡­) Deciding to try this a different way, he created a Hole In The Wall and stuck his hand through it before creating a second hole and sticking his hand through it. Then with a confirmation that each hole worked he tried sticking his hand through the first Hole and found that it failed to do so. A result that the second hole then mimicked when he went back to it. ¡°Alright, so I can probably create a second hole but I don¡¯t have enough power to do so just yet.¡± He nodded, before pulling out a vial of Malice, the solution to all of his regular power troubles. With strawberries and copper on his tongue, he ran the same experiment again with a song in his head this time, and found himself to have the same results. ¡°So it¡¯s probably a decently sized power gap if that didn¡¯t work¡­¡± Deciding to come back to this issue at a later time, he figured it¡¯d be a shame to waste a vial of Malice on a deadend and so instead tried to divert the power to a different experiment on his list, one that he knew was going to take some finangling based on how his powers usually seemed to work. One of the earliest upgrades he¡¯d acquired for his Ink Tags was the ability to make them move, even if only by a few inches. What he was curious about was whether or not this was a phenomenon he¡¯d be capable of copying for his holes, because if it was¡­ (Actually, I¡¯m not really sure what use this has.) (Maybe we could nudge the holes a bit if we put it in the wrong wall, Madness tends to love messing with people like that.) ¡°That is a valid point.¡± He agreed with himself, before setting out to draw another hole on the window. With the hole in place and knowing that he could stick his arm through it, he reached out to it with the thread of his power that usually allowed him to manipulate his tags and drawings, only to find that there was no such connection between him and the hole. ¡°Huh?¡± He frowned, before drawing several more holes around the alley¡¯s various windows and doors, and finding the exact same issue with each and every one. ¡°I guess this power isn¡¯t like my Ink Tags and Drawings, despite me drawing it¡­ Once I set the hole it disconnects from me, for some reason¡­ Maybe it¡¯s like my Ink Blot, since I can¡¯t really manipulate the ink after throwing it.¡± (Not yet anyway.) He stared at one of the black spots on the window before making a new one on the thicker wall and putting his hands against, while also making sure not to let his hands sink through. Something that he felt he could only pull off because he actually couldn¡¯t push his holes to pierce the brick walls just yet. Still with his hands on the black spot, he tried feeling out for any connection between him and the hole. When after several minutes of this he found he still couldn¡¯t feel any connection, he decided to try seeing if adding more ink to the hole would strengthen whatever connection there had to be between him and it given how it was his power. This time he did feel something connecting him and the hole, but by the time he¡¯d added enough ink for that he was beginning to reach the end of his reserves and couldn¡¯t add enough to maintain the connection. ¡°Dammit!¡± He cursed, punching the wall. ¡°I was so clo-kay this is weird.¡± He admitted feeling his arm go through the wall that he knew was too thick for him to actually pierce. Wondering if he¡¯d somehow managed to brute force a different kind of breakthrough, he stuck his head through the wall and found that he had managed to make his Hole In The Wall go far deeper than he¡¯d thus far managed. ¡°Huh, not what I wanted but this is a decent conso-¡± His connection to the holed snapped shut, and he felt an intense pressure across every part of his body still inside of the hole. A pressure that he was sure was going to cleave him in two before with a stumbling step he shot out of the hole and back into the bricks of the wall opposite of the one he¡¯d been experimenting on. ¡°Okay¡­ let¡¯s not do that again¡­¡± He gasped. (At least not until you¡¯ve got the power to actually maintain it of course. Then we¡¯re absolutely doing this again.) Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Ink Tags, Hole In The Wall, and Ink Production. --Due to Synergy bonus between Hole In The Wall and Ink Production gained 1XP to each. --Due to Malice Vial gained (D6=3/3=1) XP to all powers. ---Currently: Ink Tags lv. 3 (5/8), Hole In The Wall Lv. 1 (3/4), and Ink Production Lv. 4 (3/10). -Potential Power Upgrade Revealed: Dig Deeper (Requires: Hole In The Wall and Ink Production Lv. 5) System Update: I¡¯m removing [Creeping Ink] as a power because we aren¡¯t really using it, and it¡¯s kind of redundant as is. So instead [Creeping Ink (I)] is now a perk/power upgrade that lets us move our Ink Tags once placed with the distance based on Tag level and Perk Tier. Act 28: Training Shadows and Ink Act 28: Training Shadows and Ink --- Joshua --- He sat alone in a warehouse fiddling with a piece of paper beneath the table that Malice Doctor apparently left behind rather than taking it with him when he and his associates cleared out the warehouse. On the paper itself he smudged out a series of small circles with his Ink before sticking his thumbs through, creating a number of quick little holes in an attempt to speed up whatever process let him form the holes in the first place. Admittedly, he¡¯d probably be making significantly more progress if he wasn¡¯t doing this blind, under the table, and just with said piece of paper, but he didn¡¯t feel like taking his chances with the warehouse being bugged and or monitored. Which after the one time Zylah rushed over, he was fairly certain was in fact the case. (Still, it¡¯s something to keep me busy until Zylah gets here.) He looked up as the Warehouse door began to move. (Think of the devil.) ¡°Good you¡¯re already here.¡± Zylah nodded when she spotted him. ¡°I hope you appreciate what I¡¯m doing here given how hard it was to set up an entire day for this.¡± ¡°I appreciate it enough to pay you six hundred dollars for the day.¡± He reminded her, setting a small -which still tripped him given the amount- of money on the table. His fellow criminal picked up the stack and flicked through it quickly before nodding and putting the money in a bag she¡¯d brought. ¡°With that settled, what exactly did you want to work on?¡± ¡°My next show has a fair chance of me getting in a fight with another Mask, so I want to work on my fighting.¡± He explained. ¡°More specifically, I¡¯m hoping to get a few of my Ink powers to a level I can actually use them in a fight.¡± ¡°Alright, well my shadows probably work differently than your ink, but hopefully the two will have enough overlap to come up with something useful.¡± Zylah told him as she tossed her bag to the side. ¡°For now though, we may have all day but the sooner we get started the better.¡± ¡°Cool, just give me a second.¡± He told her pulling out a vial of Malice. ¡°Isn¡¯t that cheating?¡± Zylah asked, adjusting a canteen she was wearing on her hip. ¡°I¡¯m hoping this¡¯ll maximize my gains today.¡± He explained before giving her a smirk. ¡°Besides, aren¡¯t we the bad guys, since when do we play fair?¡± ¡°True.¡± His fellow criminal smiled in amusement. Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Hole In The Wall --*Skill Level Up* Hole In The Wall Lv. 2 (0/6) --- ¡°Wow, even with Malice you really do not know how to take a punch.¡± Zylah told him as he staggered back. ¡°That was a kick not a punch!¡± He argued, spitting out a bit of blood as Zylah paused to take a sip from her canteen. ¡°Same principal.¡± The shadow dancer dismissed with a wave before giving him a look. ¡°No seriously, once you throw super strength into the mix it really doesn¡¯t matter if someone is kicking you or punching you, it is going to hit hard.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡­ that seems like it¡¯d be pretty obvious.¡± He admitted, mostly stalling for his jaw to quit aching. ¡°Though admittedly I haven¡¯t been able to put too much work into my own strength. I¡¯ve mostly been using one of my other powers to hit harder.¡± ¡°Eh, you¡¯ll find that most people that seem like they have ¡®super strength¡¯ are actually faking it with another one of their powers or the strength is caused by something other than their muscles.¡± Zylah shrugged. ¡°The ones with real super strength are the ones whose biology has gone so fubar that they might not even be human anymore.¡± ¡°Uh, harsh.¡± He pointed out. The shadow dancer just rolled her eyes. ¡°See a fully transformed Malcontent and tell me they¡¯re still human. They¡¯re ¡®s a reason some Arcane call them half-demons after all.¡± He paused to consider that. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re actually¡­?¡± ¡°No.¡± Zylah scoffed. ¡°They¡¯re still human, even if they have some kind of weirdness going on with their transformations, but I mean between Madness, Magic, Malice, Ectoplasm, and Psionics, and whatever else there is at some point we¡¯re going to lose track of how it all works. At which point it¡¯s probably best to just focus on what you can actually do than being scared of all the people who can do something you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°True.¡± He nodded with some consideration before smearing a bit of ink on his hand. ¡°And speaking of what we can actually do¡­¡± --- ¡°Yeah, this isn¡¯t the worst ranged option I¡¯ve ever seen but it¡¯s definitely nowhere near my top ten.¡± The shadow dancer noted as she smashed another one of his Ink Blots with a shadow infused kick. (Which I guess is how she fakes her super strength.) ¡°I just need to get better at aiming these things.¡± He frowned, throwing another ball of ink. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°You¡¯re throwing them.¡± Zylah pointed out, easily sidestepping the blob of ink as it splattered against the wall. ¡°Even if they hit, I doubt they¡¯re much more effective than throwing a ball at someone, especially since they¡¯re limited on how fast and hard you can throw them.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll have you know these things came very in handy during my last heist when I used them to blind a guy trying to shoot me.¡± He argued, throwing a couple more Ink Blots, taking less time to aim them and rather just throwing them as fast as he could make them. ¡°Hmm, that is a valid point.¡± The shadow dancer admitted thoughtfully, as she less thoughtfully weaved through his assault without getting a single drop of ink on her. (Actually with that dress you never know as black as it is you might be-) Zylah met his eyes for just a moment before jumping through the air and spinning in a way that had her pass horizontally between two of his ink blots. (Yeah, no, you¡¯re not touching her.) Panting a bit after pushing himself so hard, all he could do was glare at the shadow dancer as she walked over with a smug smirk. At which point the slight clacking echoing through the air reminded him that she was doing all of this in (fucking heels.) (Admit it, that¡¯s actually kind of hot. Mildly terrifying, but kind of hot.) (I shall admit no such thing!) He told his teenage hormones, before shoving them out of his head. (You know it¡¯s true!) ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve figured out what you¡¯re doing wrong with this.¡± Zylah told him, as she took a drink from her canteen. Giving the shadow dancer a slight glare before forcing himself to calm down, he eventually bit out a ¡°And that is?¡± with only half of the frustration he was actually feeling at the moment. ¡°So your little ink ball¡­ things, are a decent distraction but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be an actual ranged option without a lot -and I do mean a lot- of work.¡± Zylah began. ¡°That said, I do think they¡¯d make a good short range option to keep the pressure up when you need to get your feet under you in a fight.¡± He quit hunching over and gave her a curious look. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well for instance if I were to push you off balance.¡± Zylah gave him just enough of a shove to send him back a step without actually hurting him. ¡°You could use this moment to throw an Ink Blot at me, forcing me to back off rather than taking advantage of the opening. Even if it¡¯s a blind throw, most people are going to want to avoid getting inked by you.¡± (Inked¡­) He considered it for a moment as he made another ink blot in his hand, before smiling as he threw the blot over his shoulder. ¡°Yeah, alright I can see that coming in handy.¡± ¡°Now the trick here is that you¡¯re going to need to work on your style enough to let you quickly rush back in, or otherwise take advantage of this counter opening.¡± The shadow dancer continued. ¡°Actually, you¡¯ll probably need to make it fluid enough to actually perform the reversal in the first place, because I really don¡¯t see you pulling off with your¡­ brawling.¡± ¡°You know what, I actually think I¡¯ve got a way to make my style a little more¡­ fluid.¡± He admitted, flexing his wrist as ink poured from his palm. --- Zylah caught his Ink Knife on her shadow wreathed shin before spinning with the block to deliver a roundhouse to his stomach, sending him staggering back. At which point he threw out a small ink blot, keeping the shadow dancer back just long enough for him to shift his knife into a whip and swing it through the air forcing her even further back to avoid being hit. ¡°Alright, I think you¡¯re finally starting to get the hang of it.¡± Zylah told him, before giving him a smirk as she stomped the ground with her foot. ¡°Why don¡¯t we raise the tempo a bit?¡± Black mists began to pour out in a visible miasma from where the shadow dancer touched the ground as she began to move with a slight sway to her hips. His danger sense flared for just a moment before Zylah was suddenly in front of him, leg raised for a heel drop. ¡°Oh shit!¡± He cursed just barely moving out of the way as she cracked the ground beneath her heel. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t-¡± The shadow dancer cut him off as she began to lash out with a series of kicks, each not only wrapped in shadows but leaving behind ribbons of shadows that he couldn¡¯t hope to dodge in addition to her actual kicks. ¡°Shit, fucking, damn it!¡± Zylah took a single step forward mere inches separating them as she put two shadow wreathed fingers to his chest. ¡°Mm, and you were doing so well.¡± Zlyah frowned as if disappointed before giving him a smirk as an unpowered shove sent him tumbling onto his ass. ¡°Guess you¡¯ve still got a while before you can be a proper dance partner.¡± ¡°Was that really necessary?¡± He asked her, feeling the numerous cuts her little ¡®dance¡¯ had given him slowly closing. ¡°Mm, no, not really.¡± Zylah admitted, stomping between his legs. ¡°But it was fun.¡± (I should just be thankful she didn¡¯t stomp on me¡­) (Or upset.) (Be gone wicked thot!) The shadow dancer went to take a drink from her canteen before frowning as she found it empty. ¡°Hmm, what time is it?¡± He blinked. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know?¡± Zylah moved to her backpack before pulling out her phone. ¡°Hmm, almost nine. You want to go ahead and call it a night?¡± ¡°We can.¡± He shrugged, before painfully rolling onto his feet as he remembered just how long it¡¯d been since that vial of malice had worn off. ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m about done getting my ass kicked today.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± Zylah nodded, stretching her arms above her head. ¡°Hey, if I pay for your meal do you mind grabbing a burger for me? I can¡¯t really walk into a restaurant dressed like this.¡± ¡°Fine, but whatever I get I¡¯m super-sizing it.¡± He warned her. ¡°Fucking starving.¡± ¡°Yeah, next time we do this we need to bring snacks or something.¡± Zylah agreed as they made their way to the exit. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Malice Vial gained an additional (D6=6/3=)2XP to each skill. ---For rolling a Malice Crit gained 1 Malicious Madness. -Thanks to Zylah¡¯s Training gained 3XP to Brawling --Thanks to multiple Zylah Trainings in a turn gained an additional 1XP. --Thanks to Malice vial gained an additional 2XP. ---Currently: Lv. 4 (7/10) -Thanks to Zylah¡¯s Training gained 3XP to Ink Blot --Thanks to multiple Zylah Trainings in a turn gained an additional 1XP. --Thanks to Malice vial gained an additional 2XP. ---*Skill Level Up* Ink Blot Lv. 2 (3/6) -Thanks to Zylah¡¯s Training gained 3XP to Equip Ink. --Thanks to multiple Zylah Trainings in a turn gained an additional 1XP. --Thanks to Malice vial gained an additional 2XP. ---*Skill Level Up* Equip Ink Lv. 5 (0/12) -Grown notably closer to Zylah. -For using Malice Vials 7 Turns in a row gained 6 Malicious Madness. --A/N: Technically I should¡¯ve been keeping better track of this but I didn¡¯t notice so, you¡¯re getting a huge splurge of it now plus a bonus point for me missing this. So all in all you get 7 Malicious Madness this turn. Act 29: Three Women, Three Criminals, And Three Mistakes Made Act 29: Three Women, Three Criminals, And Three Mistakes Made --- Joshua --- His school had a bit of a bullying problem. This wasn¡¯t too surprising given the location of the school, its underfunding, the number of people in gangs, hormonal teenagers, and everything else. What was surprising was how blatant the teens tended to get throughout the day, because while they never did anything in front of the teachers they had no problem outright torturing each other in front of their fellow students. Something he found himself taking exception to, as he watched a kid forced to empty their pockets out for a ¡®protection fee¡¯. (You don¡¯t make the people pay you to protect them, they pay you by going to you for their vices. You protect them for their loyalty, and their loyalty protects you from the boys in blue.) Some dark part of him growled. (Robbing your own people, this is just¡­ disgraceful.) He felt his Madness field spasming as if it wished to be let free from the passive control he had over it. He saw no reason to stop it. Near the little ¡®protection racket¡¯ he saw one teen bump into a girl as she was going for a drink of water, causing her to drop the bottle, sending water all over the floor. The thug mugging his fellow student took a step back into the small puddle and seemed to lose even greater traction than he should¡¯ve as his foot went sliding, causing him to slip and slide until the thug¡¯s head impacted a nearby locker hard enough to knock them out. --- After his first bout of mayhem, he found himself letting his madness field loose anytime he saw someone being bullied, causing a series of odd events that ended with the aggressor in pain. And so with each break between classes he found himself going on a walk, (a very enthusiastic walk), all the while humming a happy tune as his every step caused another minor disaster to befall someone he¡¯d taken offense to. It was in the middle of one of these enthusiastic walks, that he came across Annette surrounded by a group of female students, throwing insults at her while shoving them between her. For a brief moment he considered leaving Annette to deal with her own problems, given how every other time he¡¯d tried to get involved she¡¯d run him off or snap at him for one reason or another. (Some people just have to fight their own battles to stay sane.) But then one of the bullies grabbed Annette¡¯s backpack and pulled it off of her at the same time that another shoved her, causing her shirt to catch and tear as several buttons popped off. (Then again, sometimes people pick fights they can¡¯t win.) Frowning at the scene in front of him, he snapped his fingers. The strap on Annette¡¯s backpack snapped, causing the girl tugging on it to lose balance and stumble backwards where she stepped on a football someone had left on the ground before having it roll out from under her foot, sending her crashing into the ground with a nasty knock to her head. ¡°Oh shit, are you okay?¡± One of the girls cried as they turned their attention to their downed friend. He snapped his fingers again. Another one of the buttons on Annette¡¯s shirt popped off, only instead of hitting the ground it shot straight into one of the girl¡¯s eyes. ¡°Agh, fuck!¡± The girl cursed, stumbling backwards before an opening door slammed into her sending her toppling forward, dragging two of the other girls down with her. ¡°The fuck?!¡± One of the last two standing asked, looking around in shock. He snapped his fingers once more. ¡°Watch out!¡± A voice called from down the hall. Stepping out of the way, he watched as a janitor¡¯s cart rolled past before one of its wheels collided with the football from before, sending mop water flying all over the last two girls causing both to shriek as they ran away from the mess. For a moment everything was silent as Annette looked around in shock, before eventually her eyes met his. She glanced down briefly at her torn open shirt showing her- (Ah, ah, gentlemen don¡¯t look.) (It¡¯s just a bra.) (That was enough to shoot someone back in the day.) Annette clenched her shirt shut before grabbing her backpack and sprinting away. ¡°Hope she¡¯s okay.¡± He said to himself, wiping at the wetness below his nose. Scene Consequences -Gained 1 XP to Rube Goldberg Field --Thanks to Malice Vial gained (D6=4) additional XP. ---*Power Level Up* Lv. 4 (0/10) -For consuming Malice consistently gained 1 Malicious Madness. --- ¡°Okay¡­ I guess this is the place.¡± He figured, checking his phone once more for the address as he shifted his package under arm. The favor Zylah had apparently needed was a delivery of some kind, which is why he¡¯d grabbed the container from a rooftop near his school before bringing it to the tall apartment building in front of him. He didn¡¯t actually know what was in the container, and though his curiosity was peaked by the package¡¯s contents, he did know he wouldn¡¯t be able to open it and reseal it without letting the receiver of said package know he¡¯d tampered with it. (Which would probably get back to Zylah, and I don¡¯t need her being even more pissed at me.) Walking up to the building¡¯s entrance he tried to open the door before frowning as he found it locked, leaving him stranded on the street with no way to actually deliver his package. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Briefly, his eyes drifted upward as he considered trying to scale the building. (Yeah, no. I don¡¯t have anywhere near the mobility or acrobatics to pull that off.) Deciding it was best to find out what Zylah wanted him to do since he couldn¡¯t finish her favor, he tried calling her number only to have it hang up half way through the first ring. ¡°Oh, are you here to drop something off?¡± A woman asked as she pushed a girl in a wheelchair to the door. Thinking fast, he nodded as he subtly opened a food app on his phone before quickly flashing it. ¡°Yeah, I tried calling but the customer isn¡¯t answering, and they didn¡¯t give me a code to get into the building.¡± ¡°Ah, then just give me a moment.¡± The woman told him before entering a code and unlocking the door. ¡°There you go.¡± ¡°Thank you ma¡¯am.¡± He nodded, before holding the door open so the mother and daughter could get through. ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all, the elevator is this way if you need it.¡± The woman smiled as she pointed towards a wall. ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± He smiled back as he followed the pair. ¡°What floor?¡± He checked his phone. ¡°Uh, fourth floor.¡± A few moments later he found himself parting from the mother and daughter and followed the phone¡¯s instructions to a potted plant before grabbing it by the stem and pulling it out to reveal a fake bottom that he dropped the package in. Pulling out his phone, he tried calling Zylah once more only to have it hang up as soon as did so. So instead he texted her, (¡°Dropped the package off.¡±) As he got in the elevator once more Zylah texted him back a quick, (¡°Thanks.¡±) And as he rode the elevator down, he couldn¡¯t help but, (Wonder what the deal with this package thing was?) Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Zylah. -????? ??????? has gotten ?????? for their next encounter. --- Laying in bed and blissfully asleep, he found himself slowly dragged awake by the rapid buzzing of his phone as someone texted him. ¡°Who the fuck is calling at-¡± He checked his phone. ¡°Two AM?¡± ???: [Josh.] ???: [Joshua.] ???: [Joshua Durand] ???: [Are you asleep?] ???: [I¡¯m going to bug you until you wake up.] ???: [Wake up.] ???: [Wake up!] ???: [Wake up!!!] ???: [Are you ignoring me?] ???: [Don¡¯t ignore me!] ???: [I¡¯m bored¡­] ???: [Answer me!] ???: [I¡¯m not stopping until you get up bitch!] Running a hand down his face he groggily answered by asking. You: [Who is this?] ???: [Yay, you¡¯re awake!] You: [Thanks to you.] ???: [You¡¯re welcome!] You: [Again, who is this?] ???: [The GM.] He blinked at that. You: [How did you get my number?] ???: [Better question than why does the gang leader have your number, is¡­ WHY HAVEN¡±T YOU CALLED ME YET?!!!] He blinked again, because while he did have the gang leader¡¯s number¡­ You: [Why would I call you?] ???: [Look Josh, I get that you¡¯re an inexperienced teen, but when a pretty girl gives you her number, she expects you to call her dumbass. Not ghost her for two weeks!!!] (Yeah, this one is on you kid.) You: [I figured you¡¯d be busy with gang leader stuff and wouldn¡¯t want to talk to me!] That was a blatant lie, he¡¯d completely forgotten the GM had given him her number since he¡¯d had his heist just a day or two later. ???: [I wouldn¡¯t have given you my number if that was the case.] (That really was a terrible lie on your part.) ???: [Now I¡¯m bored so entertain me!] He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes, feeling like he should point out the time and the fact that she should probably go to sleep. Before remembering that as a gang leader she probably worked really weird hours and that excuse wouldn¡¯t get him off the hook. You: [So what exactly am I supposed to do then?] ???: [You¡¯re a theater Wonderlander put on a show!] You: [Over a phone?] ???: [You¡¯ve got a camera!] He ran a hand down his face before shaking his head. You: [Yeah, no. Theater is closed for maintenance.] A thought occurred to him, one that was probably manipulative but¡­ You: [Why don¡¯t you, I don¡¯t know, complain about your job and I¡¯ll pretend to care.] (Too mean?) He frowned, rereading his text. (Little bit, might want to reel it in to make this work.) ???: [Pretend to care?!] You: [You shouldn¡¯t have used Charisma as a dump stat.] ???: [I¡¯ll have you know that Wonderlanders get a bonus to all Charm checks!] You: [Well you still failed this check. You¡¯re at Fellow Wonderlander right now so you need more Rep gains to make me actively care as your Wonderlander Friend.] He was hoping the video game jokes would play into her Wonderland theme just enough to smooth things over, at the very least it fit with what he could remember of their conversations a couple weeks prior. After a few minutes the GM responded with, ???: [Fair.] ???: [So what part of my ¡®job¡¯ am I supposed to complain about then?] You: [Well, I doubt you want to bad mouth your guild so since you¡¯re a supervillain, why not complain about the heroes? You know, ¡®Fuck the po-po!¡¯ or some shit.] (Might be being a little too obvious with this one.) ???: [Yeah, I don¡¯t actually interact with them all that much given how I usually run things from behind the scenes.] (Damn.) He knew that was a bit of a longshot since the GM wasn¡¯t as openly active as all of her lieutenants. (Alright, how can I salvage this?) You: [Well, running your events like you do can¡¯t be easy. What kind of problems do you have doing all of that?] ???: [At this point most of it is automated through my Gamer System, but I do spend a fair amount of time trying to tweak everyone¡¯s personal experiences to be more fun for each of them.] You: [Really, how do you do that?] ???: [Well first thing you¡¯ve got to do is figure out what kind of gamer each person is. Do they prefer speed, stealth, outright assault, minions, or so on. That¡¯s actually why I give people a class selection every so often to try and get an idea of this and if their style is changing one way or another.] (Interesting, that¡¯s kind of the polar opposite of what we have to do with our shows. Since we have to be both consistent but make sure people won¡¯t get bored of our antics either.) He blinked as he realized that before asking the GM for her opinion on that little detail, as they began to go back and forth discussing the need for Wonderlanders to read people to maximize their gains. Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to the GM. -Despite not getting desired information, gained 1XP to Slyness for her not realizing what you were doing. --*Skill Level Up* Slyness Lv. 3 (0/8) Informant/Contact Tutorial: Questions to Informants are split into Social and Professional, Social questions will boost relationship with the Informant while Professional questions will offer more info about various things. The higher your Rep level the more information the Informant will freely share, but asking information outside of your given relationship (I.E. Friend, Minion, Spy, etc.) will cause you to lose rep with them. (Though there will be a Slyness saving throw before that.) It is up to you the players to figure out what information your informants are willing to give based on your current relationship with them, be it professional or personal. (Hint: The GM is excited to know another Wonderlander is in the city.) A/N: Realize this one kind of makes Josh come off as a jerk, but given the context¡­ Act 30: Parties, Drinks, Family, and Madness Act 30: Parties, Drinks, Family, and Madness --- Joshua --- ¡°And here¡­ is the Madness we¡­ need.¡± Avery told him as the boss dream finished sculpting the Malicious Madness into a different resource, one that left him oddly hungering for more the longer he stared into it. ¡°Or rather one of the two we needed.¡± ¡°Uh, two?¡± He blinked as he quit staring into the hungering abyss. ¡°Yeah, we uh, there were two different Madnesses we could¡¯ve used to restore the dining hall, since those were the resources most spent on this section.¡± The cabaret manager explained. ¡°If I¡¯d used [Exciting Madness] I could¡¯ve focused on restoring the seating allowing us to handle bigger numbers but because we¡¯re using [Hungering Madness] here I can do something a bit, uh, a bit different.¡± ¡°Different how?¡± He asked, following Avery away from the bar and towards the center of the hall. ¡°Just, uh, just give me a sec and I¡¯ll uh, show you, boss.¡± The cabaret manager told him before pushing the floating Madness forward where it began to slowly spin, picking up speed bit by bit until it was eventually a small twister pulling everything in. ¡°Uh, Avery, is this supposed to be happening?¡± He frowned, gripping a nearby table to maintain his balance. ¡°I think so?¡± ¡°You think?!¡± After another moment the Madness seemed to burst, sending a wave of something rippling through the room as each table it touched seemed to clean itself up, not necessarily looking new or fancy but definitely looking a lot cleaner and stabler. What really stood out though was when the wave hit the wall between the stage and the bar, causing the wall to shake for a moment before a set of double doors seemed to sprout up from the ground. Avery seemed to squeal about something before rushing towards the door and shoving them open only to immediately begin slumping. ¡°I thought¡­ maybe¡­ Damn it¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He asked, walking up to the depressed dream. Avery sighed, before pushing the door open so that he could see the dark and clearly abandoned kitchen within. ¡°I thought maybe if we brought the kitchen back one of¡­ one of the old Dreams might¡­¡± Avery gave another sigh before letting the doors close on themselves. ¡°Should¡¯ve known she wouldn¡¯t when no one showed up after the Dressing room¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he realized what Avery had been hoping for, before giving him a pat on the shoulder. ¡°Uh, let me pour you a drink.¡± Scene Consequences -Converted 3 Malicious Madness into [???] Madness. --[???] Madness revealed to be [Hungering Madness]. -Dining Hall has been (mostly) restored. --For using [Hungering Madness], Dining hall tables have been fully restored (the chairs less so). ---Comfort of Cabaret guests has increased, increasing customer satisfaction and retention once the Cabaret opens. ---Kitchen has been unlocked for restoration. Note: This counts as restoring the Dining Hall for quest purposes. --- Bonus Scene --- ¡°Boss, don¡¯t take this the wrong way but, uh, this tastes like piss.¡± Avery told him having taken a sip of the drink in front of him. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m going to be honest, I have no idea what any of these are.¡± He confessed reaching under the counter. ¡°I mean, I know a few drinks from living in a bar, even if Chris wouldn¡¯t let me drink them, but most of these bottles are empty and the few that have something in them have the labels so faded that I have no idea what they are.¡± ¡°Hmm, yeah, we do need to restock on top of everything else.¡± Avery admitted with a tired grin before reaching across the counter and grabbing a few bottles. ¡°Here, if you want a pick-me-up you want to mix a few of these.¡± He checked them and could not tell what any of these were. ¡°How can you tell what these are?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my job to know the details of everything in the Cabaret.¡± Avery shrugged, before downing the glass of ¡®tastes like piss¡¯ and shaking his head. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s mix a lot of Hope, a bit of Faith, and just a touch of Desperation.¡± The dream told him grabbing the unlabeled bottles and pouring a bit of each into the glass and another next to it. ¡°And now you have some Spirit Raising Spirits, or a cheap version of it anyway.¡± Avery sipped at his glass before letting out a sigh. He stared at his own glass for a minute before deciding (fuck it, underage drinking isn¡¯t any worse than what I¡¯ve already done) and sipping at his own glass. It was an odd thing, definitely different from any other drink he¡¯d ever had, if only because it made him feel something, which he was pretty sure was the opposite of most alcohol. As the drink hit his tongue he felt this sort of rising sensation in his spine, as if he could face anything that stood against him if he just didn¡¯t give up. ¡°I guess this really does raise your spirits.¡± He blinked, staring at the glass. ¡°Yep, and just imagine what it¡¯d do if we were using the good stuff instead of the bottom of the shelf.¡± Avery smirked, before sighing again. ¡°Or an actual bartender¡­¡± They were both quiet as Avery slowly finished off his drink, before giving him an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry about drinking on the job boss.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re really busy just yet.¡± He shrugged, gesturing to the empty cabaret. ¡°Though I expect you to stay sober once this place really starts rocking.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Avery nodded. Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Avery. --- After a few more drinks, Avery seemed to lose the usual nervousness that followed him everywhere, if only because he was slightly buzzed by his third glass of Spirit Raising Spirits. (Liquid courage I guess.) He thought with some amusement as Avery talked fairly clearly. ¡°You know I¡¯ve got to ask, ever since we set up the projector I¡¯ve been able to get a better idea of what you¡¯ve got going on around you.¡± Avery told him, swirling his drink around. ¡°But there¡¯s a couple things I was kind of wondering about.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± He asked curiously. Avery sipped at his drink. ¡°Well for starters, what¡¯s the deal with the shadow girl you spent all that time sparring with?¡± ¡°She¡¯s¡­ sort of like a co-worker, I guess.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about her aside from the fact that she¡¯s working for the same people as me and is better than me in a fight.¡± ¡°I see¡­ and who exactly are you working for?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that before sighing. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure, all I know about them is that they can make me disappear if they feel like it and they¡¯re supplying me and probably Zylah, with Malice.¡± ¡°Malice¡­¡± Avery frowned. ¡°That¡¯s the uh, drug I¡¯ve seen you taking a couple times right?¡± ¡°Right, it¡¯s also what gives us that Malicious Madness to work with.¡± He nodded. ¡°Ugh, hate that stuff.¡± The Dream grimaced before finishing off his glass. ¡°I get you but we don¡¯t have many options right now if we want to get the Cabaret up and running quick.¡± He pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s not the best option but the stuff also enhances my powers a bit, so I¡¯m getting my feet under me faster.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve got to do these Malice Dealers favors to keep them supplying you?¡± Avery figured as he grabbed the bottles again. ¡°Yeah, they have me putting on shows as distractions to their real crimes.¡± He admitted. ¡°At the very least they¡¯re giving me a direction to run until I can figure this all out.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t intend to work for them forever do you?¡± Avery asked as he refilled his glass. He couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°Fuck no. Moment I¡¯ve got enough power to take them on they can go fuck themselves, and take their Malice with them.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Avery nodded with a smile. ¡°The boss of the Cartoon Cabaret shouldn¡¯t be working for anyone but him and his.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll toast to that.¡± He agreed as they tapped their glasses together. Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Avery. --- ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit late for Decorations?¡± He asked, ¡°I mean, Halloween is tomorrow.¡± ¡°Which is why it¡¯ll be twice as special if we set up decorations today!¡± Maddie told him as she hung up a string of decorative lights. ¡°No one is going to be expecting them!¡± ¡°Given how you guys have done a Halloween party for like the last five years, I¡¯m pretty sure everyone is expecting one this year.¡± He felt the need to remind her. ¡°True, but at the very least the kids will like it.¡± Chris pointed out as he set down a box of games and decorations. ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ve got enough games and stuff to keep all of them busy through the night.¡± ¡°Eh, the younger ones are usually solid until they crash but the teenagers are usually a problem.¡± He shrugged as he began to shift through the box. ¡°Yeah, teenage years are when you start to really notice the Halloween curfew.¡± His brother nodded. ¡°Though I can¡¯t really disapprove of it since it¡¯s there to keep people safe.¡± ¡°Not that that stopped us from breaking it every year.¡± Maddie snorted. ¡°True, but that was before we realized how bad the Halloween Haunts can get.¡± Chris sighed. ¡°At the very least the worst of that mess isn¡¯t anywhere near this neighborhood so we should be pretty solid over here.¡± ¡°Halloween Haunt?¡± He frowned. ¡°Do we get ghosts here or something?¡± Because he remembered his brother doing something on Halloween during his hero days, but he¡¯d always thought it was the standard halloween patrol or teenager stuff. ¡°Eh, or something.¡± Chris grimaced. ¡°This is one of the busier times of the year for the city¡¯s Hunters, and not just because of the false positives or Arcane accidentally summoning something they shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°So¡­ going to tell me what goes bump in the night?¡± He asked, just a little curious. ¡°A few things, but nothing you need to worry about.¡± Chris told him, setting up a cardboard cutout of some kind. ¡°As long as you stay home after curfew anyway.¡± (Don¡¯t know what I was expecting there.) He sighed to himself. Even if he couldn¡¯t keep the big secret to save his life, his brother had no problem dancing around the actual details of his mask days. ¡°Well, speaking of curfew, I was supposed to meet up with someone at the park.¡± He half-lied. ¡°So if I want to get home before said curfew I¡¯ve got to get going.¡± ¡°Stay safe, and be back before dark.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± He agreed, knowing there wasn¡¯t much that could legitimately threaten him now that he had his powers. Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Maddie and Chris. --- ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the Wonderlander kid, right?¡± A red headed woman in a leather jacket asked, walking up to him as he stood in line for the Gamer Guild¡¯s dungeon. ¡°Uh, what?¡± He blinked, glancing at the people just a couple of steps away from him and clearly watching him curiously. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± The woman pulled out her phone and dialed a number. After a moment his own phone began to ring. ¡°Yep, you¡¯re the Wonderlander kid.¡± The woman nodded, before grabbing him by his shoulder and dragging him with her. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the big idea?!¡± He cried, trying to pull his arm away only to find he couldn¡¯t break her iron grip on him, even with his enhanced strength. (The fuck?) ¡°Well, you see my younger sister spent all night texting this boy. Something she hasn¡¯t ever done.¡± The woman began, not slowing her pace as she dragged him away from the Gamer Guild¡¯s area. ¡°And wouldn¡¯t you know it, but said boy decided to get close enough to the entrance of her Wonderland that she actually recognized him waiting in line.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m guessing I¡¯m this boy and the GM is your sister.¡± He sighed, realizing that he was stuck just going with whatever this was. ¡°Yep.¡± The woman told him before snapping her fingers. There was a blinding flash of light, and suddenly he felt the woman throwing him across the park, only when he hit the ground instead of rolling across grass he found himself bouncing off of a rock like surface. ¡°Fuck!¡® ¡°Anyway being the wonderful big sister that I am, I decided to have a little chat with this boy.¡± The woman continued, as he staggered onto his feet to find that he was now in some sort of gladiatorial arena, surrounded by seats on all sides and burning torches above the walls of the pit. ¡°I see, well uh, it¡¯s nice to meet you¡­ I¡¯m uh, Joshua.¡± He introduced himself, trying to get his bearings after whatever just happened. ¡°Tristana Penelope Kowalski.¡± The woman greeted back as she stuck her hand into a seeming hole in the air. ¡°Though most people just call me TPK.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He nodded before TPK slammed an oversized blade into the ground. ¡°Ah shit.¡± TPK (Pt. 1): The Ink Pen’s Words and The Mighty Sword’s Wit TPK (Pt. 1): The Ink Pen¡¯s Words and The Mighty Sword¡¯s Wit --- Joshua --- ¡°Okay, so before we go any further I¡¯ve got to ask if you¡¯re trying to run me off, see what kind of guy I am, or if this is some kind of shovel talk? Because I¡¯ll admit on that last one we are nowhere near dating given how we¡¯ve had like¡­ two long conversations. It¡¯s way too soon for that kind of thing.¡± He told TPK, hoping she could be reasoned with. The red head blinked for a moment before looking down at her blade. ¡°Huh, it does look like that doesn¡¯t it?¡± It was his turn to blink. ¡°Uh, what?¡± The woman seemed to think about something for a second before snapping her fingers. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s where you misunderstood.¡± ¡°Again, what?¡± He frowned. ¡°Okay, so yeah, I don¡¯t actually care if you talk to the GM.¡± TPK admitted, before explaining that. ¡°She¡¯s a big girl with two small armies both willing to rip you limb from limb if you touch her. Or if she tells them not to, one of her many adopted siblings can just fire bomb your house while you¡¯re asleep, hunt you down for sport with a pack of demons, or frame you for crimes so vile no one mundane or mask will ever work with you again. All of which of course depends on which of us you piss off.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He did not squeak as he was once more reminded how thoroughly the GM could trounce him if not only her but her family felt like it. ¡°What actually interested me is the fact that usually doesn¡¯t have conversations outside of the family unless she¡¯s playing a game. So I asked who she was texting with without playing a game, since it wasn¡¯t one of our siblings and she said it was this new Wonderlander she met.¡± The GM¡¯s sister continued. ¡°At which point I looked up your dungeon run, and wouldn¡¯t you know it as I was walking out I saw the same guy standing outside waiting for a rematch with the dungeon.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m uh, I¡¯m following so far.¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°But uh, that doesn¡¯t explain why we¡¯re here.¡± He gestured to the coliseum around them. ¡°Oh, I just wanted to fight you.¡± TPK explained as if it was the simplest thing in the world. ¡°Right¡­ and the uh, kidnapping?¡± He asked, silently questioning the woman¡¯s sanity. ¡°I mean you could¡¯ve just asked for a fight.¡± ¡°Your consent does not matter to me.¡± The woman told him bluntly. He blinked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what was that?¡± ¡°I said, your consent does not matter to me.¡± TPK repeated. ¡°Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but I am going to thrust my sword into you.¡± ¡°... I am deeply uncomfortable with everything you just said.¡± ¡°Right, rough way it is.¡± TPK told him, picking up the massive sword she wanted to fuck him up with. ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± He cried trying to stall. ¡°Uh, what kind of person do you want?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The (crazy) woman paused. ¡°I¡¯m, uh, I¡¯m a Wonderlander.¡± He reminded her. ¡°And well¡­ A Wonderlander has to stick to their theme, and mine just so happens to be a¡­ theater.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± TPK nodded, waiting for him to explain why that mattered. ¡°Well, uh, as a theater Wonderlander I have these¡­ different personas I can play.¡± He lied through his teeth. ¡°Each persona has its own powers and style, so which one would you like?¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Like those few bits of your run where you got especially brutal.¡± The guild lieutenant said, buying his bullshit. ¡°Exactly.¡± He smiled, happily selling said bullshit. ¡°So what do you want, something comical, brutal, heroic? Ooh, maybe an honorable warrior type, huh?¡± ¡°You know what, let¡¯s go with the honorable warrior type.¡± TPK told him. ¡°Been a while since I¡¯ve fought one of those.¡± ¡°Ah, good choice.¡± He applauded her before forming his ink blade in hand. ¡°Oh, but wait, we need to signify respect with our duel.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± The warrior woman nodded, before offering her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s have a good clean fight, huh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± He nodded, taking her hand and immediately tagging it. ¡°You know this is what I love about honorable types.¡± TPK said as they shook hands. ¡°The fact that they¡¯re willing to show respect?¡± He figured. ¡°No, that they¡¯re stupid enough to get in beatdown range.¡± The gang leader corrected before kicking him between the legs with enough force to lift him off the ground. ¡°Fu~uck!¡± Whimpered hitting the ground. ¡°Honestly, if you¡¯re going to be a Mask that kind of thing would get you killed.¡± TPK told him as she used her grip on his hand to lift him up before stabbing her sword into him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry though, I¡¯ll teach you what you¡¯re supposed to do. Though the first time does hurt a bit.¡± ¡°Not if¡­ your partner¡­ knows what they¡¯re¡­ doing¡­¡± He argued, refusing to let her have the last word. TPK gave him a smirk before pulling out her massive sword and kicking him away from her. Rolling across the ground, he could do little to slow himself down due to the pain in his stomach. Though when he did finally come to a stop he couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he saw the gaping hole in his stomach. (Fuck that¡¯s bad¡­) ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t tell me you finished already?¡± The (psycho-bitch) whined as he reached into his coat rather than immediately get back up. ¡°Are you really a one-and-done chump?¡± ¡°Fuck¡­ you¡­¡± He coughed, pulling out a crimson vial as he picked himself off the ground. ¡°Maybe if you¡¯re a good boy.¡± The older woman winked, causing his face to heat up as he pulled the stopped off of his vial. TPK gave a laugh at that as rather than answering he downed the vial of malice, the taste of strawberries and copper filling his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s that? You need a¡­ performance enhancer?¡± The older woman teased, making his blush worsen given the truth behind it. (Oof kid, we need to step up your game and how. Don¡¯t worry though, I¡¯ve got your back.) ¡°What, am I not good looking enough for you?¡± TPK pouted as he felt his heart begin to beat to that familiar tune. (First rule of any performance be it flirting or comedy, it¡¯s all a game of chicken. Never back down and always be willing to go a step further than your opponent.) He gave a chuckle and smirked at the older woman. ¡°No, shame in a man admitting he needs a bit of help to keep up with someone as beautiful as you darlin¡¯. After all, all that matters is making sure you are more than satisfied.¡± TPK blinked in surprise before gaining a smile dangerous in more than one way. ¡°Ooh, you might actually be fun.¡± ¡°I try not to disappoint.¡± He admitted with a nod. The older woman glanced down before kicking his ink blade back to him. ¡°That might be tricky, since with what you¡¯re carrying you don¡¯t look all that well equipped.¡± (Next rule: subvert expectations and you¡¯ll hit ¡®em twice as hard.) He gave the TPK and her oversized blade an unimpressed look as he spun his own knife in hand before shaking his head. ¡°Oh, I do feel the need to apologize.¡± ¡°What for?¡± TPK frowned suspiciously. ¡°Well it seems you¡¯ve been deeply disappointed by my fellows if you believe size is an indicator of¡­ prowess, which is a true shame.¡± He explained, before having his Ink Equip turn into a whip and strike at her. ¡°Especially since skill is far more important.¡± (Most importantly always recognize your audience and what appeals to them.) ¡°Oh, whips on the first date?¡± The older woman smirked as she blocked the strike. ¡°Aren¡¯t you forward?¡± ¡°You seem like the kind of gal who¡¯d appreciate such a thing.¡± He admitted, before giving her a charming grin. ¡°We both know anything less would bore you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± TPK admitted as she readied her blade. ¡°So let¡¯s see if you can satisfy me with that little toy of yours.¡± ¡°Trust me,¡± He bowed, never breaking eye contact. ¡°my tongue is far more dangerous than any toy.¡± TPK (Pt. 2): A Duel of Wits, Ink, and Blades TPK (Pt. 2): A Duel of Wits, Ink, and Blades --- Joshua --- The guild lieutenant rushed him, crossing half the arena with a single kick to the ground and her sword pulled behind her. Reading his tag on her hand he adjusted his footing ever so slightly, so close to the perfect distance that the blade crashed but a hair¡¯s width behind him. ¡°Ooh, you missed, does that mean I get a kiss?¡± He wondered idly as he glanced over his shoulder to meet her eyes bashfully. TPK grinned with more fangs than he was expecting, before telling him, ¡°Only if you can give me a proper dance.¡± as she backhanded him with enough force to generate a gust of wind. Or rather she tried to backhand him, and unfortunately -(for her)- chose to use the hand he tagged, letting him move as soon as her hand began to twitch. ¡°Since you seem intent, I¡¯ve no problem letting you lead, beautiful.¡± He grinned back as he gave her a half bow. ¡°Oh, not going to hit me again?¡± TPK asked with a pout, despite swinging her sword with enough force to cleave him in two if she hit him. ¡°What can I say?¡± He shrugged ever so casually as he continued to avoid her strikes, some part of him having realized that her swings were about twice the length of his legs, allowing him to dance around her swings with an odd sort of two-step. ¡°A proper gentleman knows to only go as far as the lady is willing.¡± ¡°Really, in that case I¡¯m thinking¡­¡± She lunged forward stabbing her blade towards him. ¡°penetration!¡± ¡°Oh, my!¡± He gasped, putting a hand to his mouth as bashfully spun around, and just so happened to avoid getting stabbed. ¡°Who¡¯s the forward one now?¡± ¡°And who¡¯s the fight tease?¡± TPK scoffed as she swung at his open back, before watching him backflip over the blade without touching it. (I didn¡¯t even know I could do that!) ¡°You¡¯re not even fighting back!¡± ¡°Oh, that?¡± He smiled as he took a step forward, leaving their faces close enough to breathe on each other. ¡°I was just figuring out what you¡¯d find most¡­ pleasurable.¡± TPK swallowed and -(that is my victory)- didn¡¯t notice his hand swinging for her face until he toonified it on impact, causing her to stagger back a step from the unexpected blow. The redhead blinked before giggling as she wiped a bit of blood from under her nose and gave him a smile of her own, one notably more deranged than his own. ¡°Oh, that was a good one.¡± He was about to offer her another innuendo before she blurred out of existence, causing him to drop to the ground as he felt her reappear behind him, just barely avoiding the swing that would¡¯ve taken his head. ¡°Give me another!¡± TPK laughed as she kicked him in the ass, sending him tumbling across the arena a good few meters. ¡°F-u-uck.¡± He groaned, as the song in his head began to skip and sputter a bit. (She is really crossing the crazy threshold for her hotness.) He shook his head as he forced himself onto his feet and immediately rolled to the side to avoid being cleaved in two by the (crazy) woman¡¯s skull splitter, which instead left a visible fissure in the ground. (Right, okay time to start cheating.) (Best idea you¡¯ve had all day.) ¡°Whoo, you are¡­ something¡­ darlin¡¯.¡± He coughed as he twisted his Madness in the general direction of TPK, trying to get his field to latch onto her but finding that it didn¡¯t want to listen to him for some reason. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Oh, getting serious enough to really bring out the Madness, eh?¡± TPK smiled with more fangs than he remembered her having. ¡°Should warn you whatever you¡¯re trying to pull there ain¡¯t going to override my field.¡± ¡°Uh, what?¡± He asked, realizing that no matter how hard he focused he just could not get his field to target her. (Oh, this is bad, this is very bad.) ¡°Yeah, perk of being so close to my little sis.¡± TPK explained as she slowly walked towards him with a bloodthirsty grin. ¡°To directly attack me with Madness, you have to use enough Madness to override hers, and well¡­¡± The Gamer Guild lieutenant gestured to the arena around them. ¡°We¡¯re kind of in the middle of her domain here. My corner of it maybe, but still her domain.¡± (Ah, shit¡­ I thought that was just Jack¡¯s weirdness¡­) He swallowed, as the tune inside his head finally snapped leaving behind an ominous silence and a feeling of weakness. ¡°Ahh, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to give up because your little trick didn¡¯t work?¡± TPK cooed as she lifted his chin with her sword. ¡°Unless that and talking are your only real tricks?¡± (She¡¯s looking down on me¡­) ¡°No.¡± He growled, grabbing her blade and moving it away from him so that he could stand. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s your next trick?¡± The Guild lieutenant smirked, her pupils contracted to pinpoints. ¡°Because you promised not to bore me.¡± ¡°I did.¡± He admitted, before bending down to pick up the hat he had lost. ¡°And I assure you it is going to be a stunning performance.¡± The moment his hat touched his head he flooded it with Madness, causing a flash of light to erupt from it and TPK to stumble back as she blinked the spots out of her eyes. While he did this, rather than pressing the advantage, he tightened his grip on her blade and began pushing his ink into it, hoping to toonify her sword in the same way he¡¯d turned a goblin¡¯s blade into his knife. TPK shook her head and turned to him, having overcome his stun faster than he¡¯d been expecting, before her eyes darted down to her sword and the ink spreading across it with a glare. Instead of trying to wrench the blade from his hand, she instead let go of it, leaving him with all of the weight as even his strength wasn¡¯t anywhere near enough to hold it up with a single hand. With her now free hands TPK grabbed both sides of his head before pulling back her own and headbutting him hard enough that he could swear he heard his nose crunching beneath her forehead. She then pushed his head back before slamming his face into her knee and proceeding to kick him hard enough to send him flying into the arena wall. ¡°Fuck!¡± He gasped as he staggered to his feet. ¡°Frak, you really screwed with my sword¡¯s coding with whatever you were doing here.¡± TPK told him as the blade in her hand seemed to give off pixels along the edge of where his ink coated it. ¡°Hmm, welp not much I can do with this, so I guess you can have it.¡± TPK deftly flipped the blade in her hand before raising it into the air and proceeding to hurl the broadsword at him as if it were a javelin. ¡°Oh, shi-¡± He barely managed one step before the blade pierced through his bicep. ¡°-UCK!¡± Blinking through the pain, he tried to move but found the blade was pinning him in place. ¡°Shit.¡± He cursed, before looking at TPK who was slowly making her way over. ¡°You know, I¡¯ll admit that was a bit interesting but it wasn¡¯t really the stunning performance you promised.¡± The guild lieutenant told him as she stuck a hand through another hole in the air before pulling out a sledgehammer with a head made of stone. He swung his ink whip at her hoping to force her back until he came up with an actual plan, but the more experienced fighter simply weaved through his strikes as she got ever closer. Something made all the worse when in his panic he swung his ink whip without refilling its ink, causing the whip to splatter against TPK¡¯s clothes on the one strike she couldn¡¯t avoid. ¡°Ah, done so soon? Ya couldn¡¯t keep it up just a bit longer?¡± The redhead pouted as she pulled her hammer back. ¡°I guess you really were all talk.¡± --- ¡°Boss!¡± Avery cried out running up to him as he hit the cabaret floor. ¡°The, the fuck?!¡± He blinked looking around in a daze as he pushed himself up. ¡°How, how did I get here?¡± ¡°That, that woman she knocked you out and you, you come here when you¡¯re, you¡¯re unconscious.¡± Avery tried to explain as he set a couple of half empty bottles next to them before mixing them into a glass and shoving it into his hands. ¡°If you, if you want to get back up you-you have to drink this. It¡¯ll consume a bit of Madness but, but it¡¯ll let you get back up right this second!¡± ¡°The¡­ the spirit raising spirits?¡± He asked, half-recognizing the drink despite his pounding headache. ¡°You need to decide quick, I-I know she said she wasn¡¯t your enemy but, but she¡¯s from a rival gang! Can you, can you really trust her?!¡± Avery panicked. He stared down at the glass in his hand, before TPK (Pt. 3): Give Me Victory or A Dance With Death TPK (Pt. 3): Give Me Victory or A Dance With Death --- Joshua --- He told Avery, ¡°Keep that bottle, ready I¡¯m not losing no matter what.¡± before downing the shot of Madness and feeling as if he was being dunked into a vat of cold water. --- He gasped, as his entire body lurched forward and he found himself once more pinned to the arena wall by the sword through his arm. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good I was half-scared I¡¯d killed you with the way you passed out.¡± TPK admitted with that (infuriating) smirk of hers. ¡°I guess that means you¡¯re just one of those guys who falls asleep before the girl is done.¡± He gave her a dark look as he reached into his jacket and pulled out another vial of Malice before pulling the cap off with his teeth and proceeding to down the vial as fast as he would a shot of Madness. All around him he began to hear music filling the air, and hearing that (sweet sadistic symphony of sound and swing) as he grabbed the blade pinning his arm to the wall he couldn¡¯t help but smile as he ripped the sword out of both in a spray of blood and ink. ¡°Oh, darlin¡¯ you¡¯ve no idea what kind of demon you¡¯re bringing out of me.¡± He grinned, swinging the ink stained sword through the air as if it weighed nothing at all. TPK shook her head, ¡°You¡¯ve been making some big promises kid and you¡¯ve yet to-¡± An oversized toon hand shot at the guild lieutenant, his arm stretching several meters as his hand slapped against the ground, and his opponent just barely avoided getting squashed as she leapt backwards. Rather than just retracting his hand he dug his fingers into the ground and pulled himself to his hand, before using his momentum to swing the oversized sword enough force that the only reason it didn¡¯t cleave TPK in two was because she bent over backwards to avoid the slash. Which unfortunately meant she was in no position to avoid the toonified backhand he threw back as he pulled his hand from the dirt. The guild lieutenant went flying before flipping in the air and hitting the ground in a three point slide. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s what I¡¯m-¡± TPK leaned to the side to avoid being impaled to the arena wall by her sword, much as he had been just a moment prior. Something that kept her from noticing as he wrapped his Ink Whip around her arm, before pulling her towards him. Shifting his ink through his hand he was about to use his Toon Hand to slam her into the ground, when much like he had with her sword TPK used the momentum of his pull to swing her axe at him with enough force that he could see the air splitting in its wake. Reacting more on reflex than any thought, he slid his feet across the ground as he spun his body around, somehow managing to both avoid being cleaved in two by TPK¡¯s axe and end up behind the older woman with an arm around her and an Ink Knife to her throat. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind beautiful, but I feel it¡¯s my turn to lead this dance.¡± He warned her, some part of him able to think beyond the hot older woman currently pressed up against his body. (Trust me, you¡¯ll get more than used to it, kid.) ¡°I¡¯ll admit, that was some fancy footwork.¡± TPK told him, as he felt several parts of her begin to tense. (Don¡¯t let her turn this around.) Rather than letting her do whatever she was going to to break free, he instead spun her around to face him and took a step closer making it impossible for her to get the leverage to swing her axe at him as he took her free hand in his and held it up. ¡°If we¡¯re going to dance, then shouldn¡¯t we dance?¡± He asked by way of explanation, purposely spinning the two of them to keep her from getting her feet underneath her. ¡°I, uh, what?¡± The older woman blinked, as he continued to move them in a way that he hoped would force her to drop the axe, so that he could drop the act, and her in turn. ¡°What? Can¡¯t you hear the music in the air?¡± He wondered aloud, beginning to hum to the tune in his head as he sped their movements up. ¡°That, uh, that doesn¡¯t sound like this kind of dance.¡± TPK pointed out after a few moments (of still holding onto that stupid axe.) ¡°True.¡± He admitted with a nod, before giving her a grin as his patience began to wear out. ¡°It¡¯s more this kind of dance.¡± He pulled back a step as leaned backwards, before stepping forward and swinging his head straight into hers. ¡°Fuck!¡± TPK cursed as she stumbled back. ¡°Oh, we haven¡¯t gotten to that part yet.¡± He warned her, as he once more pulled her towards him before swinging them in another circle in one last attempt to get her to lose her weapon. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Feeling her beginning to tense as she tried to lift her axe, he went ahead and called this a bad bet and let go of her on their next swing causing her to stumble back a step. Leaving her open for a toon hand to her face. Or so he thought as she instead caught his hand in hers. ¡°You know what?¡± The redhead asked with a grin as she licked a bit of blood from her lip. ¡°I think this dance is more my pace.¡± The gang lieutenant released his oversized hand before grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him in close as she swung them both around with her axe raised into the air, chasing after him to split him in- --- ¡°Fuck!¡± He gasped shooting up from the cabaret floor before grabbing onto a nearby table and pulling himself to his feet, where he found another glass of spirit raising spirits waiting for him. Grabbing the glass he raised it into the air and said, ¡°Third times the charm.¡± before downing it and feeling a wave of hot water rush over him. --- He pushed himself off of the ground where he¡¯d landed and saw as a massive gash in his side stitched itself shut with a series of black and red tendrils. Ink, blood, and Madness doing all they could to keep him alive and in one piece. ¡°Getting up for a third round.¡± TPK whistled as he climbed to his feet. ¡°Not many guys can do that.¡± ¡°What can I say? I¡¯ve got grit and gumption.¡± He told her, trying very hard to cover up the fact that he was having trouble breathing and could taste blood in his mouth. (Think she hit a lung with that last one.) Refusing to show blood in the water he gave the redhead a once over, and admitted, ¡°Then again it might just be the woman I¡¯m with, being too hot to stop.¡± ¡°Yeah, who knows when the next time you¡¯ll get a girl like me.¡± TPK nodded as she hefted her axe over her shoulder before blurring out of existence. ¡°You should enjoy it while you can.¡± The moment he heard her voice, he rolled forward; just barely avoiding a repeat of his last two performances as the gang lieutenant¡¯s blade cleaved through the air above him. ¡°Same to you. Most guys probably don¡¯t last this long, with a woman as feisty as you.¡± He pointed out, stalling as he got to his feet. ¡°So what do you say, we enjoy this chance and have another round of fun, eh?¡± The redhead giggled before giving him a vicious grin. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± She moved before him, but he moved more smoothly, as TPK rushed forward and slammed her axe down in a skull splitting strike that he stepped around, spinning his knife for a retaliatory slash. One that failed to connect as his opponent used her axe to leverage herself at an angle she couldn¡¯t naturally make before lashing out with a kick to his stomach, sending him sliding back a couple of meters. He tried very hard not to think about how many ribs that single blow must¡¯ve cracked if not outright broken. (I can¡¯t keep taking hits¡­ My healing factor is barely keeping up¡­ I¡¯m barely keeping up¡­) He was forced to admit, feeling a faint exhaustion throughout his mind and body as TPK rushed him once more. (Need something big to put her down.) He decided, as he avoided another flurry of swings, only managing because of the size and heft of the weapon she was twirling about slowing her down. (Madness field it out, I¡¯ve got one maybe two toon hands left, and I¡¯m just about out of ink.) He listed, running an inventory of his situation. (Quit thinking about what we can¡¯t do, and focus on what we can.) He blinked, before shaking his head as he caught sight of something as he weaved between TPK¡¯s onslaught. (Yeah, might be able to make something work with that¡­) Manipulating his ink he ducked beneath one another one of the gang lieutenant¡¯s swings, before throwing an Ink Blot at her face. ¡°Frak, what is this shit?!¡± TPK cursed as she leapt back, swiping at her eyes. Aware that this was likely his only chance he rushed forward, twirling his ink whip around his hand as he did so before leaping at the guild boss with a superman punch. He didn¡¯t know how she knew, but even blinded TPK stepped to her side avoiding the blow to her head, that between his weight, increased strength, and toon hands could¡¯ve done some serious damage to her. Luckily that blow would¡¯ve just been a bonus to give an opening, as instead he threw his hand out and sent his Ink Whip to grab the ink stained broadsword he¡¯d left in the arena wall before pulling it towards him with a spin. As he pulled the blade shot out of the wall and whistled through the air towards him, before giving into the momentum of his spin and swinging into a heavy strike across TPK¡¯s torso sending her flying back as he retracted the blade towards him. Not letting up he chased after her blade in hand before raising it for an overhead strike on his blinded foe. The redhead stilled for a split second before letting go of her axe and rolling to the side, somehow managing to once more avoid his attack despite her impairment. (Well¡­ At least I got her axe away from her¡­) He noted, attempting to stay positive despite his practically empty reserves. ¡°Gah, that was a dirty trick.¡± TPK told him as she finally cleared her eyes of his ink. ¡°Really? You seem to be¡­ enjoying it.¡± He pointed out with a glance to her grinning face, hoping to keep her talking so he could catch his breath and figure out his next move. ¡°Oh, I am.¡± The redhead admitted with a sinful smirk. ¡°Though I hope you know you¡¯re not the only one who can be dirty.¡± He gave her a grin and a shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t kink shame.¡± ¡°Good then just let me pull out a few more toys.¡± TPK smiled as she pushed both of her hands through the holes in the air before pulling out another pair of weapons. ¡°Kinky.¡± --- ¡°Oh, she is fucking me¡­ up¡­¡± He coughed, having to roll over rather than being able to actually pick himself off the ground. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Avery asked, helping him up to his feet. ¡°No, I¡¯m too tired to pull out the big moves, I can barely focus, and my Ink Well is just about empty.¡± He explained to the cabaret manager, before grabbing the glass of spirit raising spirits off of the table. ¡°At this point I¡¯m just going to have to brute force it until I beat her.¡± ¡°Can you beat her?¡± Avery frowned with a fair bit of concern. ¡°You¡¯ve already burned through two of our resources trying to beat her.¡± ¡°Well you know the saying¡­ give me victory or give me death.¡± He told the Boss Dream before downing his glass and being thrown back into the cold of reality. TPK (Pt. 4): A Finale Desiring A Mutual Encore TPK (Pt. 4): A Finale Desiring A Mutual Encore --- Joshua --- ¡°Fu~uck¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but groan as he forced himself back up, no helpful Avery to aid him in the Waking World. ¡°Ooh, up for round four?¡± TPK asked, looking for all the world like she¡¯d barely broken a sweat if not for the bit of dried blood beneath her nose. ¡°The spirit is willing.¡± He smiled, despite the aches and pains filling him. (But my flesh is squishy and bruised.) ¡°Fantastic.¡± The redhead grinned, scraping her swords against each other. Rolling his shoulders he raised his hands into the air, knowing that even if his powers were running dry he might be able to brawl his way out. (With enough tries anyway¡­) TPK¡¯s eyes narrowed before she sighed, and pushed her swords through a pair of holes in the air similar to the ones she¡¯d withdrawn them from before his latest defeat. ¡°Yeah, no.¡± ¡°Wha?¡± He blinked. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± The redhead gave him a look. ¡°You¡¯re barely standing.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m still standing.¡± He pointed out, as he fought down a grimace. ¡°And I¡¯ll keep standing back up every time you knock me down.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t doubt it.¡± TPK admitted. ¡°But at that point this becomes more of a chore than anything fun.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He sighed after a moment. ¡°Something I can see¡­¡± If TPK was only in this for a fun fight, then her just swatting him down so that he could stand back up and repeat the process wasn¡¯t going to be fun for anyone. (Even if I¡¯m willing to see it to the bitter end¡­) ¡°Yeah, at this point you¡¯re spent and it''s just me working myself up for nothing.¡± TPK nodded as she raised a hand before snapping her fingers and causing the world around them to shatter as they were left in the same park clearing she¡¯d dragged him to before their fight. ¡°That said, you did last significantly longer than I was expecting.¡± The red head gave him a sinful smile. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t quite satisfy me, it was¡­ fun in its own way.¡± (Oof, my manhood¡­) He gave her a wry grin. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m willing to keep fighting for it if you are.¡± ¡°And I appreciate that.¡± TPK chuckled as she walked over. ¡°If anything you¡¯ve definitely got more games than I was expecting.¡± ¡°My tongue is my most dangerous tool.¡± He reminded her. ¡°That it is.¡± TPK agreed, stepping far closer to him than he was expecting. ¡°Hell, with a tongue like that you¡¯ll eat my sister alive if you try but-¡± (Oof, my manhood!) ¡°-hopefully not before I get a proper taste for myself.¡± With that he felt a pair of lips on his cheek not even an entire inch from his own. ¡°It was a fun date, kid.¡± The redhead winked, before turning around, ¡°Find me when you grow up a bit, and I¡¯ll show you how to have some real fun on a date.¡± -and sauntering away with a sway to her hips. And for that his response was a simple, ¡°Meep.¡± Halloween Event Prologue: Costume Styles and Sneaking Out Halloween Event Prologue: Costume Styles and Sneaking Out --- Joshua --- ¡°Coming through!¡± He called out as he weaved through a couple of party goers before dishing out a set of plates to the people sitting at the table. ¡°And here¡¯s your order. Will you be needing anything else?¡± ¡°Nah, this¡¯ll do.¡± An old construction worker named Howard assured him, the man¡¯s family dressed up like the Munsters. ¡°Cool, then just give me a call if you do.¡± He nodded, before making his way back to the bar counter. ¡°Thanks for grabbing that one.¡± Maddie told him as he drew near. ¡°Yeah, almost forgot how bad of a dinner rush we get at these parties.¡± Chris admitted, switching between several dishes behind the counter. ¡°Was honestly hoping people would just snack on all of the treats we left out for everyone.¡± ¡°Some people just want real food rather than sweets.¡± He shrugged as he unwrapped a candy he¡¯d swiped before tossing it in his mouth. ¡°Just means more for us when they all leave.¡± ¡°Ha, like the way you think.¡± Maddie grinned as she adjusted the hat on her feminine mad hatter costume. ¡°Kind of disappointed you didn¡¯t dress up though.¡± ¡°Complete honesty, I got side tracked and forgot to grab one.¡± He shrugged, lying through his teeth as he briefly thought about the costume he¡¯d be wearing once he managed to get out of this party. ¡°Yeah, I get you.¡± Chris sighed with a shake of his head before gesturing to his own costume. ¡°I¡¯m just lucky a bandanna and a couple of Mad¡¯s earrings were enough to pass as a pirate.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but smirk as he had a wicked thought. ¡°You know if you were short on a costume you always could¡¯ve worn your old one. Definitely would¡¯ve looked better than this mess.¡± Chris scoffed. ¡°Yeah, no. I¡¯d rather not put that old thing on again, even if I had to come to this thing topless.¡± ¡°What? It''s not like anyone will think you¡¯re Styles.¡± He pointed out, as they both ignored Maddie¡¯s joking whistle. ¡°And I know you¡¯ve got that outfit stashed somewhere upstairs.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just embarrassed about his ¡®old taste¡¯.¡± Maddie told him with a smirk. ¡°He no longer thinks his old costume is cool.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t.¡± Chris grimaced. ¡°Hell it wasn¡¯t even a proper costume with torn jeans, a leather jacket, and sunglasses.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Ooh, don¡¯t forget the slick back hair and earrings.¡± Maddie added, enjoying his brother¡¯s discomfort. ¡°Nah, it was that smile that made the Styles¡¯ brand.¡± He argued. ¡°That cocky grin that made you just want to punch him in the face.¡± He blatantly ignored how cool he used to -and still- thought that smile was. ¡°Oh, good point.¡± Maddie nodded seriously. ¡°His patented ¡®Arrogant Bastard Grin¡¯ was the thing you never forgot. Especially with that tilted glasses thing he used to do. Took him weeks to get that down without having them just flop off of his face.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough about my bad fashion choices.¡± Chris told them both, his brother¡¯s eyes doing a quick but subtle glance to make sure no one had heard their little conversation before looking him in the eye. ¡°And wipe that smile off your face, give it a few years and you¡¯re going to regret the things you think are cool now too.¡± ¡°Nah, I doubt it.¡± He dismissed before smirking. ¡°My style is timeless.¡± ¡°Heh-ha, he¡¯s got your grin down pat.¡± Maddie laughed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go through a goth phase?¡± Chris glared. ¡°Nah, I was just trying a darker flavor of my punk brand.¡± Maddie disagreed, before gesturing to her outfit. ¡°A brand that I maintain to this day, see these are my regular pants and boots.¡± He rolled his eyes with a grin and a shake of his head before letting out a yawn. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°About eleven, a little after.¡± Chris added after checking his phone. ¡°Tired?¡± ¡°Little bit.¡± He nodded. ¡°What? It¡¯s Halloween and a Saturday! How can you be tired by eleven?¡± Maddie groaned. ¡°Because he barely sleeps during the week.¡± Chris throughout. He snapped his fingers and pointed at his brother. ¡°Probably that.¡± ¡°Also he¡¯s been helping us keep this thing running rather than actually having fun with it.¡± Chris added with a furrowed brow. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel like hanging around the party you can go ahead and head upstairs.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± He frowned. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not right that you¡¯re stuck helping us with this rather than having fun.¡± Chris told him. ¡°So if you don¡¯t want to hang out you can go upstairs and watch a movie or play a game, or something fun.¡± ¡°What?¡± Maddie asked. ¡°He¡¯s having fun with us, aren¡¯t ya?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I am getting tired.¡± He lied. ¡°Probably going to get ready for bed and crash.¡± ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re boring.¡± Maddie helpfully informed him. ¡°And I think you¡¯ve been sipping something you shouldn¡¯t be.¡± Chris said with narrowed eyes. ¡°Pfft, I¡¯m barely buzzed and it¡¯s a party.¡± Maddie defended in a lackadaisical manner. ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡± Chris argued. (Right, I¡¯m just going to slip away now.) He thought to himself as he left his brother to deal with that. Once upstairs he closed the door to his room, arranged his bed to look like someone was in it, and proceeded to jump out his window. With a mid air twist he found himself in a familiar black and white outfit before hitting the ground as he adjusted the gloves on his hands. ¡°Now then let¡¯s see what kind of tricks and treats are abound tonight?¡± He grinned with a hint of Madness. Halloween Event (Pt. 2): Tricks and Treats Halloween Event (Pt. 2): Tricks and Treats A trio of teens jostled each other about, laughing about one thing or another as they adjusted the simple masks they were wearing. ¡°Hey, get a look at this freak.¡± One of them said, nudging another with his elbow as a goth kid turned around the corner. ¡°Bet it¡¯s halloween every day for someone like him.¡± The goth kid paused in front of him, his eyes dashing about as he tried to look for a way around the trio taking up most of the street. ¡°Uh, you guys mind letting me through?¡± ¡°Yeah, look at all the makeup this pasty asshole is wearing.¡± The largest of the trio laughed, completely ignoring what the goth had said only to shove him back a step. The goth froze in fright for a moment before coughing into his hand. ¡°Ah, what¡¯s wrong? That little love tap hurt?¡± ¡°Apologies, I¡¯ve never had the strongest of constitutions.¡± The goth told them with a weak smile and another cough. ¡°Then you probably shouldn¡¯t be out at night. That¡¯s when all the freaks come out.¡± The smallest of the trio warned him before stepping into the goth¡¯s face. ¡°Then again you¡¯d fit right in with all of them.¡± ¡°You know it¡¯s halloween so dressing up is kind of the idea.¡± The goth pointed out, before coughing into his hand. ¡°As monsters maybe, but not as¡­ Uh, is he okay?¡± The apparently kindest of the trio asked, as the goth continued to cough with an increasing wetness to their voice. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine¡­ Heh¡­¡± The goth laughed, waving a gloved hand stained with black smudges as his long hair covered his eyes. ¡°I just think it¡¯s funny¡­¡± ¡°What is?¡± The smallest of the trio frowned, noticing that something was wrong as he saw a trail of black leaking from the side of the goth¡¯s mouth. ¡°Well, you said Halloween is the day people dress up as monsters.¡± The pale teen explained with an ever widening grin. ¡°So it stands to reason¡­¡± The boy looked at them with pitch black eyes bleeding black and a bloody grin, ¡°That today is the day monsters dress up as people.¡± As two massive hands began to encircle them, the trio quickly turned tail and ran from the monster before it could catch them, tripping over themselves all the while. Watching them flee as he wiped the ink from his face, the living cartoon couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the retreating trio. ¡°Dumbasses.¡± --- This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The little girl continued hopping down the street, leaping over every crack as she waited outside the store for her guardian. Only to pause as she came across a little drawing on the ground that hadn¡¯t been there just a few moments prior. Looking up she glanced around the otherwise empty parking lot for whoever had drawn the little doodle, before turning her attention back to it when she couldn¡¯t find anyone. She blinked for a moment, before frowning curiously at the little man that had changed shape when she wasn¡¯t looking. As she continued to stare at the doodle, and as she stared at it it winked at her, causing her to jump in surprise. The doodle mimicked her as it too jumped in fright, before seemingly cowering behind its hands at the terrifying little girl in a pink fairy tutu. A small giggle escaped the girl as she watched the silly doodle, before eventually giving into her child like curiosity and poking it, causing the little doodle to stumble back with an affronted look. This of course meant that the little girl had to poke it again. Instead of letting her do this, the doodle leapt out of the way before shaking a finger at her, eliciting another giggle from the child as she continued to try and poke it. After a few minutes of this the child¡¯s guardian finally stepped out of the store and asked the girl what she was laughing at. To which the child replied, ¡°It¡¯s a funny picture!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The guardian asked, stepping up to look at said picture. Only for said picture to explode off the ground from behind the girl, and take on the form of a towering inhuman figure. ¡°Oh shit!¡± The girl¡¯s guardian cursed before grabbing the girl and quickly running away. The girl all the while waving good-bye to the doodle from over her guardian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hopefully, that¡¯ll teach them to actually keep an eye on their kid.¡± A voice told the doodle, earning a nod to the affirmative. --- Joshua --- Continuing through the streets, he couldn¡¯t help but find an odd sort of amusement in casually walking through the streets in his full toon regalia. Something he knew most Masks actively avoided doing. (Then again I can¡¯t be the only one going out as themselves for Halloween.) This amusement was of course further heightened by the fact that every so often he would come across someone to play a friendly -or not so friendly- little trick on. From a few of his high school bullies, who apparently couldn¡¯t recognize him in his cabaret clothes -(Which is good to know.)- to the occasional child he¡¯d entertain with his powers. A feat that while not necessarily the mischief he had set out to cause, still felt right to some part of him. (Cartoons are for everyone, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that children are our biggest audience. It¡¯s good to keep them entertained.) That same part pragmatically pointed out. ¡°True, but we should strive to be the kind of toon that all ages adore for ages to come.¡± He reminded himself. ¡°We can be nothing less than a timeless classic.¡± (Of course, of course.) He mentally nodded to himself. ¡°It¡¯s just a shame the curfew means everyone is held up somewhere, otherwise we could¡¯ve put a show on tonight.¡± He sighed to himself. ¡°You know, supposedly other cities are packed on their Halloweens¡­ The ones without yearly zombie or demonic invasions anyway.¡± (Really wish Chris clarified which of those this Halloween Haunt thing is.) Not that he was stupid enough to actually go looking for it given how he could still in a rough-ish shape after his fight with TPK the day prior. (I¡¯m just curious about what goes bump in the night.) Speaking of curiosities, he found his being further peaked by the sight of Halloween Event (Pt. 3): Party Crashers Halloween Event (Pt. 3): Party Crashers --- Joshua --- Following the lights and music through the streets, he eventually found his way to the old trainyard. A place filled with rusted metal and abandoned train cars from way back when the city was focused more on shipping goods from the farms and mines of the nearby rural areas. Something that had slowly died out as the city grew larger, new towns popped up, and other waypoints along the tracks became more practical. ¡°Oh, right¡­ The older teens sometimes throw parties here.¡± (Not that I¡¯ve ever been invited to said party.) He just remembered Chris sneaking out to them when he was younger. (Well why not crash it?) The devil on his shoulder whispered. (Show them what they¡¯ve been missing out on, by not inviting you.) ¡°Eh, why not?¡± He grinned as he continued on his way. As he neared the main station, he began to spot a few people here and there in their costumes. Some just loitering about, talking with friends, drinking -what he was pretty sure was- alcohol, and smoking. Though every once in a while he would spot a pair climbing into one of the train cars before closing it behind them. Ignoring all of that, he made his way inside of the train station where a number of people were meandering on the train tracks between the various platforms, while the actual platforms themselves were filled with the various things that made a party beyond the people. From a drink and snack table, to a number of musical instruments and a DJ board. And randomly placed either near these things or near the walls were a number of big guys in tight fitting shirts that read Security. Though for some reason he found himself unimpressed with this security detail. (Given the number of people here, and the fact that anyone can show up there should be at least twice as many guards. Whatsmore I don¡¯t think any of them are Deviants meaning their muscles are probably the only ¡®security¡¯ they can provide. Fuck, I can¡¯t even see a gun on any of these assholes.) His more cynical self criticized as he gave them another once over. (Meaning if this Halloween Haunt thing is real and something goes down, they probably won¡¯t be able to do anything.) He couldn¡¯t help but realize with a grimace. (This whole mess is security theater at best.) ¡°Fu~uck¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but groan as he ran a hand down his face. ¡°Really wish I hadn¡¯t noticed all of that¡­¡± (Then again I guess it is good practice for casing a place on the spot¡­) If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Slapping his cheeks, he shook his head. ¡°Nope, not going to think about that. I¡¯m at a party and I am going to have fun and enjoy it.¡± (Just as soon as I figure out how to enjoy a party.) ¡°That is the idea at this kind of thing.¡± A voice agreed. Turning to it, he found a teenager Chapter Choice []- With a skull painted on her face. []- Wearing a cheerleader outfit. []- Wearing a jacket covered in neon paint. ¡°Uh, yeah, that¡¯s uh, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± He nodded, wondering why this particular stranger was talking to him. ¡°Oh, right, you were talking to yourself and looking like something was wrong and¡­ I just wanted to make sure no one was having a bad trip or something in the middle of the dance floor.¡± ¡°Right, right, that¡¯s fair.¡± He admitted, knowing that his tendency to talk to himself did make him come off as a little crazy. (Well, a little Mad if we want to be accurate.) ¡°Sorry, I just, I got a little caught up in my head.¡± He grimaced, trying to figure out a way to make himself look less suspicious and floundering. (Damn it, why is it easier to talk to a bunch of gangsters than it is to talk to a normal teenager?) (Because we¡¯ve got more style¡­ Or at least the ones from back in the day did.) ¡°You want to talk about it?¡± The stranger asked. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have anything else going on since my date apparently stood me up.¡± ¡°No, I think I¡¯m-¡± Something in his head began to crawl as he felt something in the air shift, and, (Shit, we¡¯ve got some real party crashers.) Moving more on instinct than anything else he wrapped an arm around the girl and kicked off the ground, as the sound of glass shattering and the roaring of a flame passed just behind him. Turning around he found a crowd of screaming teens running from an overgrown mass of burning flesh burst from the trainyard office before slamming into the middle of the screaming crowd. ¡°Well that can¡¯t be good.¡± He dryly noted, as the burning mass stood to reveal a very large man wearing torn and scorched clothing with a snarling visage and glowing red eyes. An expression that was completely understandable given how the man had several torn bits of skin where overgrown muscle could be seen. ¡°Damn it.¡± The girl cursed as she broke away from him to glare at the figure. Part of him felt he should be curious about the fact that the teen wasn¡¯t running at the sight of this monster. Unfortunately he found himself far more concerned with the fact that some aspect of the man in front of him resonated with something inside of him. Something that even with his limited experience with his powers he could tell was distinctly not Madness, but far more Malicious in nature. And upon putting the sight of the burning man in front of him with that feeling, he and his very twisted brand of Madness came to one very obvious conclusion. Halloween Event (Pt. 4): Burning Silver And Ink Halloween Event (Pt. 4): Burning Silver And Ink --- Joshua --- ¡°Ugh, why couldn¡¯t I be more of an asshole¡­¡± He groaned to himself, feeling his near empty reserves of Ink (Because then the audience would be dead and wouldn¡¯t be able to pay up that sweet sweet Madness.) ¡°Point.¡± He admitted, before watching the neon covered teen pull her arm back and punch the air in front of the attacking Deviant. Something that would¡¯ve been harmless if not for the truck-sized arm manifesting in a swirl of blue light and decking the Deviant into the station platform. ¡°Well¡­ at least I don¡¯t actually have to fight that guy.¡± He told himself, only mildly surprised by the fact that the teen had powers after she was ballsy enough to walk up to a burning Deviant thrice her size. Figuring that she had that handled, instead of intervening with the fight he reached out with one of his toon hands to pluck up a teen that had fallen several meters away before placing them back on their feet closer to the door. ¡°Now then, I¡¯m not fighting so you don¡¯t get to stand around gawking. Move it!¡± He ordered while making a shooing gesture with his oversized hand. Not needing any further prodding the teen nodded before taking off towards the station exit. With it now established that there were three Deviants involved in this event, the crowd began to avoid him as he meandered through it while occasionally picking up the occasional half-trampled teen before they could be too injured. Of course, despite the fact that they weren¡¯t his main priority, this did not mean he was stupid enough to ignore the dueling Deviants. The girl had proven herself to be fairly agile, avoiding each of the larger bruiser¡¯s swings before using one of the two spectral arms following her to punch the burning man. Though none of her blows seemed to do as much damage as her initial suckerpunch, given how the man barely moved more than a few inches from each blow. As for the spectral arms, he noticed the fact that they were seemingly made out of a blueish gray metal and looked more like clawed gauntlets than actual hands. Whatsmore their movements only seemed half in sync with the girls, moving only when she meant to punch before defaulting to an at rest pose behind her in contrast to her own boxing stance never lowering her guard. ¡°Hmm¡­ Now what Deviancy do those count as?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but wonder as he eyed the silver arms. (There¡¯s Madness in the air, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s coming from either of them.) He noted, as his senses stretched out all around him and- Something pulsed through the air and the world around him turned black and white before regaining its color. ¡°Okay¡­ what the fuck was that?!¡± He blinked, hearing something in the air as he looked around him in a daze. (That¡­ was not normal¡­) Shaking his head clear, he only just noticed the body flying at him. Sadly this was not enough notice to do anything about it. ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed as he and the girl were sent tumbling across the ground in a tangle of limbs. ¡°Gah, if you¡¯re not going to do anything then stay out of the way!¡± The girl told him as she shoved him away and staggered to her feet. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to clear the venue out so you two can really cut loose, darlin¡¯.¡± He groaned, swinging his legs into the air before flowing onto his feet as the world glitch black and white once more. ¡°Shit¡­ Are, are you seeing this or is it just me?¡± He asked her, with just a touch of desperation as the world regained its color. ¡°See what?¡± The girl frowned, never taking her eyes off the burning man as the two stared each other down. ¡°Right, okay¡­ just me then¡­¡± He frowned himself, staring down at his hands. ¡°What kind of Deviancy are you?¡± ¡°Now isn¡¯t really the time.¡± The neon covered girl told him, as the burning man pulled his arm back and a glowing sphere began to grow in his palm. ¡°Just wondering if this is some kind of power interaction.¡± He tried to explain, before watching as the burning man threw a fireball at them and the girl blocked, using her silver arms as a shield. ¡°Again, really not the time!¡± The girl repeated as the burning man began bombarding her with an onslaught of fireballs. ¡°Now either help me or get out of my way!¡± ¡°Fine¡­ Just give me a second.¡± He told her, taking a step forward as the world lost all color before blacking out briefly, leaving him behind the burning man without explanation. ¡°Okay¡­ that was¡­ different.¡± (But kind of familiar¡­) He glanced around dumbly at the colorless world around him before stumbling as the world regained its color. ¡°Yeah, okay¡­ Not liking whatever is causing this.¡± Shaking his head, he focused on the burning man once more before throwing one of his ink blots at the Deviant in the hopes of distracting him for a moment. (Because I really want to talk to that girl about whatever the fuck is going on right now!) This turned out to be an¡­ interesting idea as the ink blot proceeded to explode on contact with the burning man, causing the rampaging Deviant to stutter and stumble. Thus giving the neon covered girl the perfect opportunity to rush forward and hit the burning man with an oversized silver handed hook to the face. When the girl moved to follow with another blow, the burning man caught it with his own hand and glared at the girl as he started growing another fireball in his free hand. Joshua decided that this was an ideal time to throw another Ink Blot at the burning man, causing it to once more detonate on impact, stunning the Deviant long enough for the neon covered girl to deliver an uppercut and knock the burning man back as she freed her hand. Seeing this as good a time as any to disengage from the two dueling Deviants, he hopped just outside of the pair¡¯s fight and looked down at his hand as he covered it in ink. (Ink that is apparently very flammable¡­) From there he extrapolated just how bad of an idea it was for him to get into a fight with a fire user given how the Malice Doc once told him something about his ink being in his blood (or maybe it was vice versa?) Either way, he quickly came to the conclusion that being set on fire was a horrible idea. (You don¡¯t say?) (Well at least they wouldn¡¯t possibly explode!) Turning his attention back to the fight -(that I am not stupid enough to rejoin)- he watched as the neon covered girl proceeded to launch the burning man into the air. At which point she proceeded to grab the Deviant with one of her silver arms as it began to rapidly grow until it was taller than the building they were in before slamming the burning man into the trainyard ground with enough force to make the station floor shake a bit. Rather than accepting this as the end of the fight, the burning man ignited into a pillar of flame so large that it consumed the equally massive silver arm, and elicited a scream from the neon covered girl. (Guess she¡¯s got some feeling in those things then¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he watched her clutch her arm and curl it close to her chest. A sight almost as painful to look at as the massive figure climbing out of the half-charred crater in the middle of the trainyard. Knowing he didn¡¯t have long he took a moment to glance around and make sure that (yes, all of the dumb teenagers seem to have been smart enough to run from the living wild fire) before turning back to the two dueling Deviants with just a touch of apprehension as the world turned black and white. Halloween Event (Pt. 5): Investigating The Origin of The Flame Halloween Event (Pt. 5): Investigating The Origin of The Flame --- Joshua --- Unable to help himself, he found his eyes drifting towards the broken window the burning man had first appeared from. (Really where did this guy come from?) Stepping forward he found the world around him once more fading to black before he found himself in the air just in front of the window. ¡°Oh, shit!¡± He cursed, his hands shooting out and grabbing onto the broken window. And immediately regretting it as the glass started biting into his hands. ¡°Fuck. Might¡¯ve been better off with the fall¡­¡± (Well¡­ when in doubt double down.) With that thought in mind he proceeded to pull himself through the broken window and into what looked like a VIP area of some sort. Or rather it looked like an old office with significantly better furnishings than the rest of the party, as well as several bottles of alcohol lying about. (Interesting¡­) A quick glance around confirmed that the broken window was the only damaged entrance to the room, even if the actual entrances were looking a little scuffed up from the party goers quick exit. Of course this quick glance also revealed a half charred and still burning corpse thrown against a wall. (Very interesting¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at the sight as well as the smell drifting from the corpse. ¡°Right¡­ just¡­ going to avoid looking at that.¡± He told himself, as he looked at anything other than the dead body that was making him a little light in the head. (Going to have to get used to it at some point, kid.) Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he shook his head clear and double checked the flames spreading from the bodies, noting that while they had burned a bit of the wall they didn¡¯t seem to be spreading all that far from the body itself. Frowning at the oddity, he took a peek out of the window where the girl was still fighting the burning man rather than taking the smarter route of escaping while she could. (Then again who am I to talk?) What was important about the picture outside of the window though, was that despite the fact that the burning man was throwing out flames left and right the train station itself wasn¡¯t in a state one would call ¡®on fire¡¯. (Crispy, maybe spicy, but definitely not on fire.) ¡°So what makes you so special?¡± He asked the less aggressive burning man in the building. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He closed his eyes and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to investigate the dead body aren¡¯t I?¡± (Probably a safe bet.) Hating the sarcastic little voice in his head, he forced himself to get as close as he was willing to a dead body. (Which admittedly wouldn¡¯t be close enough to touch it even if he reached out and stretched a bit.) Something rolled under his foot. Glancing down and spotting something very familiar, he couldn¡¯t help but blink. ¡°No way¡­¡± With a gentle kick he watched the glass vial at his feet roll over to the open hand of the body, where a patch of flame was burning some unknown substance on the ground. (Come on, you know exactly what that substance is.) He gave the burning body a frown and another once over before spotting an odd bulge in the man¡¯s pocket, where some of the flames seem to have gathered. ¡°Well, after this long in the flames whatever¡¯s in that pocket is probably fried¡­ And before anyone says anything I am not stupid enough to stick my very flammable hands into a fire like that.¡± (I wasn¡¯t going to suggest that.) Taking a step away from the body, he looked around for anything that could pass as more concrete evidence for his current theory before spotting a briefcase with several burn marks lying just beneath a visible hole in the wall. And if one ignored the damage done to it, it was probably the most professional looking thing in the room, far more so than any of the designer bags that had been abandoned during their owner¡¯s panicked escape. After picking it up he found that the case was fairly sturdy -as well as familiar for some reason- and had somehow managed to remain locked in spite of what he figured was the burning man¡¯s best attempt at opening the thing. With a flex of his wrist he took what little Ink he had in the tank and forged it into a Ink Knife that he slid into the edge of the case, before using it and his enhanced strength to cut through the locks and open it. A feat that sad knife, sadly did not survive as it burst in a small explosion of ink. ¡°Fuck¡­ I think that was the last of my tank too¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace. (Yeah, need to be more careful about preserving our resources.) Shaking his head with a sigh, he opened the case and found it to contain a foam material of some kind with a large number of little slots in it, of which only *four* still held their contents. With a deft hand he reached in and plucked out the handful of Malice vials before holding them up to the light. ¡°Guess you explain that weird feeling the Burning Man was giving me.¡± Three of the vials were exactly what he¡¯d been expecting, looking the same as the red and black vials the Malice Doctor had been giving him for the past month or so. The fourth however was different in the fact that it could be mistaken for a glowing blue, if not for the faint traces of green that seemed to slither through it. He slid the other three vials into a pocket, but held this one up curiously. ¡°Now you I¡¯m interested in.¡± (Is this even Malice or is it a different drug altogether? Was this guy a dealer for the Doc or was he just selling Deviant drugs to-) A crashing sound interrupted him from slotting the last few puzzle pieces together and he found himself turning around to find the Deviant girl had been thrown through the window and was now laying limp against the wall, her body covered in a number of burns, cuts, and bruises. ¡°It occurs to me that leaving you to fight the monster after your Ult failed, probably wasn¡¯t a good idea¡­¡± He admitted to the unconscious teen before turning to the window as a massive burning hand latched onto its edge. (Right, need to think quick.) Halloween Event (Pt. 6): Stealing the Girl, (and not getting punched in the face…) Halloween Event (Pt. 6): Stealing the Girl, (and not getting punched in the face¡­) --- Joshua --- (I can¡¯t leave her here even if that thing chases me.) ¡°Fuck.¡± He cursed himself before rushing over to the unconscious girl and picking her up in a princess carry. (Thank you super strength,) ¡°Alright, this probably isn¡¯t going to be a fun trip for you but-¡± A roar from the side drew his attention to the Burning Man clumsily climbing into the VIP room. ¡°Yeah, that.¡± He nodded, as the world turned black and white. ¡°Ooh, ooh, I know what this means!¡± Turning around he took one step with the girl in his arms and found himself ramming shoulder first into the VIP entrance door, causing him to spin on his heel as he hopped out of the office on one foot while looking at the Burning Man unleash a torrent of flame at his previous location. ¡°Ha! Not today bitch!¡± He mocked, adjusting his grip on the girl to give the Deviant a pair of birds. Of course because he wasn¡¯t looking where he was going, he ended up slipping on the first step of a set of stairs. ¡°Oh shit.¡± He held the girl¡¯s head to his chest as he fell and banged his way down the (pointy) metal stairs. ¡°Ouchies¡­¡± (You see this is why we don¡¯t mock until after we¡¯re safe.) ¡°Come on, I wasn¡¯t looking¡­ I totally should¡¯ve walked on air right there!¡± He frowned, picking himself up and planning on blaming the girl¡¯s new injuries on the Burning Man. (Rule of comedy kid: Bitch slapping the arrogant asshole is always funny.) ¡°Point, point.¡± He conceded to himself, just as the door to the VIP room was thrown open by burning mass of muscle and malice. ¡°Speaking of bitches, let¡¯s run like one.¡± Turning around he darted through the inky blackness once more and found himself at the entrance to the train station, and for once did not harm himself in some way because of this sudden transposition. ¡°Okay, think I¡¯m finally starting to get the hang of that.¡± He told himself, not stopping to see if the Burning Man was following him. (Because obviously he is.) (Duh.) He felt an odd twisting inside of his head, one so powerful he found himself slipping on the ground and slamming into the dirt face first as the girl tumbled out of his arms. ¡°F-uck! Don¡¯t need one of these right now¡­¡± He groaned, feeling a familiar dampness beneath his nose. (Shit. Okay, I think I know what went wrong right there.) ¡°Really, because I don¡¯t!¡± He spat, pushing himself off the ground. (Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ve got it covered.) ¡°F-uck¡­¡± A coughing sound drew his attention away from his own Madness and to the side where the girl had gained something resembling consciousness. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re, uh, you¡¯re conscious again.¡± He told the girl. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Wh-what the fuck¡­ happened?¡± The girl asked, her gaze concerningly glazed. (Yeah, she¡¯s not going to be walking like that.) He grimaced, before moving to pick her up once more. ¡°Right, sorry about this but we¡¯re still in the middle of running from-¡± The Burning Man roared once more as the Deviant caught sight of them the train station¡¯s entrance before leaping on top of one of the nearby trains. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me!¡± He yelled back at the massive wall of flame and muscle that honestly kind of scared him, but (I¡¯m not going to admit that to anyone.) (You admitted it to me?) (Fuck off.) With that said, he turned on his heel and proceeded to flee from the Deviant (that totally doesn¡¯t scare me) while trying to figure out, (how the fuck do I do the teleporting thing?! It can¡¯t require the black and white thing can it?!) (If it¡¯s what I think it is then no it doesn¡¯t.) ¡°Then what the fuck am I supposed to do?¡± He hissed through grit teeth. ¡°Run away?¡± The girl offered weakly, getting a smirk out of him even if she didn¡¯t mean to. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Finally.¡± He sighed in relief before focusing on a nearby train and letting the inky black consume him as he felt a growing heat at his back. One that disappeared as he found himself atop a train and away from the Burning Man for another moment. ¡°Yes!¡± His cheer caused the Burning Man¡¯s blazing red eyes to snap to him. ¡°No!¡± He cried before leaping off the train on the side opposite the other Deviant. ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Rather than simply letting him get away like any even remotely considerate person would, the Burning Man decided to ignore his plea and continue to follow him. By crashing through the train in an explosion of flame that sent half of the train whipping through the air. ¡°Oh shit!¡± He cursed, before noticing one of the flying train cars¡¯ doors were open. Thinking quickly, he leapt into the air, aiming himself at the open train car where upon entering it he kicked off the car¡¯s currently vertical floor to launch himself out the door on the other side where a backflip let him clear the last little bit of the wreckage before it could crush him beneath several tons of burning steel. ¡°Please tell me you saw that!¡± He laughed upon landing. ¡°Saw wha?¡± The girl blinked, still clearly out of it. ¡°Oh come on! No one saw that?!¡± He whined, wishing to impress his badassery upon someone. The Burning Man erupted into flame with a screaming roar as the Deviant pulled himself from the burning metal. ¡°You know what, on second thought I¡¯m okay if no one saw that.¡± He assured the massive Deviant as he once more turned tail and ran. ¡°Go back to what you were doing.¡± He paused. ¡°Before you were chasing me I mean.¡± ¡°Think he was¡­ kicking my ass¡­¡± The girl groaned. ¡°Well, what he was doing before that!¡± He told her. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he was trying to murder rich douchebags, so he can go back to that. I¡¯m completely okay if he goes back to that. I want him to go back to that! He clearly made him so much happier than this raging mass of ¡®Oh Cheshire he¡¯s going to murder us!¡¯ that he¡¯s got going now.¡± ¡°You were¡­ more confident before¡­¡± The girl noted in a way he hoped her concussion would make her forget. ¡°Before I wasn¡¯t aware I was highly flammable, nor was I running on an empty tank with my powers going wonky.¡± He explained in a perfectly calm and reasonable manner as he gave into his instincts and dropped to the ground in a slide as a massive fireball flew overhead. (Wait, empty tank¡­ That¡¯s it! Drink a Malice Vial!) He blinked as he suddenly realized why he couldn¡¯t seem to trigger his weird ink power outside of the black and white time. (I¡¯m out of ink¡­ Fucking idiot!) As he hauled himself back to his feet he shoved a hand into his jacket and pulled out a vial of his regular Malice before biting the cap off and downing the entire thing in a single shot. Within seconds of the sweet coppery strawberries hitting his tongue, that sweet sweet symphony began playing its swing inside his head and he knew he was going to come out of this in one piece. ¡°Heh-ha! Now we¡¯re dancing, darling!¡± He laughed, hopping to his feet and pulling the girl to hers. ¡°Don¡¯t feel like dancing¡­¡± The girl told him ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a shame. Girl as beautiful as you deserves a dance or two.¡± He assured her, before turning his attention towards the Burning Man charging them. ¡°Though with men this pushy, I get why you¡¯re not in the mood.¡± The Burning Man raised a fistful of flames into the air, ready to make them smash and burn before their world went black and Deviant¡¯s fist cratered the ground. ¡°Really, a gentleman knows that ¡®No.¡¯ means ¡®No!¡¯ my good sir!¡± He yelled down from atop a nearby train where he sat before turning to the girl seated next to him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with this generation. They¡¯ve no class.¡± ¡°How¡¯d we¡­ get up here¡­?¡± The girl asked, looking around in a daze. ¡°Same way we got over here.¡± He explained as they appeared on a train top closer to the edge of the train yard. ¡°I don¡¯t feel good¡­¡± The girl told him, still unable to stand up as she leaned against him. He nodded in sympathy having had his ass kicked a fair number of times as well. ¡°Yes, well we¡¯ve just got to get you home, and with a bit of sleep you¡¯ll be right as rain, darling.¡± A pillar of flame erupted into the air as another roar filled the train yard. ¡°But first let¡¯s put a little more distance between us and ya¡¯ stalker.¡± He told her, before focusing on a nearby rooftop and hoping he could make the distance with his new power. At first it felt like something was missing, like the instinctive aspect of his power just couldn¡¯t seem to grab onto the space he was looking at, but then the world turned black and white and something seemed to click as he felt something inside his power stretch a little further than before. The world around him seemed to stutter and the edge of his vision seemed to take on this odd pattern of white dots on black, before something snapped and both he and his companion of this fine evening found themselves on the rooftop in a world of color. ¡°Hoo-boy¡­ Might¡¯ve pushed that power a little too far that time¡­¡± He confessed, feeling an odd strain across his entire body and familiar dampness beneath his nose. ¡°Should probably keep it to a shorter distance from now on¡­¡± He told himself as he dabbed at his nose, knowing that he was usually pretty quick on the uptake with this sort of thing. A glance over his shoulder showed a glowing figure bashing through the trainyard, too far for him to make out any kind of detail. A fact that would be twice as difficult for the Burning Man given how he was a bright light looking into the darkness of night. ¡°Now we should be safe.¡± He nodded to himself, before a too wide grin grew on his face. ¡°Meaning now is the time to mock.¡± He coughed into his fist before stamping a boot on the roof¡¯s edge, giving the Burning Man two middle fingers, and sticking his tongue out in a raspberry. ¡°Na-na-na-na! Can¡¯t touch this, bitch! My ink¡¯s too slick, my skills too sick, and you¡¯re just a prick with a little dick!¡± With that important task completed he turned his attention back to his companion, who promptly threw up on him. He looked at the sick looking girl, and then his vomit soaked pants, before inhaling deeply and slowly letting it out as he decided that, (Yep. This is about par for the course for me.) Halloween Episode (Pt. 7): Episode Resolution Halloween Episode (Pt. 7): Episode Resolution --- Joshua --- ¡°So, you¡¯re a psychic but you can use magic?¡± He asked the girl for clarification, because while he wouldn¡¯t consider himself an expert on Deviants, he was fairly certain there was supposed to be a difference between Magic and Psionics. ¡°Sort of¡­¡± The girl shrugged, before shaking her head and taking a sip of the soda he¡¯d gotten her. ¡°It¡¯s more that I¡¯ve been corrupted by Anima -which is magic- but that¡¯s done this weird thing where I can sort of manipulate Anima the way a kinetic can manipulate fire or force or whatever else. It¡¯s not real magic but it¡¯s like I can fake magic by willing it into existence.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He nodded, because despite the fact that she sounded significantly more lucid than at the start of the conversation -Back when he was just trying to keep her from dozing off with a concussion, which he was pretty sure was bad.- He still had no idea what she was talking about, or how it translated into the giant floaty arm things. (At the very least me being confused seems to be the whole theme of today¡¯s episode.) While he¡¯d been able to put a few things together, like how the Burning Man was probably a result of someone taking Malice, there were still a number of things that he wasn¡¯t so sure about. Such as the girl¡¯s powers -which he was trying (and failing) to get an answer on- the vial of what was probably Blue Malice, and most concerningly whatever was making the world turn black and white. (Legitimately thought I¡¯d gone colorblind when it lasted twenty minutes¡­) Deciding he was done pondering such unknowable curiosities he instead shifted the conversation with the much more easily understood question of, ¡°How¡¯s your head doing?¡± ¡°Better than it was an hour ago, but still not one hundred percent.¡± The girl -Cameron as he¡¯d discovered with one of his first questions- answered with a sigh. ¡°Still better than folks without a healing factor.¡± He reminded her, glad that he¡¯d only gotten any after gaining a healing factor when most injuries became things he could just walk off. ¡°I know, but it just makes you more aware of how the concussion is messing with your head.¡± Cameron tried to elaborate. ¡°It¡¯s like getting buzzed and then immediately sobering up, ya know?¡± ¡°I¡­m not actually sure I can get drunk?¡± He admitted, not seeing the point in bringing up the fact that he was pretty sure both of them were underage given his whole ¡®supervillain¡¯ thing. (Eh, still a bit shy of being able to call ourselves a supervillain. Need to put on a bigger show to earn that title, like headline news levels of big.) ¡°Right, you¡¯ve probably got your own healing factor with your whole¡­ whatever this is.¡± Cameron nodded, with a hand wave towards him. ¡°I¡¯m a cartoon character.¡± He explained, having long decided that there was no point in hiding it, just so long as he hid the fact that he was a Wonderlander from everyone. (It¡¯d actually make for a nice bit of misdirection if I can do it right.) (I¡¯m sure you can.) ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± The other teen gave him an unimpressed look before shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea what¡¯s up with you Masks and needing to stick to these themes.¡± ¡°Best guess, it¡¯s all about branding.¡± He shrugged, sipping at his own soda. ¡°Stick to a theme and you¡¯ll stick in people¡¯s memories better.¡± ¡°Yeah, and you also get predictable in a fight.¡± Cameron pointed out. ¡°Like if you¡¯re the cartoon guy, people are going to start using stuff that¡¯s¡­ anti-cartoon. Whatever that means.¡± ¡°It means anti-fun.¡± He sighed as if the thought was shameful, while hoping she couldn¡¯t remember how badly his attempt to play with fire went. (Anti-Cartoon might not hurt, but anti-ink will definitely leave a scar or two.) Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Cameron rolled her eyes. ¡°Still better to be unknown and unpredictable.¡± ¡°Then why pick a fight in the middle of a crowd?¡± He asked, figuring that she was now healed enough to answer that particular question. ¡°I mean, it makes for a decent hero debut if that¡¯s what you were after but it''s not exactly a good call for keeping your head down.¡± ¡°And what, let that flaming asshole run roughshod over everyone?¡± Cameron frowned. ¡°Besides I¡¯ve had my powers for a couple of years now, and since I¡¯m not looking to be a hero, most of my fights don¡¯t even make the rumor mill.¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t want to be a¡­ hero?¡± He prodded, given how up to this point he¡¯d been planning to ditch her the moment he felt okay leaving her alone. (After all, being seen with a ¡®hero¡¯ will just drag my villainous rep through the mud. (And reputation is everything in this biz.) ¡°Yeah, no. I don¡¯t mind putting an asshole in their place every now and then but I don¡¯t go looking for random people on the street to beat up.¡± The other teen told him. ¡°And even if I was looking for a fight, I¡¯d be better off visiting one of Tru Grit¡¯s clubs.¡± ¡°Uh, whose clubs?¡± He blinked. ¡°Tru Grit?¡± Cameron blinked back before giving a huff of amusement. ¡°You must be new if you haven¡¯t heard about Tru, he¡¯s like the most infamous indie Mask in the city.¡± Instead of confirming her theory about him, he instead asked, ¡°Well, how infamous is the most infamous?¡± (Need to know the reviews to beat.) ¡°He¡¯s the head of a small gang, and runs like half a dozen Deviant fight pits throughout the city. What makes him infamous though¡­¡± The other teen trailed off and gave him a considering look. ¡°Actually, do you like fighting?¡± ¡°Uh, I guess?¡± He shrugged not actually knowing what that had to do with things. ¡°I mean, I had fun at the Gamer Guild¡¯s Dungeon.¡± (If you ignore all the times I got stabbed.) ¡°Alright¡­¡± Cameron nodded thoughtfully as she continued to look at him, before eventually saying, ¡° Fuck it. I owe you one for getting me out of there after the flaming asshole knocked me out. Give me your phone.¡± ¡°Uh, why?¡± He asked, not exactly in a hurry to give a stranger his cell while in a mask. (Joshua, my man. When a pretty girl asks you for your phone you give it to her.) The devil on his shoulder advised as said girl gave him an expectant look. (After all, in the last two weeks you¡¯ve gotten the GM¡¯s number, you got Zylah¡¯s number, and the only reason you didn¡¯t get that TPK girl¡¯s number is because you didn¡¯t take the initiative and ask. You can¡¯t be so passive when it comes to the beautiful people.) He ended up giving her his phone¡­ (Smart boy.) (Fuck off.) ¡°I¡¯m entering an address for you, it¡¯s one of Tru¡¯s fight pits.¡± Cameron explained once she had his phone, before handing it back. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t win he¡¯s got fairly decent consolation prizes, and unlike the rest this one has walk-in contestants on the weekends.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He nodded, accepting his phone back and noting with mild disappointment that unlike the last few women he¡¯d interacted with she had not actually given him her number. (Eh, you were due for a swing and a miss.) His ego tried to console him. (That or you convinced me that those girls¡¯ purely platonic interest wasn¡¯t.) After all, Zylah was only interested in money, the GM was just excited to meet another Wonderlander, and TPK was- (If you think TPK was platonic, you are as oblivious as the Killjoy is mad.) Deciding that he was done both with teenage hormones as well as arguing with himself, he instead turned his attention back to Cameron and asked, ¡°What exactly does this have to do with what makes this Tru Grit guy so infamous.¡± ¡°Look, it''s better to see it in person.¡± The other teen assured him with a smile. ¡°And who knows maybe I¡¯ll see you there sometime.¡± (Ah!) (No, still saying this is platonic. I¡¯m not going to be that creep that turns something into something it''s not.) He¡¯d never been on a date before, or even gotten a second look from¡­ anyone, so he refused to believe he had this kind of luck all of a sudden. (Well, technically it¡¯s not your luck, but I can respect respecting boundaries.) Cameron coughed into her hand, before pulling out her own phone and looking at it. ¡°Uh, anyway¡­ I appreciate you sticking with me until my head cleared up, but uh, it¡¯s getting late so I should probably start heading back home.¡± He blinked before nodding. ¡°Er, right, right. I uh, I should probably get going too.¡± ¡°Well, then¡­ see ya around, maybe.¡± Cameron waved as she started walking away. ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± He waved back, before checking his phone and seeing that it was closer to dawn than dusk. ¡°Oof, yeah. I need to head back home.¡± Moving towards the crossing, he couldn¡¯t help but contemplate the evening, (Scared a few people, went to a teen party, met a cute girl, got into a fight with a Deviant, found some drugs, got a new power, escaped said Deviant, hung out with said cute girl, and got an invite to a fight club.) He couldn¡¯t help but grin when he summed it up like that. ¡°Wonder if every holiday is going to be this fun from now on?¡± Act 31: A Hunger For Knowledge And Power Act 31: A Hunger For Knowledge And Power --- Joshua --- As the Hungering Madness -which made his stomach feel hollow just looking at it- rippled through the Cabaret¡¯s kitchen, once dark and rusted utensils regained some of their shine as the dust cleared out and the lights above flickered on. He pretended not to notice the way Avery perked up and looked around before letting his shoulder fall. An action that even if he hadn¡¯t noticed the Cabaret manager doing it before, he was pretty sure Avery had done every time they restored part of the Cabaret. ¡°Okay.¡± He clapped to draw the Boss Dream¡¯s mind from the memory of things lost. ¡°We¡¯ve got a kitchen now¡­ What exactly does this do for us?¡± ¡°Well, if we, um, had someone to staff it¡­¡± Avery frowned, running a hand over the counter before shaking his head. ¡°If we staffed it, the kitchen would let us cook up dishes for our guests¡­ Which uh, would make us a little bit of Madness while also getting them to keep coming back if they like the food.¡± ¡°All of which sounds very good.¡± He nodded, liking the idea of anything that would up his Madness generation beyond his current levels. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Avery agreed, messing about with the stove and turning on a burner. ¡°Hey, is there anything in the ice box over there?¡± Looking to his side and seeing a large metal fridge, he opened it as asked and found the thing empty. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Nothing in the pantry either.¡± Avery sighed, closing a cabinet door. ¡°Was hoping I¡¯d be able to cook something up for you but¡­ looks like we¡¯ll have to restock the place if we want anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame, but it¡¯s about par for the course right now.¡± He had to admit, before a thought occurred to him. ¡°Uh, hey, Avery?¡± ¡°Yeah, boss?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s no food¡­ what exactly have you been eating?¡± Now that the thought had occurred to him he found himself increasingly concerned for his cabaret manager. ¡°Dreams¡­ don¡¯t really need to eat the way you waking folk do.¡± Avery explained as if piecing it together as he went. ¡°We can live off just the, uh, ambient Madness of our Wonderland, though if we leave it the rules do change up a bit which is why the kitchen is so profitable.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t need to eat at all?¡± He frowned. ¡°Or maybe what I mean is, there¡¯s like no benefits to you eating or problems from not eating?¡± ¡°I mean, I can eat but it¡¯s more of a¡­ want than a need?¡± Avery shrugged a little unsurely. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s been long enough that I legitimately can¡¯t remember the last time I ate and I¡¯m feeling fine.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± That ¡®feeling fine¡¯ reminded him very much of the drunks who thought they were still sober. (Not the best analogy, but it is like those people who get so used to feeling bad that they can¡¯t remember what it¡¯s like to feel good.) ¡°Alright, well if it¡¯s a want you¡¯ve got, then the moment we get this place stocked up I want you on three full meals a day.¡± He told his Boss Dream, before thinking about it a little more. ¡°Same goes for any other Dreams in my employ.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t have to go that far Boss.¡± Avery tried to assure him. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m the boss, I make the rules. That¡¯s a rule now. You have to eat.¡± Scene Consequences -Wonderland Kitchen has been repaired and can be used to craft Madness Dishes that grant a bonus for the rest of a Turn when consumed. (Note: Dishes cannot be made or consumed mid-event outside of a Rest.) --When staffed the kitchen will increase customer satisfaction and retention while also slightly increasing Madness income. ---Note: If guests do not like the food available it will instead decrease customer satisfaction and retention. Madness income will be unaffected. --- Checking his phone and seeing that he had a few hours until his meeting with the Malice Doc, he decided to try testing out his newest power on his way to said meeting. ¡°Right, okay¡­ so let¡¯s see if I¡¯ve really got this down.¡± He told himself as he stood on the edge of the roof eyeing the next ledge over. ¡°First focus on the spot¡­ then¡­¡± He reached out to his powers looking for whatever sensation was newest, before finding an odd spot that felt almost like fluid flowing between his fingers and, ¡°grab on.¡± The world around him disappeared in black for a moment as he felt a splash of water ripple over him before immediately drying as the world returned around him and he found himself on the next ledge. ¡°Oh-ho, this is definitely going to be helpful.¡± He grinned trying to use his power to get to the other side of the rooftop only to find himself coming up a fair bit short. ¡°What?¡± He frowned, comparing the distance to what he could remember of the trainyard. ¡°Yeah, no. I remember going a lot further than this the other night¡­ Was that just the malice amping me or¡­?¡± Figuring that it would probably be best to run a few experiments with this power before he tried to use it to make his way to the meeting, he started using his newest power to move around the rooftop making a few mental notes. ¡°Alright, so without Malice I can jump about¡­ five meters¡­ I think?¡± He felt like he was pulling that number out of the air, but he also felt like it was right. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ how can I up that distance?¡± (Maybe my tags? I mean I can feel those from a fair distance away, so maybe I can use that to amp my other ranged abilities.) Thinking about it for a moment and deciding that it couldn¡¯t hurt, he placed one of his tags on the roof before making his way to the other side of the rooftop. A fair distance further than he could seemingly flow by default. Rather than focusing on simply moving, he instead focused on his connection to the ink tag he¡¯d placed down before grabbing the flowing fluid as the world faded to black and finding himself still coming up short of his destination. ¡°Okay, so that idea was a bust¡­ I guess it¡¯s time to try it with the Malice.¡± He told himself, before pulling out a vial of said super serum and sipping it down, starting up that sweet sinful symphony. ¡°Woo. Now let¡¯s try that again, shall we?¡± He asked no one in particular as he shook out his limbs. Once more he tried using his (Ink Flow) to move about and found that he could in fact travel a fair bit further than he could without the Malice. ¡°As expected.¡± Though when he tried to latch onto the idea of how far he was going he felt there was some kind of static keeping his thoughts from accurately gauging the value. ¡°Hmm, less expected¡­¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Deciding to not let that get him down, he instead decided to try his hand at his tag experiment again because some part of him was telling him that he was close to¡­ something there. Of course given the increase in distance the Malice vial had already given him, he felt it was best to try increasing the distance a little more than he had before. Which is how he found himself about two rooftops over from where he¡¯d laid down his latest tag. Focusing on both his Ink Tag and the Ink Flow, he grabbed onto both powers as he moved in an attempt to flow to his tag, only to find both of them slipping through his metaphorical fingers. Only this time with the Malice flowing through him he could actually feel what was going wrong as it happened. First the moment he started flowing through reality he lost track of his Ink Tag thus losing track of where he was trying to go. Then with no actual end destination in sight, the¡­ pressure -lack of a better word- of his Ink Flow increased to a point where he could no longer hold on, spitting him back out into the cold hard reality of the situation. Not trusting himself to have figured out the problem on his first try, he gave it a few more goes before coming to the hard conclusion that, ¡°Yep, just don¡¯t have enough control over these to do this right.¡± Scene Consequences -Power Synergy: Gained +2XP to Ink Tags and Ink Flow. --For consuming 1 Malice Vial gained (D6 = 5/2)* for 2XP to Ink Tags and 3XP to Ink Flow. ---Malice Chain Bonus: Gained 1 Malicious Madness. --Total: 4XP to Ink Tags and 5XP to Ink Flow. ---Currently: Ink Tags Lv. 4 (4/10) ---*Power Level Up* Ink Flow Lv. 2 (2/6) -Perk Revealed: Tagged Flow (Requires: Ink Tag and Ink Flow Lv. 5) --- With that sad revelation made, he figured there was little he could do to fix the problem beyond training up the powers to a point where he could use them the way he wanted. Something that would¡¯ve taken significantly more time than he could afford to waste if he didn¡¯t want the doc¡¯s people knocking him on his ass again. Which is why rather than any hardcore training he instead made his way to the warehouse for his meeting. (Though I guess using Ink Flow to get here might count as training¡­) Stepping inside he found the Doc sitting at the usual table with his usual bodyguard while going over a number of files on the table with a look on his face. He gave the bodyguard a curious look to see if he was going to tell the Doc he was there and only received a blank look for his trouble. ¡°Ahem.¡± He coughed. ¡°Take your seat.¡± The Doc told him without bothering to look up. With a roll of his eyes he did just that. Though despite remembering what he saw last time he peeked at the doctor¡¯s files, he still risked another peek as a small act of rebellion. Most of said pictures were of a cordoned off space around a torn up statue that looked like the site of a Mask fight of some kind, as well as other photos of a number of dead creatures that had been killed in a grisly number of ways. ¡°Someone had fun last night.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but notice as he took his seat. ¡°More than a little fun.¡± The Doc admitted. ¡°But nothing that ultimately changes your situation.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s being a distraction while you send Zylah out to do your actual dirty work.¡± He remembered. ¡°Got an idea when and where you want this distraction to take place?¡± ¡°Due to this event and the other things tied to it, your services won¡¯t be necessary for another two weeks.¡± The Malice Doc informed him. ¡°As long as you do it on the given date, the only real restriction on location is that it must be in the downtown area.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing if the area has to be a big enough distraction then it¡¯s got to be a place with a lot of foot traffic during the day.¡± He figured, tapping his fingers on the table. ¡°If you require a better idea of the scale of the distraction we want we do have a few targets of acceptable size.¡± The Doc told him, digging out a file from beneath the rest and handing it to him. Opening it he found pictures and quick dossiers on, ¡°A bank, a museum, or a¡­ hospital? You want me to rob a hospital?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say it won¡¯t earn a response.¡± The criminal doctor shrugged. ¡°Besides we¡¯re not asking you to harm anyone, just to cause enough of a distraction to draw attention to your location.¡± ¡°And what exactly could I steal from a hospital that¡¯s worth the trouble?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Drugs.¡± The Malice Doc answered as if it were obvious before snapping his fingers. ¡°Speaking of.¡± The bodyguard set a box on the table that likely contained this week¡¯s Malice supply. ¡°Like last time you¡¯ll have one week to scout your locations before telling us which location you intend to hit so that we may set up contingencies for you.¡± The Doc told him. ¡°Do you have any questions or will you be taking your leave now?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but frown at the obvious dismissal. (I know we¡¯ve got to listen to him, but are you really going to let him push you around like that?) The devil on his shoulder asked him. (No. No I¡¯m not.) ¡°Actually, I did have one thing I wanted to ask you about.¡± He admitted, reaching into his own Malice case and pulling out the vial of what he was more than convinced was Blue Malice. ¡°I got into a fight with a Deviant the other night and found this at the scene.¡± The Malice Doc gave his bodyguard a curious if unhappy look. ¡°One of our dealers let a customer OD when shopping for new clients.¡± The guard explained. ¡°I see¡­ Sloppy.¡± The Doc frowned before turning back to him. ¡°That is a vial of Malice as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve surmised given how you¡¯re showing it to me. More specifically it is a vial of the Blue Strain that specializes in enhancing the user¡¯s more¡­ elementally inclined abilities.¡± He raised a brow. ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°Meaning for you it would enhance your¡­ ink abilities however those may manifest.¡± The Doc elaborated, before explaining that, ¡°The Red Strain we typically give you is more closely connected to physical enhancements such as your healing factor, enhanced strength, and transformative abilities.¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is if I¡¯d taken this Blue Vial instead of the reds, it would¡¯ve given me more ink powers instead of the physical ones I¡¯ve been developing?¡± He asked, purposely not pointing out all of the ink powers he¡¯d developed in spite of this little manipulation. ¡°Possibly, though given your relatively newness to your powers it was decided that enhancing your physical abilities would offer a superior foundation to anything the other strains could offer you at this time.¡± The Malice Doc answered. ¡°So that means there are other strains than red and blue?¡± He pressed. The Malice Doctor stared at him for a moment before leaning back saying, ¡°Yes, at the moment there are four core strains. Red, Blue, Green, and Black. Green typically enhances more esoteric abilities, while I¡¯ve no idea what this would represent for you, in other subjects this would include things such as phasing through walls, creating constructs, or generally disregarding the native physics of our reality.¡± ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± He nodded, not wanting to admit that he could do all of that in one form or another. ¡°Black Malice,¡± The Doc continued, ¡°is something we explicitly wanted to avoid exposing you to a pure dosage of until we¡¯d formed a baseline of your natural abilities due to the fact that it most commonly enhances abilities of a more mental acumen. Something that could have truly interesting effects on any dormant Madness abilities you may possess.¡± He frowned remembering the big point of his experiment was the fact that he was a possible Madness user. ¡°Why not give me that from the get go if you only went after me for my Madness genes?¡± ¡°As I said, we require a baseline to know just what you¡¯re capable of otherwise we wouldn¡¯t be able to properly judge any other Madness potentials we recruit.¡± The Malice Doc explained. ¡°Once we truly know what you¡¯re capable of, we¡¯ll be able to see how the Black strain interacts with your development.¡± ¡°What about Blue and Green?¡± He wondered. ¡°Are those staying off the table too?¡± The Malice Doctor paused to observe him once more before shaking his head. ¡°No, if you wish to purchase Blue or Green Malice we will not stop you, given how any influence they have on your Madness abilities should be minimal at best.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded, glad he¡¯d gotten something extra out of this little meeting. ¡°That said, if we¡¯re going to start adding other variables to your experiment we¡¯re going to need a more thorough understanding of your current physical abilities.¡± The Malice Doc warned him. ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°I hope you had no other plans for today.¡± He sighed. ¡°No, this was the last of it.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 5 Vials of Red Malice. -Can now buy Blue and Green Malice. -New Mission: Criminal Distraction: Scout a heist location to perform after Turn 40. Location must be chosen by Turn 36 at the latest. Act 32: Thoughts, Drugs, and Ink Act 32: Thoughts, Drugs, and Ink --- Joshua --- To put first things first, the moment he was back home and the door to his room was locked, he started flicking through the file the Malice Doc had given him, hoping to figure out something of value from the dossier. Unfortunately there was very little in the way of actual information about the bank, hospital, or museum beyond a basic floor plan of each, the address and operating hours of said buildings, and a number of photos from the outside of each building. All of which he was fairly sure he could find online with a limited bit of digging. ¡°Of course these assholes couldn¡¯t make it easy for me.¡± He groaned, running a hand down his face as he looked over the limited information before searching each address on his phone. ¡°Alright, they¡¯re all downtown and within a mile of each other¡­ meaning that wherever they¡¯re hitting is probably within that mile as well.¡± He figured, before frowning as he moved the map app around a bit and found they were all in the southern part of Downtown. ¡°Or this is on the opposite side of downtown from their real target.¡± It was hard to place one way or the other, but eventually he simply shook his head. ¡°No, figuring out what they¡¯re after doesn¡¯t net me anything. If anything it might make me a little ¡®too smart¡¯ for what they want from me. Which would probably end badly¡­¡± (Though knowing what they¡¯re after might help us figure out how to get out from under their thumb.) A voice in the back of his head countered calmly. He tapped his fingers on his desk for a moment, before sighing. ¡°No. Until I¡¯ve got more resources of my own, my best play is to wait them out for now and just go along with their plans. Once I can hold my own then I can get a little more risky.¡± With that settled he looked at the photos of his targets once more and quickly went over each one in his head. (Bank is the most classic of the three and the one most likely to have the biggest payout.) Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t steal a million dollars in the age of the credit card, he went ahead and searched how much money banks held in cash before whistling. ¡°Fifty to two hundred Gs. That¡¯s¡­ still a lot.¡± He had to admit, and given what he¡¯d gone through for a couple of grand a few weeks prior was definitely worth whatever risk the security would pose for that much. (Ah, but shouldn¡¯t forget that money isn¡¯t the only payout.) He reminded himself as his eyes drifted to the museum. (Place like that is bound to have something interesting on top of a crowd looking to see something amazing¡­ So why not give them a show?) While he doubted he¡¯d actually find anything of value at the museum, it would be a decent way to build Madness he supposed. ¡°Which will let me get the Cabaret going all the sooner.¡± The last target, the hospital, was the only one he was ready to veto right out the gate. (Wait, wait, let¡¯s not be hasty.) The devil on his shoulder pleaded. ¡°What could I possibly get from a hospital that would be worth pissing off everyone in the city.¡± He had to ask himself before grimacing at one of the photos. ¡°I mean fuck, I think this is a children¡¯s hospital¡­ or it has a children¡¯s wing? Either way kids are involved and that is just asking to be beaten and killed by any Mask in the city.¡± (True¡­ but what do kids like?) He considered it for a moment, wondering why his mind was going in this direction before blinking as he whispered. ¡°Cartoons¡­¡± Giving the hospital a more considering look he actually thought about it now. ¡°It would be risky as fuck, but the PR and Madness might just be worth it if I can pull this off.¡± The question was if he could pull it off. ¡°I might be better off hitting the bank or the museum for now and trying for the kids show once I¡¯m a little more established.¡± He forced himself to admit, contemplating if he¡¯d be better off tossing the hospital photos in the reserve pile with the pawnshop and jewelry stores. Scene Consequences -Joshua has gained a basic layout of all three target location as well as an idea of what he can get from each. --- With a lot on his mind as he considered how best to handle the situation with his upcoming heist he decided to try and distract himself with something to do. At first he tried playing a few games, but he wasn¡¯t really feeling any of them. (Doubt the GM gets like this.) He sighed, turning off his system as he gave up on playing a game, before actually considering that thought and pulling out his phone. You: [You there?] He waited for a few minutes before eventually a series of ellipses popped on his phone. GM: [Huh, was scared TPK scared you off with her whole protective big sister act.] He felt a bit of heat to his face as he remembered just how his interactions with the older girl went, before typing. You: [What can I say, my act is better than hers.] GM: [Cocky much.] You: [It¡¯s not arrogance if you can back it up.] GM: [Fair.] GM: [Anyway, what¡¯s up?] You: [Honestly, just trying to kill a bit of time.] GM: [You should play some video games.] He rolled his eyes. You: [I was expecting that, but I¡¯m not in the mood for a solo act.] GM: [Yeah, well as much as I¡¯d like to, I can¡¯t really game with you right now.] GM: [Stuck playing management sim with the rest of the guild after the Haunt.] He remembered Chris saying something about the Haunt and why he should stay in on Halloween, but he couldn¡¯t really recall his brother telling him what the Haunt was actually about. And while he was tempted to find out more, he felt like the fact that the Haunt was over until next year made it kind of pointless to ask, especially when he hadn¡¯t run into anything other than the Malice ODing Burning Man. You: [That mean you don¡¯t have time to text, or that you''re stuck bored at a desk somewhere?] It took the GM a minute to respond before eventually texting him. GM: [More the second than the first.] This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. GM: [Why? You got something on your mind?] He considered the question before asking the first one that popped in his mind. You: [Is there anything about being a Wonderlander you wish you knew sooner?] He felt like that was a good question. One that would tell him more about the GM while also giving him a little more info about what to do as a month and a half old Wonderlander. GM: [I don¡¯t know I mean I¡¯ve been a Wonderlander since I was like seven or eight.] ¡°That is¡­ young.¡± He realized, not sure if that meant the GM was still young or if she had been a Deviant for a long time. A quick search about the Gamer¡¯s Guild had him leaning (thankfully) towards the second, seeing as the guild had been big enough for notoriety for about six years now and it would¡¯ve taken them a few years to get to that point. (Meaning at the youngest she¡¯s probably around my age.) (Good was starting to feel awkward about the flirting.) Going back to his messages he found that the GM had sent a follow up text while he was distracted. GM: [I guess I wish I knew I could play my games with other people sooner.] You: [What do you mean?] GM: [Well I didn¡¯t actually realize I could give other people my power ups until my brother and I got in a tight spot. Once I gave him it I realized I didn¡¯t have to play my games with just me and my Dreams. And then I realized I could invite other people to the game and we just sort of grew into the guild we¡¯ve got today.] GM: [If I¡¯d known I could play with them sooner, maybe we could¡¯ve been a family sooner.] This wasn¡¯t the first time the GM had brought up her guild and how much she cared about her whole gang, but it was the first time she called them her family and that¡­ that made something in his chest ache a bit. (A true crew is family¡­ I miss that¡­) Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to the GM. --- Sitting in the school library, trying to kill time during his lunch break he found himself idly doodling. Admittedly, without using his ink to bring it to life as he usually did with Doodle. After all, he didn''t want to bring any more drawings to life. (Huh, there''s a thought¡­) With everything the GM kept telling him about her dreams and guild, as well as Avery¡¯s clear loneliness he¡¯d been wanting to make another Dream or two to fill out the Cabaret a bit. The thing was he had no idea how to actually create a Dream beyond accidentally doing so as he did with Doodle. Which made him wonder if, (drawing cartoon characters might be the key to making new Dreams for the Cartoon Cabaret.) As a new determination filled him, he put his pencil to the page he started drawing out a character in hopes of designing a new cartoon character to add to his Wonderland. And within five minutes he had drawn absolute garbage. ¡°What the fuck?¡± He frowned looking at the figure with completely flawed proportions. ¡°Okay, I know for a fact I can draw better than this.¡± Putting the pen to paper again, this time he focused on drawing the Cartoon Cabaret as he had before and found that he¡¯d created a near perfect replica of his Wonderland. ¡°Okay¡­ Now how do I go from photo-like to¡­ second grade finger painting?¡± (Wonder about Avery?) Considering the idea for a moment, he eventually started drawing the Boss Dream, and just like the Cabaret he managed, Joshua was able to draw Avery in perfect detail. He stared at his three drawings for a few seconds before something clicked inside of his head. ¡°I can only draw things already in the cabaret¡­ things the old boss made, not me.¡± (This is going to be a problem.) (No. This just means we¡¯ve got to rehearse before we attempt the actual act.) Some part of him argued. A part he was inclined to agree with after a moment of thought. ¡°Right¡­ just got to keep at it until I can do it right.¡± He told himself as he once more put pen to paper. Scene Consequences -New Skill: Drawn To Life Lv. 1 (0/4) --Grant a bonus to all Art skill checks and increase the power of any Wonderland Construct Joshua creates by a small amount each Rank. --- Once out of school for the day, he considered continuing to chip away at his drawing but dismissed the idea, figuring that he¡¯d seen enough of his abysmal drawing skills for the time being. Which is why he instead found his way to a nice isolated alleyway in the middle of the city where he¡¯d be alone to mess about with a few of his powers. More specifically the ones involving his Ink. After his fight with the Burning Man and realizing that he couldn¡¯t use his Ink Flow due to a lack of Ink in his system, he decided that that was a problem he¡¯d have to do something to fix before his next outing in black. Unfortunately, he found that just producing Ink constantly was somewhat boring. Something his very short attention span took exception with. ¡°This so dull¡­¡± He whined. ¡°There¡¯s got to be a way to make this more interesting¡­¡± As the black ink dripped between his fingers -A sensation he was sure would drive him mad if not for his Madness giving it a certain rightness.- he couldn¡¯t help but notice that all of the ink he¡¯d ever produced was black. ¡°There¡¯s an idea.¡± He thought, sitting up and wiping his ink off of his hands. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t make some color.¡± He stared at his hands for a moment. ¡°Okay, I have no idea how the fuck I¡¯m supposed to do this.¡± With that acknowledged he reached into his backpack and pulled out a vial of Malice. ¡°But I know something that might.¡± He downed the vial and tasted the sweet copper and strawberries on his tongue as the symphony of swing began to play in the back of his head. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see if I can¡¯t figure this out.¡± He grinned, staring down at his hand as he began to twist and pull at the parts of his power that let him produce ink. The Malice in his veins heightened his instinctive connection to his power as he began to twist and pull his ink powers in ways he¡¯d never considered before, ways that allowed him to produce far more ink than any of his previous attempts. Ink that was still black by the time the Malice¡¯s influence began to pull away from him. ¡°Shit¡­¡± He cursed, having really been hoping that would work. He frowned as he stared at his hand before remembering something important and moving back towards his backpack. Shifting within he pulled out his Malice case before withdrawing a vial, more accurately a blue vial. ¡°The Doc said you¡¯re supposed to enhance my connection to my affinity.¡± He told the little vial. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can¡¯t help with my little Ink problem, huh?¡± Unlike the vial of Red Malice, Blue had what he thought was an almost tangy (Blue Raspberry) taste, even though he couldn¡¯t actually remember what blueberries tasted like outside of this instance. What¡¯s more, rather than his usual sweet symphony of swing, he heard something a little more of a¡­ mechanical beat to it. (It¡¯s almost like a¡­ heartbeat¡­ or something¡­) With this new beat to his Madness he once more reached out to his Ink and found even greater control over it than before as significantly more ink than his previous attempts began to pour out of his hands. ¡°But still no color¡­¡± He frowned, still refusing to give up as he grabbed his power and twisted something. Something that he almost wanted to call a valve when he finished turning it. His entire body spasmed at the beat became louder and his heart began to pound inside his chest as if it were trying to escape his ribcage. A sensation he thought he¡¯d gotten used to from all of his previous times consuming Malice, only this time it felt like rather than a rapid fire beating it was a slow and powerful beat, his heart taking a sledgehammer to his ribs rather than attempting to break them down. From his hands the ink poured out, gallons upon gallons, more than enough to form a sizable puddle at his feet as he struggled to adapt to this new sensation. (Right, okay, need to slow production down.) He instinctively latched onto the valve once more and began desperately twisting it in the opposite direction as he fell to his knees, the taste of Ink beginning to fill his mouth. As started coughing up ink he finally managed to get the valve to give some, and slowly forced it back to much more manageable level. Even still it took him several minutes to finally quit hacking up ink, at which point he wiped the side of his mouth, and in between gasping breaths told himself, ¡°Don¡¯t turn that valve¡­ more than you can handle¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Gained (1+2D6=13!) XP to Ink Production from all sources. --*Power Level Up* Ink Production Lv. 5 (7/10) --For rolling two Malice Crits gained 2 Malicious Malice. --For maintaining the Malice Chain gained 1 additional Malicious Malice. --For rolling a double Crit on the first use of Blue Malice, gained the power upgrade: Deeper Well (II) without any training. ---Each level of Ink Production now increases max Ink by 2. For Consuming 2 Different types of Malice, Unique Malice Effects Revealed -Red Malice --Heal an additional Health State. --Fully restore Stamina. --Malice Stat Bonus doubled for Strength and Endurance. -Blue Malice --Restore additional Ink. --Fully restore Focus. --Malice Stat bonus doubled for Wits and Dexterity. Act 33: Close Calls And Getting Closer Act 33: Close Calls And Getting Closer --- Joshua --- (I¡¯m going to be honest. I don¡¯t think this is our smartest idea.) A little voice in his head warned him. ¡°Maybe not¡­¡± He admitted as he cracked his neck. ¡°But I should still test this out.¡± With that said he raised his fists and faced a brick wall before punching it as hard as he could. An impact that caused several cracks to form around his hand, showing that he¡¯d hit it significantly harder than he could¡¯ve managed before gaining his powers. A fact that filled him with a bit of pride. Right up until the pain kicked in. ¡°Motherfu~ucker!¡± He wailed, gripping his hand as he felt tears begin to pour out of his eyes. (Yeah¡­ yeah, this is what I was expecting¡­) ¡°Ouchies¡­¡± He whimpered as his hand seemed to grow and contract slightly. ¡°Right, okay¡­ stronger than normal but¡­ hitting things at full power still hurts¡­¡± Deciding that he would rather not hurt himself again, running these tests he instead downed a vial of Red Malice. Hoping whatever physical enhancements it gave him would let him run these tests unimpeded. As that sweet symphony kicked on inside of his head he founded his posture and his stance shifting around. ¡°Alright, now let¡¯s try this with some proper skill now, eh?¡± Rather than hitting the brickwork with all of his strength he delivered a flurry of blows that while weaker than his first one, also notably did nothing to hurt his hands. ¡°Clearly, the trick is to hit as hard as you can without hurting yourself to wear down your target.¡± Whatsmore these blows slowly stacked on top of eachother chipping and cracking the brickwork he was wailing on. ¡°Then once you¡¯ve worn them down a bit¡­¡± He pulled his fist back before driving it forward with enough force to embed it several inches into the stone wall. ¡°You punch straight through their defenses.¡± Ripping his hand free in one smooth motion, he couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he noticed several cuts on his hand as well as several quickly forming bruises on his knuckles. Something he was sure would hurt significantly more if not for the Malice flowing through his veins. ¡°Yeah¡­ might have the skill to do that, but might also want to build up some calluses first before trying it on my own.¡± Scene Consequences -Synergy: Gained 2XP to Brawling and Toon Enhanced Strength. --Thanks to Malice Vial gained (D6/2=1) additional XP to each. --Currently: Toon Enhanced Strength Lv. 2 (5/6) --*Skill level Up*Brawling Lv. 5 (1/12) -Ability Revealed: Beatdown Combo (1 Stamina) As a long action, wear down your opponent¡¯s defenses with an unarmed combo that deals an additional (Brawling + Toon Enhanced Strength) damage to the target. (Requires: Toon Enhanced Strength and Brawling Lv. 5) --- Figuring it was best to give his aching hands a bit of a break, he eventually moved on to trying to scout out the targets he¡¯d been given by the Malice Doc. Or at least the targets that wouldn¡¯t result in half of the Masks in the city coming down on him for a screw up. To start off with, he made his way to the bank and made a few laps around it to see if there were any nearby items of note, but ultimately didn¡¯t find anything of note with most of the nearby buildings being businesses that he had no actual reference to beyond a single hotel that was way beyond his price range and probably wouldn¡¯t rent out to him anyway. (Though I might be able to make something work there if I get someone else to check in for me¡­) Depending on how his Ink Flow worked he might be able to use it as a sort of last minute hideout, but that was only if he could work out his range issues first. Shaking his head, he instead made his way inside of the bank because while he had an idea of its layout thanks to the (really weak) dossiers the Malice Doc had given him, seeing it in person would be significantly more valuable as far as spotting opportunities went. Inside of the bank was about what he¡¯d expected despite his banking experience being largely limited to movies and such. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Across a large tiled lobby were a series of tellers behind a glass wall -One that he was fairly sure could get through with either his Hole In The Wall or his Ink Flow depending on how things went.- was a series of halls that according to the building layout should lead to the actual vaults. From there there was also a second floor with a number of private offices for anyone seeking a loan or (whatever they use offices for in banks.) (More crooked things than we can get up to that¡¯s for sure.) ¡°Can I help you?¡± Blinking he turned and found a security guard watching him. (Right of course a big bank would have a security guard.) He realized, a quick once over also reminding him, (A security guard that has a gun on him¡­ Which will be a pain if he¡¯s not the only security guard in the building¡­) ¡°Well?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve seen this woman rocking a punk aesthetic?¡± He asked, deflecting things with the first thought that came to mind. ¡°I was supposed to meet my sister outside once she wrapped up some business here, but uh, after¡­ half an hour I¡¯ve gotten sick of waiting on her and wanted to see what the hold up was.¡± ¡°No, I haven''t seen anyone like that.¡± The security guard admitted with narrowed eyes. (He¡¯s still suspicious, which makes him want to look away.) (Right, uh, punk aesthetic wards people off in this city¡­) ¡°She¡¯s wearing this hoodie covered in like neon paint or something. It¡¯s supposed to be some weird uniform for her job.¡± He told the guard. ¡°Neon paint?¡± The guard frowned before his eyes widened and he turned his eyes darting around the lobby as the man recognized the closest thing the Gamer Guild¡¯s had to a uniform. With security¡¯s attention temporarily deflected from him he turned on his heel and started making his way out the exit before the guard could detain him any longer. (Right, okay going to have to be a little more stealthy if I try to case this place again.) Scene Consequences -Basic information on the Bank job raised. --Money: High-Very High --Madness: Very Low-Low --Threat: Med-High --Current Bank Heat: Low* --Point of Interest: Hotel Nearby *A/N: Heat raises the Threat response of a location and increases on failed security checks, but lowers as Turns pass without being caught. (Which is more difficult the higher the Heat and Threat of a location.) --- In contrast to the bank that was relatively awkward for an unaccompanied teenager to be wandering around, entering the museum was significantly easier. Especially since said museums seemed to be running a special all month long where anyone with a student ID could get in free and schools were giving free class admissions. (Lucky me.) And so he sat about through the museum trying to find anything that might be worth stealing. A task that didn¡¯t really work out in his favor when he had no idea what any of this was supposed to be, or what was legitimate and what was just a display piece. He contemplated this for a moment as he followed a tour group through the halls, as while several things looked interesting he had no idea what was a priceless artifact that could sell on the black market and what was a completely worthless plastic replica. (Actually, do they even put the real stuff on display or is this all fake?) He couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Pulling out his cell phone he searched that question, figuring that asking a curator or any other member of the museum staff would result in him raising a few too many red flags for his first visit. (Okay, let¡¯s see¡­ Museums usually attempt to maintain real artifacts as a matter of reputation, and typically only put replicas on display when the actual artifact is at risk of damage from doing so. That said, due to the rise of Deviant events over the last few years what constitutes as ¡®at risk of damage¡¯ varies from museum to museum depending on the techniques available to them, with many using a mix of spark tech and magic to restore ancient artifacts to pristine condition. It has also allowed the discovery of which artifacts truly are cursed or enchanted in some way, with these objects typically being reappropriated by Sanctuary for the safety of the public.) ¡°So most things are legit, but anything ¡®fun¡¯ is probably not going to be here¡­¡± He figured. (And if they¡¯re involving magic in this they¡¯ve probably got some way of tracking anything stolen as well.) The devil on his shoulder reminded him. ¡°True¡­¡± He sighed, figuring if worse came to worst he could just steal whatever was in the gift shop register. (But that¡¯s so¡­ bleh.) (Yeah, definitely not what the star of the show should be going for.) ¡°And here we have our newest exhibit!¡± The tour guide told the crowd with enough enthusiasm to draw his attention back to her. ¡°A series of exhibits on the Voodoo Wars, the infamous gang wars of the prohibition era that up until the rift riots were thought full of superstition and exaggeration, but are now recognized as one of the first publicly known displays of Deviants in the last century.¡± (Okay, heist or no heist that does sound interesting.) He had to admit. ¡°For instance here we have the now decommissioned tommy gun of the infamous criminal kingpin, and arguably one of the first masks, the Cheshire Killjoy.¡± His eyes snapped to the stage where a mannequin was dressed in a old suit and fedora while holding a tommy gun in its hands, but what stood out the most was the half skull mask sitting above a grin that was just a little too wide to be sane, and a little too vicious to be kind as a hauntingly familiar laugh filled the air. The world snapped into focus and he was once more staring at an old mannequin rather than¡­ whatever he¡¯d just seen. ¡°Okay¡­ that was¡­ weird¡­¡± He admitted, wiping at his nosebleed. ¡°Even for me¡­¡± (...) Scene Consequences -Basic information on the Museum job raised. --Money: Very Low-Med --Madness: Med-High --Threat: Low-Med --Target of Interest: The Voodoo War Barons Exhibit Act 34: Madness, Family, And Ink Removal Act 34: Madness, Family, And Ink Removal --- Joshua --- Shaking his head, he backed away from the mannequin and the gun he definitely wanted to take a second look at. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on there but whatever it was had pretty much locked the museum in as his choice of target for the time being. (Meaning I need to focus on looking around this place for an escape route.) With that goal in mind he turned away from the Cheshire Killjoy¡¯s exhibit and moved to follow the rest of the tour group that had begun to leave him behind. ¡°Over here we¡¯ll be passing through a recreation of the famous Last Call bar, the speakeasy base of the Barons made using old photos of the group.¡± The tour guide told them, gesturing to a bar with a number of bottles behind it on their left and a stage on their right, each with a set of stairs going up next to the bar and down by the stage. What really caught his attention though was the fact that if you ignored the arrangement he could¡¯ve sworn the bar and stage were more clean versions of the ones in the cabaret. Something that gave him a headache as he mentally compared the two. (I prefer the Cabaret¡¯s layout¡­ It¡¯s better if they see the stage the moment they walk in. That¡¯s what people are there for¡­ Here the bar was the main attraction, but the stage¡­ They could never take away the power of the stage¡­ So they split it, covered the back wall in pictures of the old gang since the crew¡­ After all, the crew was the most important part of The Baron¡¯s Last Call¡­) He blinked, before once more wiping the blood from under his nose as they walked through where the wall covered in pictures would¡¯ve been. (But how did I know the wall would be covered in¡­ Of course it would, heh, every bar covers its empty walls in pictures.) (...) He wasn¡¯t reassured by that thought in the slightest. ¡°Now while the Cheshire Killjoy was the leader and founder of the Barons that doesn¡¯t change the fact that as one of the first Mask gangs they had a number of infamous individuals in their midst.¡± The tour guide continued, taking them down a hall lined with a number of figures dressed in old timey suits and dresses, all looking like they¡¯d stepped out of an old gangster film. ¡°Over here we have the famous Deadmen duet Papa Sammy D. Bones and Mama Bridget.¡± His vision turned black and white for a moment as for just a second he swore he saw a skeleton with a single glowing green eye dancing with a beautiful redheaded woman with a pale blue tint to her skin as the sound of old swing filled the air before realizing it was just two mannequins one a skeleton with two eyes and the other a more healthily colored woman with red hair. He swallowed realizing the weirdness wasn¡¯t over just yet. ¡°Here we have the enforcer and wheel man James Griffith, formerly a member of the rival gang-¡± A muscular man, with an exasperated but fond smile as he stuck with the boss, still playing bodyguard even if it meant being kicked out of the family. (Don¡¯t stop yet¡­) ¡°Former champion boxer Thomas Donovan-¡± An old man with gray hair but a still solid build as he taught the youngsters how to throw a punch and shoot a gun, his kid cheering in the background. His feet moved on their own as he put a hand to his face, trying to stop his bleeding nose. ¡°The second generation witchdoctor Cassandra Jackson-¡± A dark skinned woman with tattooed skin, keeping their insanity grounded despite seeking bloody vengeance as she hexed entire families in black magic. (Almost there¡­ Just a little further¡­) ¡°And of course we can¡¯t forget about the stars of the stage-¡± Static filled his ears as he stared at the next exhibit, or rather where the next exhibit should¡¯ve been. Standing in front of him was a massive void of black, whatever the exhibit was supposed to show having been covered in scribbled lines of inky black that floated in the air despite a lack of canvas, as if they¡¯d been painted onto reality itself. ¡°Oh, god!¡± Someone screamed as the static began to fill his thoughts and the world around him began to spin, before he felt himself start to topple over. As he fell the floating ink seemed to spread across his vision, completely consuming it as he lost consciousness save for the distant sound of swing and warm laughter that left him longing for what he couldn¡¯t have. What he¡¯d never had. Scene Consequences -Joshua has taken heavy damage due to Madness bleed with ????. -Attempts to remain in Museum canceled for this Turn. --- Alt Scene Triggered --- When he came to, he found himself lying on a couch of some kind. ¡°Josh!¡± A voice cried as a blurry figure came into his vision. ¡°Chris?¡± He frowned before grimacing as he felt a spike of pain through his head as he moved to sit up. ¡°Wha¡­ what happened?¡± His brother grimaced this time before shaking his head. ¡°They said you passed out with a nosebleed. They called an ambulance to come and get you.¡± ¡°Then¡­ then why aren¡¯t we in the hospital?¡± He asked, looking around what appeared to be a study of some kind. ¡°Since you looked pretty young they checked your phone for emergency contacts and called me.¡± Chris explained. ¡°Okay¡­ that explains why you¡¯re here but¡­ not why I¡¯m here?¡± He blinked, feeling something in his head twitch, almost like he was feeling an air current blowing from somewhere nearby. (What is that?) (Killjoy¡¯s Gun.) (We¡¯re still at the museum¡­) The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I, uh, I got here before the ambulance.¡± Chris admitted, looking a little uncomfortable with that admission. ¡°How?¡± He wondered before realizing, ¡°Oh.¡± While it rarely came up in practice, neither of them had forgotten that Chris had powers. And when he¡¯d gotten the call about Joshua being hurt, (he must¡¯ve used them to get here as fast as he could¡­) ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Chris nodded, not looking happy with the fact he¡¯d used his powers in what was probably a very public manner to get to the museum so quickly, before shaking his head again. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter. All that matters is whether or not you¡¯re okay.¡± He considered himself for a moment before admitting that, ¡°I¡¯ve got a headache but not much other than that.¡± ¡°Should¡¯ve figured¡­¡± Chris mumbled, sounding frustrated as he ran his hand down his face before leaning forward. ¡°Josh I¡¯m going to need you to do me a weird favor.¡± ¡°O-kay?¡± He asked more than answered. ¡°I need you to stay away from this museum.¡± Chris told him. ¡°Why?¡± He frowned, pretty sure that he already knew why but wanting his brother to confirm it. ¡°There¡¯s uh¡­ the museum has this cursed object here, and it seems to be interested in you.¡± Chris answered after a moment. ¡°I thought museums checked to avoid that kind of thing or keep them contained?¡± He pointed out, already having a few ideas of why the Killjoy¡¯s Madness would be interested in him. ¡°They do but¡­¡± Chris pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Look Josh, this thing is dangerous and I can¡¯t exactly prove it¡¯s dangerous without outing myself as a Deviant again. I just, I need you to promise me that you¡¯ll stay away from this museum until I¡­ somehow deal with this thing¡­ if I can deal with it¡­¡± Some part of him wanted to argue that (I can¡¯t stay away!) but the larger part of him could tell that whatever was going on here was messing with his brother¡¯s head. Something he hadn¡¯t seen to this extent since¡­ ¡°Alright¡­ If you don¡¯t want me coming here I won¡¯t.¡± He (promised)/(lied.) Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Chris. --- It took him a few days after that mess to get Chris to let him out of the house again, and while he still wasn¡¯t quite at a hundred percent his healing factor seemed to have taken care of the worst of the damage brought on by (whatever the fuck happened at the museum.) Still rather than jumping head first into everything, he decided it¡¯d be best to run a few relatively simple experiments with his Ink. (Experiments I really should¡¯ve done a lot sooner.) First was the more easily tracked value of how many tags he could leave active at one time. Which came out to a relatively small four, as demonstrated by the handprints all over the wall. ¡°Well that¡¯s disappointing¡­¡± He could¡¯ve sworn he¡¯d left more tags in a day before, but thinking back he couldn¡¯t remember if they all remained active during that time. Deciding to test that point he started to walk away from his tags, and found to his satisfaction that he could travel much further from them than his early attempts would allow. Though once he crossed a certain threshold he found his connection to the tags had greatly diminished. Curious about something, he took a few steps back and felt his connections to the tags reestablish themselves. ¡°Good to know.¡± Walking back out of range, he placed his hand on a nearby wall and found that he could make another tag once the connection to the rest had diminished. With the confirmation that his tags weren¡¯t limited by a number per minute factor, he turned back to his older tags and started walking forward, ¡°Now let¡¯s see if I can use this to work in extra- Nope. Only four at a time.¡± He frowned, feeling only three of the four tags he¡¯d placed some distance away. He tapped his foot as he considered the matter before shaking his head. ¡°If it¡¯s anything like distance I should be able to increase my tag limit as I go. Though I guess a Malice vial will confirm or deny that. But first¡­¡± After his encounter with the Burning Man and the discovery that his Ink was explosively flammable, he figured it¡¯d be a good idea to figure out any other weaknesses his Ink may possess. Or at least the ones he could test with a quick detour to a store on his way to his current training site. Which is why he pulled out a few bottles of water, white-out, ink remover, bleach, and baking soda from his backpack. ¡°Right, so first thing¡¯s first water.¡± He poured some of the water on his nearby tag and noted that while there were a few small trails of ink running from the tag, it was in no way equal to the amount of water he was pouring. With the confirmation that water wouldn¡¯t just wash away one of his tags he started pooling a bit of Ink into the palm of his hand before adding water to the mix and discovering that his Ink mixed in pretty quickly with the water. A quick application of this Inky water to the wall also told him that he could not use it to form a tag, though he was able to place one by producing more ink on the wet wall.. ¡°Okay, so water doesn¡¯t stop my ink powers but it does mess with my ink¡­ so probably won¡¯t affect my Hole In The Wall either but¡­ might affect my Ink Blot and Equip Ink.¡± He told himself, running a hand through his hair as he tried to figure out if he could reasonably test his moving Ink or the Ink construct without more water than a few bottles could supply. ¡°I¡¯ll just test that when it¡¯s raining or something.¡± While he hadn¡¯t been caught in it, there¡¯d been some parts of the city damp with an on and off rain the day after Halloween, (meaning I shouldn¡¯t have to wait too long on that one for an answer.) Shaking his head, he forced himself back onto topic as he opened the bottle of white out next and used it to draw over his tag. An effect that he could feel on his connection to the tag as each stroke over the ink shook his connection until it finally snapped when he¡¯d covered about three fourths of the tag. ¡°Okay, so white out can kill my connection to a tag¡­ though that might just be the fact that I painted over the ink rather than anything involving the white out itself.¡± He admitted, before applying a bit of the white out to his palm and quickly overwhelming it with his Ink. ¡°Yeah, less the white out itself and more the painting over my tags.¡± Pulling out the ink remover he made a new tag before applying the remover and feeling a similar shakiness to the connection as he did when painting over his tag. Only this time he felt his connection snap after only two swipes with the remover. ¡°Alright, ink remover can mess up my tags and probably my Hole In The Wall too.¡± He nodded before moving to apply the remover to some loose ink in his hand. ¡°Wait.¡± He checked the bottle as something occurred to him and found a little warning label telling him not to apply to get the mildly acidic substance on his eyes or skin. Which, now that he thought about it, his hands were starting to itch and burn a little. Not painfully so, but definitely enough to make him wary of dumping the stuff on his hand. ¡°Right¡­ so just like bleach I am not going to dump this on my hand.¡± He told himself, his self-preservation kicking in for once as he set the bottle back down. For the final step for this round of testing he made another tag before pouring a bit of bleach over it. Something that while making the Ink run significantly more than water, was not enough to outright kill his connection to the ink. Pulling out a pack of rags from his backpack he tore one out before scrubbing at the tag a bit, something that did significantly more damage to his tag than simply dumping bleach on it. ¡°Okay, so if that¡¯s how that worked then you¡¯d probably have to actively scrub the ink off to remove it, but at the very least this means nothing should just passively wash it off without a bit of effort.¡± He nodded in satisfaction at his base results before reaching into his backpack once more. ¡°Now it¡¯s just time to see if I can grow out of these issues.¡± He said, twirling a vial of red malice between his fingers. Scene Consequences -Gained (1+D6/2=3) XP to both Ink Tags and Ink Production. --Currently: Ink Tags Lv. 4 (7/10) and Ink Production Lv. 5 (10/12). Act 35: Past Secrets, Flowing Ink, and Fight Clubs Act 35: Past Secrets, Flowing Ink, and Fight Clubs --- Joshua --- After waking up and going through his morning routine, he started making his way downstairs intent on making the most of his weekend by checking out the fight club that had been suggested to him by the girl he¡¯d saved from the Burning Man. Only just as he started to open the door to the Saint¡¯s Crossing he heard Maddie on the other side asking, ¡°And you¡¯re sure it¡¯s Madness related?¡± ¡°Look I know you weren¡¯t there but¡­ I could feel this thing from like a mile away.¡± Chris answered, sounding exhausted. ¡°At first I didn¡¯t notice it until I was actually in the building but that gun it¡­ the guy who owned it called himself the Cheshire Killjoy.¡± ¡°Oh, fuck.¡± Maddie cursed, that seemingly being more than some Mask alias to both her and Chris. ¡°Those idiots have no idea what they¡¯re sitting on do they?¡± ¡°Probably not, otherwise they¡¯d slag the thing down.¡± Chris agreed. He found himself unconsciously gritting his teeth at the idea that (they¡¯d destroy something that belonged to him!) ¡°Would that even work?¡± Maddie asked unsurely. ¡°I mean, if it was owned by a¡­ Jack, and was close enough to actually belong to him that thing has got to be absolutely dripping in Madness.¡± ¡°It is.¡± Chris admitted. ¡°But at the same time if the Madness is anchored to the gun, and you make it unrecognizable as a gun¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯d cut the anchor.¡± Maddie followed, still not sounding convinced. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ you remember the last time we dealt with a Madness Artifact? If this thing feels threatened¡­ Well, I can do without a reminder that reality is¡­ malleable.¡± Chris sounded amused as he said, ¡°You do remember how my Rule of Cool works, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a difference between running on a wall or bouncing off a car and the world around you becoming twice as big as all the shadows start whispering and crawling.¡± Maddie pointed out, her voice slightly haunted. ¡°Whatsmore I¡¯d rather not find out what a second hit of Madness like that would do to my head after the first one put me in psych for a month.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chris audibly grimaced. ¡°Yeah, with your psionic scarring it¡¯s probably not a good idea for you to go to the museum either. Otherwise that thing might take an interest in you.¡± Maddie let out a bitter laugh. ¡°Ha, yeah¡­ Well at least I know my schizophrenia is actually real half of the time¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He moved to step away from the door and take one of the fire exits so they wouldn¡¯t know he¡¯d overheard things that¡­ while tangentially aware of, he hadn¡¯t quite known any details of. (Details I really need to think about¡­) ¡°Speaking of, what do you think set Josh off? I mean he¡¯s not a Madness user.¡± His feet froze. ¡°Best guess? While he¡¯s not a Madness user, he¡¯s probably sensitive to it like you were.¡± Chris answered. ¡°If we think about it from a science angle he¡¯s probably a carrier for the family Madness gene.¡± Maddie¡¯s laugh was more amused but no less bitter this time. ¡°We both know Madness doesn¡¯t care about science or genetics. It cares more about what¡¯s interesting than anything else.¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m just really hoping it isn¡¯t taking an interest in him.¡± Chris sighed. ¡°There¡¯s a reason we avoided tapping that glass despite my powers coming from it.¡± ¡°Because we were smart enough to get out before it drove us insane?¡± Maddie offered. ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡­¡± ¡°You think he¡¯ll be smart enough to keep away? I mean, Madness is the source of your powers and¡­¡± Maddie trailed off. ¡°And Josh has wanted my powers since he was ten.¡± Chris finished for her. ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell him this thing was Madness based just that it¡¯s cursed and interested in him.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think he¡¯ll figure it out?¡± Maddie asked. ¡°He¡¯s a smart kid and if he puts together that you¡¯re doing something when other people aren¡¯t he¡¯s bound to see the difference between you and them.¡± ¡°I know but I can¡¯t really do anything else about the gun without¡­ opening doors better left closed.¡± Chris admitted in a defeated tone. ¡°As long as he stays away from that museum then¡­ we¡¯ll be fine and we can pretend this never happened.¡± ¡°And if that isn¡¯t enough?¡± ¡°I protect my little brother, even if that means picking a fight with a god and the guild.¡± Scene Consequences -Joshua has learned details on several things. --- He flowed across the rooftops trying to keep his head clear of everything brimming within it, his feet occasionally stumbling as he came out of the black off balance. ¡°Fuck¡­ I can¡¯t fight like this¡­¡± He groaned, leaning against a billboard as he stared at his hands. ¡°I need to¡­ I need to clear my head¡­ but how? My powers maybe? Yeah, a bit of experimentation.¡± He nodded, trying to think up a power to mess about with. (Whatever I choose, it can''t be something I can hurt myself doing¡­ don¡¯t want to risk straining my healing factor before I get into a fight¡­ Also can¡¯t be anything that¡¯ll burn through my Ink or draw too much attention to test it properly¡­) He found himself stretching his legs out, both of them feeling tight despite the fact that he¡¯d used his Ink Flow to cover the parts the leaps and bounds that would¡¯ve been harder on his body to pull off. (Who¡¯d¡¯ve thought that teleporting would be hard on the legs¡­ If I¡¯m teleporting¡­) ¡°Guess that¡¯s as good a place as any to start¡­¡± He frowned to himself as it occurred to him that he didn¡¯t actually know much about his Ink Flow outside of the fact that it moved him from point A to point B and he needed Ink to make it work. ¡°Right¡­ just a few tests to get my thoughts moving¡­ No, wait¡­ Ink Flow uses ink and I can¡¯t¡­ I need to stay topped off if I want to fight today¡­¡± He ran a hand down his face before remembering something and removing a vial of Red Malice from his pocket. ¡°Alright¡­ not the best for Ink but it¡¯ll have to do.¡± Downing the vial quickly he shivered as the taste of copper and strawberries filled his mouth and he began to hear the sweet sweet symphony of swing in his head. ¡°Right, now how best to test this out?¡± He wondered, looking down from his perch for a suitable testing ground, the normally lethal height doing next to nothing to frighten him. ¡°Ooh, there¡¯s something!¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He tilted his head to the side before hopping off the billboard and after a few moments latching onto his power and feeling the Ink drag him down as the world around him faded to black. When the inky black finally receded he softly landed on the ground at a speed significantly less than he¡¯d been falling just a few moments prior. ¡°First test, complete. Ink Flow kills any external momentum upon use.¡± Which was good to know if he ever decided he had to jump off a skyscraper and wanted to avoid going splat. (Which I probably would being made of ink and all.) ¡°Now then second test.¡± He told himself turning to a nearby fence, half of it boarded over and the other half only with chain link standing after a few of the boards had fallen onto the alley floor. ¡°Can I teleport somewhere in range if I can¡¯t see it myself?¡± To make sure he had a solid idea of what was on the other side of the fence he peeked through the chainlink before stepping back and imagining the other side of the fence as he stared down the wooden boards. After a moment he latched onto his power, the world fading to black before abruptly returning to color as he slammed into the wooden boards with a wet smack. He slowly peeled himself off of the fence, finding that he was sticking to it hard enough to actually stay a few inches off the ground. Whether this was due to toon physics or the fact that the wooden fence was now covered in black ink he wasn¡¯t sure, nor was he really in a hurry to test out. ¡°Right, okay¡­ cannot pass through solids.¡± He accepted, shaking his head out before turning his attention towards the actual chainlink. ¡°What about a hole-y solid?¡± Once more he latched onto his flowing power and let the world turn to black, half expecting to slam into the fence only to appear on the other side of the chainlink with little issue. ¡°Alright, cool¡­ can¡¯t teleport through walls but can flow through holes¡­¡± He tilted his head as something occurred to him. ¡°Meaning this probably isn¡¯t teleportation so much as a dashing? But how can I check¡­ Oh, right phone.¡± He reached into his pocket for his phone before turning the camera on -Being sure to wink at his toon self in it, and pleasantly surprised to watch a little star pop out of his eye.- before setting the phone against the alley wall and moving around until he had enough space to flow while still being within frame. With this accomplished he used his Ink Flow to move to the other side of the camera -which he could instinctively tell the location of (neat)- before flowing to a few other points within frame and picking the camera up once he had a suitable sample size. Upon playing the recording back he found that he wasn¡¯t simply disappearing and reappearing as he¡¯d initially thought, but instead was turning into a flowing mass of ink vaguely in the shape of a person before congealing back into himself. ¡°So not a teleport but more of an Ink Dash kind of thing¡­ Though I¡¯m still wondering how the ink is floating rather than dropping to the ground¡­ Eh, not important. Though if I¡¯m turning into ink I wonder if¡­¡± His eyes drifted to a nearby rain pipe, one that led to the roof of the building. ¡°This is either going to be really awesome or really painful halfway through¡­¡± Inhaling deeply he rushed forward, grabbing onto his power and aiming the flow into the pipe. The world faded to black and when color returned he exploded -quite literally- out of the pipe and into the open air, where he scrambled to latch onto the building rather than falling to the ground several storeys below. ¡°Okay, so I can do that¡­¡± He nodded to himself as he clung to the building¡¯s edge. ¡°But just to be safe I should probably work on my range a bit before trying that again.¡± Scene Consequences -Gained (1+D6=4) XP to Ink Flow --*Power Level Up* Ink Flow Lv. 3 (0/8) A/N: Note Contest winner¡¯s XP will not be applied until after the chosen event, but XP has been locked in. --- By the time his vial of Malice had worn off and the swing in his head had faded to little more than a memory, it was a fair bit past noon and he decided that if he wanted to see whatever this fight pit had to offer he needed to move it. After a bit of searching and cutting through the still half totaled trainyard, he found his way in the city¡¯s warehouse district where after a bit of searching he found the address that Cameron had given him. ¡°Alright¡­ So how do I get in?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but wonder after circling the building a couple of times. ¡°Do I just¡­ go through the front door? Or what?¡± ¡°Side door is better.¡± A voice answered, causing him to leap several feet into the air with his arms swinging. He landed in a crouch with his arms in a half guard as he looked at a- (Okay, I¡¯ve got no idea what this is.) (Same.) ¡°Ooh, you got some air there.¡± The man (?) in front of him laughed, his angular face crinkling into a smile that showed off several pointed teeth. ¡°Much higher and you might out jump me.¡± ¡°Uh, who are you?¡± He blinked, giving the man -with abs that made him very self conscious- a once over, his eyes particularly locking onto the digitigrade legs that ended clawed (feet paw things). The traveler snapped his clawed fingers and pointed up. ¡°Oi, my eyes are up here.¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± He apologized, snapping his gaze up to the man¡¯s feline-like eyes. ¡°You earthers really don¡¯t see too many non-humans do you?¡± The non-human currently in question asked. ¡°Uh, not really¡­¡± He admitted. (Well unless you count Dreams and Deadmen.) ¡°Which is weird when everyone sees you hume everywhere.¡± The man told him. ¡°Still, much as I love the looks of awe¡­ Why are you watching that warehouse so closely?¡± ¡°I¡¯m uh, a friend invited me to one of Tru Grit¡¯s fight clubs?¡± He admitted, pretty sure the guy in front of him wasn¡¯t a hero. ¡°Though I¡¯ve no idea if they¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Who¡¯re you looking for?¡± The man pressed. ¡°Uh, a girl named Cameron¡­ Has these floaty arm things she likes to punch stuff with.¡± He tried explaining, figuring that the other teen¡¯s ¡®floaty arm things¡¯ were pretty distinctive once you¡¯d seen them. ¡°She, uh, she said the club does walk-ins on the weekends?¡± The Traveler gave a huff of amusement. ¡°We do walk-ins on any day of the week, if she said to wait for the weekend then your girl is probably here waiting on you.¡± He blinked. ¡°Oh¡­¡± (Ha! Told you!) (Shut up.) ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you inside for your big date little man.¡± The Traveler laughed before backflipping off of the roof. He leaned over the edge and spotted the man looking up at him from several storeys below. ¡°Well are you coming?¡± ¡°Right, uh¡­¡± Rather than possibly breaking and then healing his ankles he instead used his Ink Flow to make his way to the ground. ¡°Ooh, neat trick.¡± The Traveler admitted, before starting towards the warehouse. ¡°Were you planning on fighting in the tournaments or no?¡± ¡°Uh, depends on when the tournaments are?¡± He hedged. ¡°Eh, Boss likes to move them around a bit but this one¡¯s tournament is in a week or so.¡± The man answered after a moment. ¡°It¡¯s also the lowest for Deviants so most have to beat this one to move onto the other tournaments.¡± ¡°Alright, so if the tournament is in a week then what are the walk-ins?¡± He wondered. ¡°Few things.¡± The man shrugged, opening the door to the warehouse with his tail (which he has apparently.) ¡°You can rent a ring to spar, a gym slot to train, or a healer to patch you up. There¡¯s also this Bloody Ballroom thing your Arcane came up with, fun but lacks the blood and thrill of a real fight.¡± ¡°Uh, right¡­¡± He nodded, a little unnerved by the faint trace of bloodlust in the predatory looking traveler¡¯s words. ¡°Of course, first you have to prove you deserve to be here.¡± The man told him, gesturing around the open warehouse where he could see several rings along the edge of the pit as well as a small crowd gathered around each. ¡°And how do I do that?¡± He asked, pretty sure he already had an idea. ¡°Well, you can do this the standard way of dueling a guard and seeing if they vouch for you, playing the Bloody Ballroom and seeing how many rounds you can last.¡± The Traveler explained, before raising a clawed finger. ¡°Or since we¡¯ve got a few tournament goers here and our roster is looking a little full you can duel one of them for their slot. Whether they accept or not is up to them, though.¡± He glanced around the warehouse once more, noting that while there were people present there wasn¡¯t exactly a (real audience) in their numbers. (Guess if they¡¯re coming in on a Saturday it¡¯ll be a little later in the day¡­) None of the people he could see sparring or training looked all that impressive from a first glance, though he doubted they were showing off that much for what was probably a simple warm-up. He did however note a couple of them seemed to be battling monsters that would explode into light when defeated, reminding him a lot of the Gamer Guild¡¯s dungeon monsters. (Guess that¡¯s the Bloody Ballroom thing.) Of course none of that mattered quite as much as (putting on a show.) ¡°So what¡¯ll it be kid?¡± The guard prodded him. Tru Grit’s Fight Pits: Entry Test (Pt. 1)- Dealt A Bad Hand Tru Grit¡¯s Fight Pits: Entry Test (Pt. 1)- Dealt A Bad Hand --- Joshua --- ¡°Well, if I need to duel someone for their slot in the tournament¡­ I might as well do that.¡± He shrugged, not really impressed by what little he could see of the other competitors. ¡°Oh, uh, yeah¡­¡± The Traveler rubbed the back of his head as he looked over the other people there. ¡°Just going to have to see if anyone is up for a fight, so give me a minute to see if I can talk anyone into anything.¡± ¡°Uh, will you be able to talk someone into a fight?¡± He wondered. ¡°I mean, I doubt anyone is in a hurry to risk their tournament slot.¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s a fight pit. I''ll find someone.¡± The guard assured him before walking away. ¡°Right.¡± He clapped his hands together. ¡°So¡­ what now?¡± He glanced around a bit wondering what exactly this place had going on, besides the whole fight pit thing that he was waiting on and probably wouldn¡¯t actually kick into a gear worth watching until the sun had begun to set. ¡°Fuck, I really did get here too early didn¡¯t I?¡± (Maybe that Cameron girl is here somewhere?) ¡°Oh, right!¡± He¡¯d almost forgotten about that. ¡°But uh, where would she be?¡± (Hmm, if we don¡¯t know where to go, close your eyes, spin in a circle three times and walk forward.) That¡­ was an extremely weird idea, but given how he had no better ideas (randomness it is.) Not caring what the people who saw him thought, he closed his eyes, made a few circles, and started walking forward, and then continued to keep walking forward without ever opening his eyes. As logically expected, he eventually walked straight into someone. ¡°Hey, watch where you¡¯re g-oh, it¡¯s you.¡± He blinked before finding himself looking at the very person he¡¯d been hoping to find. (Okay, surprised that worked.) (Madness is weird. Effective but weird.) ¡°Right, uh, sorry about that.¡± He told her. ¡°Got a little¡­ turned around.¡± ¡°That¡¯s uh, yeah.¡± Cameron shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m still a little out of it. I asked the pit¡¯s medic to patch me up for anything from that whole mess on Halloween, can get a little disorienting.¡± ¡°You waited until now to go to a healer?¡± He frowned. ¡°I mean, if you know where one is why not go as soon as you were able?¡± ¡°Medic gives a discount on the weekends.¡± Cameron shrugged. ¡°One of Tru¡¯s ¡®help the people¡¯ initiatives so people don¡¯t have to take a day off in the middle of the week.¡± ¡°Right¡­ still haven¡¯t seen this infamous Tru Grit.¡± He pointed out. ¡°Yeah, he only really shows up on tournament days¡­ Speaking of, have you talked to any of the people here about entering the fights?¡± The other teen asked. ¡°They said they need to find me a qualifier to test against or something like that I guess.¡± He explained. ¡°The guard said he¡¯d be back in a minute once he found someone for me to fight.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Cameron nodded. ¡°Didn¡¯t want to take the Ballroom or the guard tests?¡± ¡°I live for the audience and the other people here already have theirs built up.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Huh, in it for the fame then?¡± Cameron noted, an odd tone to her voice. ¡°And the fortune.¡± He added with a grin. ¡°In that case you probably should¡¯ve picked a fight with Zaum, he¡¯s the guy with a tail and no idea how to wear a shirt.¡± Cameron told him. ¡°Guy¡¯s also a massive show off, like you I¡¯m guessing, and would¡¯ve drawn a crowd the size of the ass kicking he would¡¯ve given you for it.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want an asskicking to be part of any show I put on.¡± He admitted. (We¡¯re the star of the show, not the joke.) ¡°Well, given how you spent most of Halloween running away, that might be what you¡¯re in for, given how everyone here enjoys a good fight.¡± Cameron smirked. ¡°Fire and I don¡¯t mix.¡± He frowned, trying to save what little face he could. ¡°My continued involvement would¡¯ve made things worse for both of us. And it would¡¯ve left you without someone to bail you out.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t know if you¡¯ll win if you won¡¯t fight.¡± Cameron argued, looking around the pit before her eyes locked onto the Traveler guard walking up to them. ¡°But hopefully you¡¯ll put up a fight against whoever Zaum found.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Ah, you found your friend, wonderful.¡± The Traveler -Zaum(?)- smiled as he got closer. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± He nodded, not dense enough to miss the slight tension coming from Cameron. ¡°Uh, did you manage to find someone for me to¡­ fight?¡± ¡°Yes, well no, and yes.¡± The Traveler answered. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find anyone willing to risk their slot even when I mentioned you saying their wives did deplorable things with farm animals -side note, maybe watch your back when you leave- but I did find a visitor from a different pit for you to fight.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He blinked, wondering how worried he should be about the whole ¡®watch your back¡¯ thing. (Eh, with our mouth we¡¯d have pissed someone off at some point anyway.) (Fair.) He had to admit to himself, because he did enjoy doing that. ¡°So uh, who am I fighting exactly?¡± He asked, hoping the traveler would clarify that bit. ¡°He¡¯s a fighter from a different pit, but occasionally he¡¯ll come to this pit instead. Says his wife knows to find him at the other one, so when it¡¯s less about the job and more about blowing off steam he¡¯ll borrow our pit¡¯s Bloody Ballroom circuits.¡± Zaum explained, leading him -and Cameron, who¡¯d decided to follow- towards what looked to be a wall of light where several small explosions were going off. ¡°He just asked we let him finish the current set before you fight him, that way he doesn¡¯t lose his progress when he walks away.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine?¡± (Not like I have any problem fighting someone who¡¯s running on low.) (Just means we¡¯ll put on a better looking show.) Something he felt all the more confident about as he noted the dozen or so people standing around this particular fight ring. A number notably greater than what he could make out when looking at the other rings. They got to the wall of light just in time for it to begin fading as the figure within began to play around with something in his hands before looking up at them with a pair of glowing yellow eyes visible from within a darker than normal shadow cast by the man¡¯s brown cowboy hat. ¡°So this the kid?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re fucked.¡± Cameron noted with some amusement, clearly recognizing the man smirking at them from within the ring. ¡°At the very least kicking will put on that show you wanted.¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯m sure I can take him.¡± He shrugged, not that concerned given how if worse came to worst he could just consume a bit of Madness to put himself back in the fight. Cameron gave him a look before shaking her head. ¡°Yeah, sure you can.¡± He had the distinct impression she didn¡¯t mean that. (I¡¯ll just have to show her she¡¯s wrong.) ¡°So kid, you¡¯re the one looking to get into Tru¡¯s fight pits?¡± The man asked, smirk never leaving his face as he continued to fiddle with what Josh now realized was a deck of cards. ¡°Yeah, supposedly I have to fight you as an entry test to join the next tournament or something?¡± He nodded, feeling a prickling of¡­ something in the back of his mind as the man stared at him before it immediately faded. The man tilted his head as Josh stepped into the circle. ¡°Ah, a Madness user? You lot are rare in these parts.¡± He narrowed his eyes, something about the man in front of him being¡­ familiar. ¡°Tell that to the Gamer¡¯s Guild, they¡¯ve got Madness users a dime a dozen.¡± The man let out a brief chuckle as a wall of light flashed into existence around them. ¡°Fair enough.¡± After a moment of silence, where he continued to watch the man shuffle his deck of cards all while the feeling of familiarity grew, he eventually found himself asking, ¡°Do I know you?¡± ¡°Oof.¡± The man gasped and staggered as if he¡¯d been shot. ¡°I know I¡¯m not wearing my duster to complete the look, but surely I¡¯ve been round long enough for a youngster such as yourself to recognize me.¡± He gave the man in his brown cowboy boots, dark pants, white undershirt, and cowboy hat another once over trying to place where he¡¯d seen those glowing eyes and that trimmed beard before. ¡°Sorry, not too into Masks really.¡± He half-lied, knowing that while he was into Masks -both because he and his brother were Masks- he also wasn¡¯t overly familiar with the local Masks. Each one having been a reminder of what he couldn¡¯t be prior to getting his powers. (Might want to rectify that at some point.) Some little part of him noted. (I¡¯m working on it.) He defended thinking of all the Masks he¡¯d met and how he¡¯d researched the junior heroes¡¯ guild. The Mask -because what else could he be- in front of him gave him a look before smiling. ¡°Again, fair enough kid. Not every Deviant needs want to be a Mask. Actually, it¡¯s kind of refreshing to meet a kid your age who doesn¡¯t want to be one. Means you got a decent head on your shoulders.¡± He didn¡¯t bother correcting the man¡¯s misconception. ¡°Still makes me wonder what you¡¯re doing in a fight club though?¡± The Mask asked, something to his tone beyond the playful curiosity being projected. ¡°A pretty girl asked me to come here.¡± He answered, realizing a second later Cameron could probably hear him. (That¡¯s good, pretend that was on purpose later.) The Mask let out a bark of laughter. ¡°I was your age -Hell if I wasn¡¯t married.- I¡¯d probably do the same.¡± The man seemed to consider it for a moment. ¡°Then again I do whatever my wife asks, and she is a pretty lady herself if my opinion means anything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one married to her.¡± He shrugged. ¡°And lucky that I am.¡± The Mask nodded, beginning to shuffle his deck more thoroughly as he gave Josh another appraising look. ¡°Alright, since I like ya kid, I¡¯ll go ahead and introduce myself all proper like.¡± The Mask drew a card from the top of his deck before flipping it across his fingers and spinning it into the air. The card seemingly grew in size until it completely cut the man off from view, before shrinking back down as it spun behind the man now wearing a dark brown duster. ¡°The name¡¯s Puck.¡± The Mask introduced himself, swiping the card out of the air as he flipped the entire deck of cards from one hand to the other three feet away. ¡°Puck, The Card Caster¡± Despite his general -and admitted- ignorance towards the Masks of the city, even he was aware of who Puck was -even if by name only- given how the man had been a heroic Mask for over a decade. A decade the man had spent dismantling Deviant gangs, arresting Masks, and combating Deviant threats of all sorts. All while out maneuvering and outplaying the numerous enemies coming at him from all angles, the infamous Mask keeping one step ahead of the numerous gangs after his head with little more than a deck of magic cards and smirk on his face. He stared at the now revealed Hero and could only say, ¡°Well, I¡¯m pucked.¡± Tru Grit’s Fight Pits: Entry Test (Pt. 2)- Get Pucked Tru Grit¡¯s Fight Pits: Entry Test (Pt. 2)- Get Pucked --- Joshua --- The hero in front of him laughed. ¡°Ha! Would you believe in a decade you¡¯re the first one to say that?¡± ¡°What can I say, I¡¯m original.¡± He shrugged before grabbing his power and flowing directly in front of Puck, hoping to get a surprise hit in. ¡°Not as much as you think.¡± The Card Cast told him, easily swaying out of the strike before delivering a knee to his stomach. (Yeah, technically you¡¯re a sequel.) (Not the time!) Powering through the blow he threw out a toonified back hand, hoping that the suddenly oversized limb would throw the hero off. ¡°Well, maybe a little.¡± Puck corrected himself, once more swaying out of the blows strike his feet skating on the ground as if it were covered in ice. ¡°Shapeshifting is a rarity with you Madness types.¡± The hero threw a glowing card at him and not quite sure what it would do, he dove out of the way, possibly overreacting as he flowed to the otherside of the arena. Something he was more than fine with when the card exploded as it hit the ground behind him. ¡°Bringing out the fireworks a bit early?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but point out, stalling as he tried to figure out if the explosion was merely concussive or if it had some dangerous (to me at least) heat to it. ¡°Supposed to put ya through your paces kid, if that was enough to shake ya ya ain¡¯t making it very far in this fight.¡± Puck explained, continuing to shuffle his cards as he had been throughout that brief exchange. Narrowing his eyes at the deck he reached out with his Madness Field hoping to make the hero fumble his deck, while throwing out the hopefully distracting line of, ¡°Dude, I thought you were going to help me impress the girl.¡± ¡°I am, after all the longer you last the cooler you¡¯ll look.¡± Puck assured him. ¡°The cooler I¡¯ll look as you kick my ass?¡± He scoffed, giving his Madness Field a twist before once more using Ink Flow to rush the hero. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the cooler I look, the cooler you¡¯ll look by association.¡± The Card Caster promised, his eyes narrowing as rather than countering he clapped his deck. ¡°At least if any of your plans work.¡± He held back a growl as he felt his Madness Field forced away from the deck, (something I didn¡¯t even know could happen!) ¡°That said, you seem to have an interest in my cards so how about I deal you a proper hand.¡± Puck made a quick movement with his fingers that ended with three cards being thrown at Joshua. ¡°Aren¡¯t I supposed to get five cards in poker?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but snark as he used a short range flow to avoid the cards, feeling something from the mundane looking cards as they cut through the strands of ink still in the air. ¡°What¡¯s this? A Texan who¡¯s never played hold ¡®em?¡± Puck asked, with faux shock. ¡°If that was the flop then where was my hand?¡± He argued, being more than familiar with a number of card games Chris would host at the Crossing. ¡°You shorted me one if you dealt them earlier.¡± Puck laughed, growing a smile. ¡°Really? Well then-¡± The hero disappeared in a flash of light. He felt something crawl across his mind from behind him, and was half turned as Puck seemingly drew a blue card from Joshua¡¯s coat. ¡°You sure this ain¡¯t your card.¡± The card began to spark as static filled the air and reacting more on instinct than intention he flowed backwards, out of range of the Card Caster¡¯s spell. (So he can teleport¡­ good to know¡­) ¡°Oh, not your card?¡± Puck frowned, canceling whatever spell he¡¯d been casting as he flipped the card across his fingers. ¡°No, pretty sure I had the Jack of Hearts.¡± He told the hero, rubbing some ink onto his hand. He ink flowed behind the Card Caster, his hand mid-swipe as he tried to tag the hero, only for his fingers to claw through the air as the man ducked beneath Joshua¡¯s hand before kicking out with his leg in a sweep that took him off his feet. Once more moving more on instinct rather than any sort of skill, his hands shot out before he could hit the ground allowing him to pull off a backflipping handspring back to his feet. Rather than letting his own surprise at this maneuver show, he instead dusted off his coat and gave the hero a look. ¡°I thought we were playing live hold ¡®em, not sweeps?¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°It can be both.¡± Puck smirked. ¡°That said, it is time for the Turn.¡± The hero threw out another card, one that he noticed wasn¡¯t glowing as he easily sidestepped it. ¡°No fancy card tricks on that one?¡± He frowned in mock disappointment. ¡°Trick is on the redraw.¡± Puck explained, just as he felt something cut his bicep. ¡°Though its got a few of those.¡± His eyes shot up as the card came back for a third go at him before he ink flowed a fair bit away from the card¡¯s path. Something that did next to nothing as the card merely adjusted its trajectory once more to follow him. (Are you seriously going to run from a playing card?) He narrowed his eyes as the card flew at him before swiping at the air with a toonified hand snatching it out of the air. And while the card still bit into his hand for a moment he felt that it was significantly better than if he¡¯d had to dodge it once more. Shrinking his hand back down to size he had an idea before throwing the card back at the Card Caster. An act that he realized was actually very awkward as the card went wide of his target, ¡°You know that¡¯s not how that works.¡± at least until Puck worked his magic and had it return to his hand rather than winding up who knows where. ¡°I¡¯m aware but I feel it¡¯s cheating if anyone other than the dealer holds the community cards.¡± He shrugged, sticking to the theme of his banter even as he cautiously watched Puck flip the card across his fingers. The hero watched him for a moment before smirking. ¡°You know what I¡¯ll give you this one. For your dignity at the very least.¡± He held back a manic grin as the Card Caster shuffled the tagged card back into the deck. (Alright, not as good as tagging him myself but hopefully that¡¯ll do something for me.) To test his theory out he once more flowed towards Puck, swiping out with his hand in a blow he was sure would miss as he exited the black, the tag already moving before him. Which is why instead, he twirled his wrist and threw his Ink Whip out at the tag held by the hero. Being so close and already mid-dodge, the hero was unable to avoid his follow-up as the black line of ink connected with the man¡¯s shirt. Knowing this was his chance he quickly pulled Puck towards him before toonifying his hand to hopefully land a powerful blow to the hero; who dropped to his knees and used the pull to skid beneath Josh¡¯s blow and stand behind him where the Card Caster twirled another blue card out of his deck before slashing out with it. A stinging wave of water cut into his back and sent him stumbling forward with a force that he was just barely able to keep from sending him to the ground. At least until the boot kicked his ass, sending him crashing into the freshly made mud. ¡°Oof, the river does not look like it¡¯ll help your hand, friend.¡± Puck mocked with faux sympathy as Josh wiped the mud from his face. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± He admitted, as he began flexing his Madness field, purposely keeping it from latching onto the hero just yet. ¡°But I think I can still make this hand work for me.¡± He kicked his legs into the air before flowing as he brought them down, bringing him into a crouch behind Puck as his feet hit the ground. He lashed out with his arm as he stood, letting the line of his whip give the blow a bit more threat than he could manage on his own given the awkward angle. The moment Puck avoided the upper slash he twisted his arm and brought it down for a follow-up on the other side of the Card Caster forcing the hero to take another step back the moment his foot impacted the mud. He released his grip on his Madness Field and let it rush the hero¡¯s footing causing the man to slip on the mud in a graceless and stumbling maneuver that was the exact opposite of the agility thus far demonstrated by the Card Caster. ¡°Whoa!¡± Seeing Puck¡¯s glowing eyes widen to comical proportions -(An odd but fun interaction.)- Joshua flexed his wrist to turn his Ink Whip into a knife and rushed forward. The hero barely managed to avoid Josh¡¯s first strike, though at the price of making his slipping and sliding worsen to a notable degree. A hastily drawn card blocked his second strike despite being sent flying as the hero started to fall on his back. Not hesitating he flipped his knife around before bringing it down in a one handed stab that would drive itself ever deeper as the hero¡¯s back slammed into the ground. Or rather that¡¯s what it would¡¯ve done if Puck didn¡¯t vanish in a flash of light. Instead he found himself driving the knife into the dirt, before ripping it free with a growl. ¡°Phew. Not going to lie, almost had me there.¡± Puck told him letting out a breath of relief as the hero stood off to the side with his hands on hips as he nodded to himself. ¡°What can I say, had a better hand than you thought.¡± He shrugged, putting on a smile as he forced down his annoyance upon catching sight of (the audience watching) behind his opponent. ¡°Shame my four of a kind didn¡¯t beat your straight flush.¡± (Down a toilet!) ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Puck smirked, his eyes flashing. ¡°After all, you¡¯re doing really well for someone who¡¯s not a Mask.¡± ¡°If I was a Mask I¡¯d be wearing one.¡± He pointed out, framing his face with his fingers while completely neglecting to say what happened when he was caught on camera. ¡°Point.¡± Puck admitted. ¡°Though that does make me wonder where you learned how to fight?¡± ¡°I like dangerous women.¡± Puck froze and for a moment there was no sound from around them before, ¡°Pfft, ha-ha-ha! Kid¡­ you are something else¡­ heh¡­ Tell me, what do you know about dangerous women?¡± He laughed, ¡°Heh, I know¡­ plenty¡­¡± (Zylah snarled and raised her heel giving him just a brief moment to consider the fact that, (this is going to hurt) before pain and darkness filled his awareness.) ((¡°Oh, no. You failed your stealth check.¡±) The GM noted. ¡°I what now?¡± He blinked. The rat king suddenly screeched while pointing its scepter at him, causing two clouds of pixels to swarm through the air before coalescing into a pair of giant rats running straight for him.) (¡°Ah, done so soon? Ya couldn¡¯t keep it up just a bit longer?¡± TPK pouted as she pulled her hammer back. ¡°I guess you really were all talk.¡±) (¡°Gah, if you¡¯re not going to do anything then stay out of the way!¡± Cameron told him as she shoved him away and staggered to her feet.) He stared at his hands in idle horror before looking up to the hero. ¡°Do¡­ Do I have stockholm syndrome?¡± Puck¡¯s laughter trailed off and another silence surrounded them, this one increasingly awkward. ¡°Maybe?¡± Tru Grit’s Fight Pits: Entry Test (Pt. 3)- Playing All The Cards Tru Grit¡¯s Fight Pits: Entry Test (Pt. 3)- Playing All The Cards In reality he was already over the whole stockholm thing, but he felt staying silent would make the hero uncomfortable enough for him to get a surprise blow in. (Just got to figure out what I¡¯m going to do¡­) He¡¯d thrown most of what he had at Puck, or at least most of what would be useful in a fight, given how he couldn¡¯t exactly lay down Doodle without leaving himself open and he very much doubted creating a hole in the wall would do much to help him. A quick glance to the audience told him he was letting the silence drag on just a touch too long, and so with a flex of his wrist he threw his Ink Whip at the hero hoping to reel him in with an Ink Pull. ¡°Whoa there!¡± Puck called, hopping back to avoid the whip as well as a follow up grab. ¡°And here you had me feeling bad for you kid.¡± ¡°And I told you I liked dangerous women.¡± He pointed out. ¡°I¡¯m still all in even if stockholm¡¯s the penalty.¡± ¡°Well¡­ gotta respect your determination at the very least.¡± Puck admitted with an amused look as he once more began shuffling his cards through the air. ¡°Though you really should be careful about relationships if they hurt you, that¡¯s not healthy.¡± ¡°Even if I want them to?¡± He asked, more for a reaction than anything else. Puck actually paused to stare at him at that one, before pointing a finger at him. ¡°I am uncomfortable having this conversation with anyone under the age of twenty-one, at least.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re folding on the banter?¡± He verified, pointing his own finger back. The Mask¡¯s glowing eyes narrowed underneath the brim of his hat. ¡°You really want to go down this route, kid?¡± He briefly considered it, and decided, (fuck it, reputation be damned I¡¯m all in.) ¡°I think I do¡­¡± He nodded, before looking the hero dead in the eyes. ¡°Daddy.¡± Silence once more reigned as Puck stared at him with no small amount of horror, before slowly begging, ¡°For the love of all that is holy never say that again.¡± ¡°Not even if Starlight were here?¡± He wondered as innocently as possible, gambling on whether or not that supposed rumor was true. (And if they are, I might actually do it for her.) (If the hot woman asks, the hot woman gets.) The devil on his shoulder agreed. ¡°She would never let me live it down.¡± Puck whispered, low enough that he didn¡¯t think anyone was meant to hear. (Too bad, I did.) Not one to let an opportunity go to waste he flowed to the horrified hero, appearing in a blur of black ink before lashing out with his whip. A blow the Card Caster ducked beneath the strike, before hopping over the follow-up sweep that should¡¯ve knocked the hero off of his feet. Apparently of similar mind as him, the hero took advantage of his non-existent guard to lash out with a series of cards that seemed to cut right through him despite leaving no physical mark on him. And while Joshua was still staggering from that series of slices, Puck spun on his heel before delivering a roundhouse kick to his chest, sending him flying back onto his ass once more. ¡°Right, so I¡¯m just gonna go ahead and forget the last minute or so happened.¡± Puck told him, ¡°Because while I¡¯m all for banter, you¡¯re taking this to a weird place, kid.¡± He narrowed his eyes at the hero. (Double or nothing.) ¡°You sure, da-¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Puck interrupted, throwing a burning card at him, and causing all of his survival instincts to panic as he dropped onto his back because, (fire bad! Fire very bad!) When the card returned to the Card Caster¡¯s hand, Joshua swallowed before, ¡°Da-¡± ¡°Nope.¡± He dodged two flaming cards this time by rolling out of the way as they both bit into the ground he¡¯d been laying on. With mild panic in his eyes, he stared at Puck as the Card Caster narrowed his eyes and raised three cards this time, daring him to say something. (Fuck, why¡¯d he have to dare me?!) ¡°Dad-¡± Rather than trying to dodge the trio of flaming death cards sent flying at him, he instead used ink flow to move to the otherside of the pit. Not that this stopped Puck from continuing to sling cards at him in a seemingly never ending string, the hero refusing to let him say anything else as he was forced to run to avoid being torn apart. He glanced toward Puck during said run, and quickly realized that the cards probably would continue in a never ending string given how the hero kept recalling the cards the moment they were no longer going to hit him. Something that caused a veritable storm of cards to continue to fly around the Card Caster as he renewed each card¡¯s effect before sending it back out. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. (Okay¡­ so I seemed to have pissed him off¡­) (Eh, it was bound to happen at some point.) (Still kind of inconvenient.) (True.) Knowing that he couldn¡¯t just keep running in circles around the hero, because the moment the more experienced Mask actually aimed at him rather than simply throwing cards at him, Joshua had no doubt that that swarm of cards would box him in and take him out. (Fuck, this is a bad hand.) He grimaced to himself. (Pots too big, need to draw something good quick.) He mentally paused at that thought before he dropped to a knee and kicked back so that he¡¯d slide under Puck¡¯s cards as they flew overhead. (Also need to end this before my mind permanently gets stuck on card puns.) With that in mind he once more flowed behind the hero before throwing out several Ink Blots in the hope of disrupting whatever focus Puck was using to keep so many cards in play. The first one missed, his aim off due to just flowing, meaning the hero barely had to lean forward to avoid it, before leaning back to dodge a second one while also casting out a counter card that sliced Joshua¡¯s shoulder. Not willing to let the hero follow that play up, he quickly flowed to the other side of the hero with the hopes of throwing a bit more ink out. Something that proved pointless when a card nicked his side right as he was coming out of the flow. (Fuck!) He flowed backwards, out of the hero¡¯s immediate range as he clutched his side, the card apparently having managed to go a bit deeper than the rest given his semi-liquid state coming out of Ink Flow. (Going to have to watch out for that¡­) ¡°Seems like that wasn¡¯t the best hand to play.¡± He chuckled, more to distract himself as the stinging in his side faded with his Healing Factor. ¡°Starting to run low on chips here.¡± Honestly, physically he could keep going and he knew he was stubborn enough to continue in spite of the fact that nothing seemed to be working, but at the same time his best shots came whenever he¡¯d gotten Puck talking and distracted. (And sympathy is something the heroes always play up in front of a crowd.) (...) Puck narrowed his eyes before rolling his shoulders. ¡°Oh, ready to call it a game, kid?¡± ¡°Nah, though if I keep drawing bad hands I¡¯ll start to think the magician is playing a false shuffle on me.¡± He told the Card Caster, who he knew for a fact was false shuffling that deck. (Anyone who doesn¡¯t realize he¡¯s doing that is an idiot.) Rather than confirming or denying the hero merely gave him a smirk. While he very much doubted the hero had let down his guard, he knew how to force another opening as he put on an innocent smile. ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t cheat on me like that, would you, da-¡± He immediately Ink Flowed before finishing that sentence, knowing full well that a card had just torn through whatever ink he¡¯d left behind. One that promptly exploded as he came out of the black, blasting his previous space to smithereens as he appeared behind the hero who was already turning with a river of cards flowing through the air. Even stumbling out of the way, the river nicked his chest several times, though luckily none of the cuts were deep enough to keep him from throwing another Ink Blot at the hero¡¯s face. A blow said hero was unable to avoid from so close, letting the ink splash across his face. ¡°Shit, that burns.¡± Puck hissed, leaping a couple of paces back as he wiped at his eyes. Knowing that he wasn¡¯t going to get another opportunity like that, he once more rushed forward with his Ink Knife in hand hoping that he could land a solid blow on the temporarily blinded hero. A blow that kept missing as Puck somehow danced around his strikes (with his fucking eyes closed!?!) With a building frustration, he stabbed straight at the hero¡¯s chest, putting admittedly more strength into the blow than he probably should¡¯ve. Of course, rather than impaling the hero, Puck grabbed his wrist and slid the blow out of the way before delivering a punch to Joshua¡¯s jaw, a follow-up blow to his ribs, and one final palm thrust to his chest that launched him backwards and crashing into the ground. ¡°May¡¯ve slapped that card down a bit too hard.¡± Puck commented, standing over Joshua as he wiped the last of the ink from his eyes. ¡°May¡¯ve¡­¡± He agreed, feeling a sharp pain in his chest that had him wondering if he¡¯d cracked or broken a couple of ribs. ¡°Don¡¯t think that¡¯ll intimidate me into folding though.¡± Puck shook his head, before giving him a look. ¡°Kid I respect your moxie, but we¡¯re reaching a point where you¡¯ve got to learn when to hold ¡®em and fold ¡®em.¡± He was silent for a moment, before reluctantly nodding, ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you did fairly well and I¡¯m sure the club ¡®ll let ya-¡± He cut the hero off by lashing out with his Ink Whip, hoping to use it to pull the Card Caster to the ground where his toon enhanced strength might be enough let him win a grapple. If Puck didn¡¯t immediately flash out of the way. ¡°Fuck, thought that¡¯d work.¡± He groaned rolling to his feet as his healing factor painfully worked on his chest. The hero glared at him with a pair of glowing blue eyes. ¡°What you said to know when to hold ¡®em and when to fold ¡®em, that was clearly the moment to hold ¡®em and double down.¡± He defended himself, knowing that attacking Puck in the middle of a ¡®encouraging lesson¡¯ was a bit of dick move but (he¡¯s a hero, and those lessons are a dime a dozen, so fuck ¡®im.) The card caster began shuffling his cards, eyes narrowed into slits. When Puck quit shuffling, Joshua moved to flow away from whatever card the Card Caster was going to throw out, only to stumble as the world stuttered around him rather than fading to black. (What?) He blinked before trying to flow again, only to get another repeating stutter and a headache for his troubles. ¡°Shit¡­¡± He cursed, realizing what had happened. He glanced over at Puck who was watching him curiously rather than taking advantage of the obvious opening. Though that wasn¡¯t to say he¡¯d let his guard down, suspicion more than clear in his stance, which (fair given how many tricks I¡¯ve pulled.) ¡°Heh, I uh, I seem to have run out of cards to draw¡­¡± He chuckled nervously. After all, he was not stupid enough to think he¡¯d get within five paces of the hero without his Ink Flow to cut that distance down, let alone actually beat the hero. ¡°Guess this is when I¡¯m supposed to fold ¡®em¡­¡± Tru Grit’s Fight Pits (Pt. 4): Wrapping Up The Show Tru Grit¡¯s Fight Pits (Pt. 4): Wrapping Up The Show --- Joshua --- ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± Puck watched him for another moment before letting out something halfway between a laugh and a sigh. ¡°Well, that¡¯s anti-climactic.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ wasn¡¯t really keeping track of the tank.¡± He admitted, though largely he felt he¡¯d just gotten a little overzealous with his newest power. (Not that it won me the fight in the end.) The Card Caster shook his head as he tucked his deck away and made his way over. ¡°Lot¡¯s of newcomers make that mistake early on. If there was ever a sign you¡¯re not a Mask it¡¯s probably that.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± He grimaced a hand to his chest. (Harsh.) (But fair.) He reminded himself. (Last thing we want is to run out of ink while in the middle of heist. Going to need to figure out a workaround for that one.) (I¡¯ve got time to sort that out.) ¡°Still, even if I was holdin¡¯ back ya did better than I was expectin¡¯ I suppose.¡± Puck told him, offering him a hand. Though something told Joshua it was more the hero was just being a good sport in front of the cameras than an honest report. If only because of how much of a troll he was to the older man. ¡°Thanks.¡± He smiled, taking the man¡¯s hand as he decided it best if he was just as good of a sport for now. (After all, there¡¯s a time and a place for being the bad guy, but now¡¯s the time to play PR for the fans.) A quick glance around showed that while the crowd wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d call big, it was still probably the majority of the people in the building. All likely drawn by the idea of a newcomer getting his ass handed by the regular hero. (Well, hope I didn¡¯t disappoint them too badly.) ¡°Ya know¡­ Ya put up a good enough fight, that I¡¯ve got to ask if you ever considered joining the Hero¡¯s Guild?¡± Puck asked him, with a tilt of his head. ¡°I¡¯ve considered it.¡± (When I was like five and an idiot.) ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s for me.¡± ¡°Ya, sure? Chance to meet plenty of, heh, dangerous women in this line of work.¡± The hero pointed out with a smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t think that¡¯s the point of your job.¡± He reminded the ¡®hero¡¯ through grit teeth. (Careful, you don¡¯t want to get too tense after being so playful.) ¡°Didn¡¯t stop my wife from seducing me to the light side.¡± Puck shrugged, before glancing over Joshua¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Speaking of, I think your dangerous woman is waiting on ya kid, so I¡¯m going to go ahead and talk to an Inferni about something.¡± With that Puck patted his shoulder before disappearing in a burst of light as the hero teleported away. He blinked before turning around to find Cameron waiting for him near the pit entrance. (Oh, right¡­) ¡°So¡­ how do you think I did?¡± He asked once he was a bit closer, figuring that with her apparent joy of fighting she might be able to give him an honest review. (Then again my ego is fragile, so hopefully she won¡¯t be too honest.) (Dangerous women tend to be sadists.) His better sense warned him. ¡°Well, you were doing better than I was expecting¡­ at least until the end there.¡± Cameron answered, before giving him a look half way between amused and scolding. ¡°Also you know talking in the middle of a fight is a bad thing, right?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but scoff at that. ¡°Who says? Banter is one of the key components of any good show! If you¡¯re lucky your opponent will be distracted or let something slip, all while giving you an opening to go after them.¡± ¡°And what happens if you¡¯re the one who gets distracted?¡± The other teen wondered. ¡°Then I become even more distracting so that my distraction becomes a distraction to my opponent, thus distracting them and detracting from their combat ability in a way that helps emphasize my own capability as a suitable distraction.¡± He explained, before smirking. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re simply distracting ourselves from the main attraction of this conversation in that the point of banter is tactical distraction, with counter banter operating to distract from that.¡± Cameron stared at him for a moment. ¡°You¡­ like to talk, don''t you?¡± ¡°I do.¡± He admitted. ¡°Besides, it''s not like I¡¯m planning on getting into fights with anyone dangerous.¡± He had zero issues running when the going got tough and the tough got to kicking his ass. ¡°So why not have fun with it?¡± ¡°No one dangerous?¡± Cameron repeated with a smirk. ¡°You say that like neither that Burning man or Puck are dangerous, both of whom you fought over the course of one week.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Eh, they weren¡¯t too dangerous.¡± (If I¡¯m blatantly lying.) He also didn¡¯t bring up his fight with both Zylah and TPK from the week before that, since it would only hurt his point. (Especially when brought up to a third girl.) ¡°I don¡¯t know, I mean, Puck had you calling him daddy.¡± The other teen pointed out. ¡°To be fair, I think he was trying to keep me from calling him that.¡± He argued, before -falsely- tearing up a bit. ¡°Which was kind of offensive¡­ I think I¡¯d make a good son. He¡¯s the bad dad in this relationship.¡± Cameron made an amused sound -(which is a win)- before shaking her head and changing the topic. ¡°You going to head over to the medic now?¡± ¡°Eh, Puck didn¡¯t kick my ass that hard.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Besides, I''ve got a healing factor so I can just walk it off.¡± Admittedly, said healing factor was beginning to feel¡­ drained for lack of a better word. Something he only vaguely recognized due to a general malaise he¡¯d had the last week or two. One that he hadn¡¯t had after getting healed at the GM¡¯s dungeon, or during his first couple weeks with his powers. ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± Cameron told him. ¡°I am.¡± He assured her before looking around the fight pits. ¡°So, uh, now that I¡¯ve had a fight and everything¡­ what exactly is there to do here now?¡± ¡°Um, fighting, training, healing¡­¡± Cameron listed before shrugging. ¡°Honestly, this is about the same as going to like a boxing gym¡­ just with Deviant stuff.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He nodded, realizing that (this is a place I would never willingly go in my free time.) (Unless a pretty girl invited you.) (Which is exactly why I¡¯m here.) ¡°Right, so¡­ are you going to fight anyone?¡± He asked, rather than letting the conversation die. ¡°Mm, I would or at least I¡¯d see if I could beat my record on the Bloody Ballroom, but the doc said I should take it easy given my concussion and everything.¡± Cameron sighed. (Meaning there is no reason to stay here.) He glanced back at where the crowd that had gathered for his little performance but was only mildly disappointed to see that they¡¯d already scattered. (Especially since no one asked for an encore or even an autograph¡­) (We¡¯re still getting started.) He consoled himself. (Got to work a few small time gigs to pay the bills before we can headline the show. The fact that we dueted a local hero already has us a step above the other chumps.) (Right¡­ Need to keep the lights on at the Cabaret if I want to become a real star.) He nodded to himself, able to feel some of the Madness he¡¯d pulled together while fighting Puck. Which while not a massive haul would definitely be enough to help him out with cleaning the place back up. ¡°Ah, kid!¡± A voice called, drawing his attention to the feline-eque Traveler from earlier. ¡°Need to talk to you before you run off.¡± ¡°Uh, what about?¡± He asked before remembering. ¡°No, wait, that tournament thing!¡± ¡°Yeah, that.¡± The Traveler -Zaum- nodded. ¡°Now while you didn¡¯t beat him, going off your fight with Puck, I¡¯d say this is the right place for you to compete. After all, he¡¯s technically only allowed to enter the elite tournament rather than the beginner ones. Meaning, even though he didn¡¯t have a slot for you to win I can make a decent argument to get you into the tournament next week if you want.¡± ¡°Ha, nice!¡± Cameron grinned, bumping him with her elbow. ¡°That¡¯ll be a lot of fun for both of us.¡± ¡°Yeah, that sounds- Wait¡­¡± He paused. ¡°When you said the tournament is next week¡­ when did you mean exactly?¡± ¡°Next¡­ Satyr day, I think you call it? The one after the last day of the work week.¡± The Traveler answered. ¡°So on Saturday?¡± He frowned. (That¡¯s the deadline for my heist¡­) ¡°Yes, Saturday.¡± Zaum smiled, before noticing his expression. ¡°Is that going to be a problem?¡± (It is¡­) He wasn¡¯t too sure how he felt about having the tournament and his heist be back to back, but he knew it¡¯d make things more difficult for himself depending on how things went. (And with my luck they probably won¡¯t go well¡­) (Don¡¯t need luck as long as you¡¯re smart.) (But you do need resources to fight, so the smart thing wouldn¡¯t be to stretch myself too thin.) He argued with himself. Rolling his jaw he turned his attention back to Zaum. ¡°What exactly would happen if I ended up not making the tournament on Saturday? I¡¯ve got something else that I¡¯m not sure if I can reschedule.¡± The traveler grimaced. ¡°Ah, well, that is a problem¡­ If you enter a tournament and bail, they put you on probation and won¡¯t let you enter another tournament for a year.¡± ¡°Oof, and how often do you guys have tournaments?¡± He asked. ¡°Technically, we hold one every week but each of those have different¡­ restrictions.¡± Zaum explained. ¡°Can¡¯t have a mage in a swordsman tourney, ya know? That said, based on what I¡¯ve been told, the beginners¡¯ course is open every month or two depending on the local situation.¡± ¡°Right, okay¡­¡± He ran a hand through his hair. (If I sign up for the tournament but then can¡¯t make it, I¡¯ll be banned for a year. Whereas if I don¡¯t enter I can always try again in a couple of months at the latest.) He figured. (But at the same time this might be one of those money now is worth more than money tomorrow type of deals. Especially given how we¡¯ll have done a few shows by then.) The devil on his shoulder warned. (That¡¯s a point too¡­ And I might be able to pull off both. I mean if I do the heist a bit early, that would buy me a bit of time to space things out in exchange for costing me a bit of prep time.) Looking at it from that angle, he might be able to pull off both and still come out on top, but he wasn¡¯t sure if the rewards were worth the risks he¡¯d be setting himself up for. (True¡­ We haven¡¯t really done much prep for our actual heist either, and that¡¯s not the kind of thing you want to cut corners on if you can help it.) Meaning he had three options overall here, the safe bet being to just not enter the tournament. Or he could enter the tournament and decide whether he felt more comfortable double booking himself on the day of the tournament and heist, or trading his recon time for a chance to walk off whatever stresses may come. (But I could figure out that part later¡­ Right, now I just need a yes or no answer¡­) Ultimately he decided to [Scene Choice] Tru Grit’s Fight Pit (Pt. 5) Show’s Over Tru Grit¡¯s Fight Pit (Pt. 5) Show¡¯s Over --- Joshua --- ¡°Fuck.¡± He cursed with a shake of his head. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not going to be able to make it.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Zaum frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve got stuff to do next weekend and I doubt I¡¯ll be able to handle both without half-assing them.¡± He admitted before shrugging. ¡°I¡¯ll just play it safe and try out for the next tournament.¡± ¡°Shit, well, I can respect wanting to give it your all at the very least.¡± The Inferni fighter assured him. ¡°That said, I won¡¯t be able to tell you when the next tournament is until next month, since the boss wants to see how these play out.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I get that¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°Well, even if you aren¡¯t entering the tourney if you ever want to try out the Bloody Ballroom or see if someone wants to pick a fight you¡¯re free to come over as you need.¡± Zaum told him. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Anavi the monochrome kid passed his tests and she¡¯ll let you through if she¡¯s on guard.¡± ¡°Uh, thanks.¡± He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s my job, kid¡­¡± The Traveler shrugged before looking at something on the other side of the warehouse. ¡°Speaking of¡­ I¡¯ve got something to deal with¡­ see you when I see you kid.¡± With that the Inferni left him alone with Cameron. (Did this count as canceling a date?) He couldn¡¯t help but wonder as he found himself in an awkward silence. (Technically we hadn¡¯t actually agreed to a date so no? Then again my experience is with women older than her.) ¡°So¡­ what exactly have you got going on next Saturday?¡± Cameron eventually asked him. ¡°Uh, I¡¯ve got a¡­ work thing.¡± He answered half-honestly. ¡°They told me they were going to need me to help out with a thing like last week, so canceling on a two week notice is kind of a dick move.¡± (That and I need as much time to prep as possible if I don¡¯t want to wind up in jail or something like that.) (Eh, if we get caught we can just make a whole show out of our escape.) The devil on his shoulder assured him. ¡°Well, that sucks but¡­ I get it.¡± The other teen shrugged. ¡°If my, uh, job asked me to do something I wouldn¡¯t be able to cancel either.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a job?¡± He asked. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ It¡¯s mostly a sort of freelance thing I can drop in and out of but every once in a while they get something set up they need as many hands as they can get.¡± Cameron explained, messing with her hair. ¡°How about you, what¡¯s your job?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a performer¡­ or that¡¯s the goal.¡± He offered, knowing that while he could say he worked for his brother -(which I do)- it just¡­ didn¡¯t feel right to answer that. ¡°Right now it¡¯s more¡­ helping out with things while waiting for a real shot at the stage.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I can see that.¡± Cameron nodded. He frowned curiously. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Cameron smirked. ¡°You¡¯re a theater kid if I¡¯ve ever seen one.¡± ¡°Fair.¡± He admitted, before running a hand through his hair as he realized something. ¡°Hey, uh, I know I said I don¡¯t need to see the healer because of my healing factor but I actually think I need to ask them something.¡± ¡°Oh, sucking up your machismo now that you can¡¯t fight me?¡± Cameron teased. ¡°A, I can fight you whenever. B, it¡¯s more that the more I use my healing factor the more I get this sort of¡­ empty feeling.¡± He tried to explain, before shaking his head. ¡°Honestly, I just want to make sure I¡¯m not like starving my soul or something.¡± ¡°Eh, fair enough. Though -going off rumors- that kind of thing only really happens to like Deadmen or Malcontent. But I guess it¡¯s better safe than sorry.¡± The other Deviant told him with a shrug before waving for him to follow. ¡°Medic¡¯s this way.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± He nodded following her back to where he¡¯d first ran into her, and then into a small room with a white tiled floor rather than the smooth concrete of the rest of the warehouse. Several jarred plants lining the various walls, and a tanned woman with short dark hair sitting off to the side with a book in her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you went and got herself hurt again, already.¡± The woman sighed, setting her book down on a nearby desk. ¡°No, here for him not me. Says something weird is going on with his healing factor.¡± Cameron told the older woman. ¡°Oh, and what seems to be the problem?¡± The woman -doctor- asked him with a curious look. ¡°Healing factors are usually pretty straightforward if you don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± ¡°Uh, for the last couple of weeks I¡¯ve had this building sort of¡­ emptiness inside me that grows the more I use my healing factor.¡± He explained. ¡°I see¡­¡± The doctor waved a hand through the air and formed a small spinning circle of light filled with all sorts of scribblings he could not begin to decipher, especially once he realized he could feel a faint sort of cool-warmth spread over him before fading. ¡°Odd¡­ what¡¯s your Deviancy exactly?¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°I¡¯m a¡­ Wonderlander.¡± He answered, figuring that it was better to be honest with a doctor. (At least as long as it doesn¡¯t involve Malice anyway.) The doctor grimaced. ¡°Ugh, Madness¡­ that explains the oddities more or less. Now then how long have you been active as a Mask?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a Mask.¡± He lied with a frown. The doctor gave him a look. ¡°Problems with healing factors only pop up when you use it a lot. Masks use their healing factors more than non-Masks regardless of Deviancy.¡± Rather than admitting he was a mask he instead told her that, ¡°I¡­ got into a bad fight on Halloween¡­ then Cameron here talked me into trying out this club thing today where somehow I ended up sharing the stage with Puck of all Deviants.¡± That explanation was of course ignoring everything else he¡¯d done in the last month or so but he didn¡¯t exactly feel keen on telling Cameron about all of his Deviant activities, cute girl or not. (Which reminds me whatever happened to doctor patient confidentiality?) (That implies the doctor has a license and doesn¡¯t work out of a back alley joint.) ¡°Okay, then that might explain why you haven¡¯t already figured it out.¡± The doctor sighed, clearly not believing that was all there was but also not pushing the matter. ¡°You Wonderlanders live off Madness and use it for everything. Including healing yourselves. Odds are whatever stash you store for healing has run low because of these fights, and what your feeling is that.¡± He considered it for a moment before nodding. ¡°That makes sense.¡± (Especially since the last refill was from the GM¡¯s own Madness heal.) ¡°So all I¡¯ve got to do is store away more Madness for my healing factor then.¡± (Which really sucks for my Madness plans¡­) ¡°I don¡¯t know I¡¯m not a Wonderlander.¡± The doctor shrugged. ¡°That said, if you want I can try healing you with magic and seeing if that¡¯ll restock your ¡®healing resources¡¯ or whatever. Usually works for the Gamer¡¯s Guild but their system is built for hybridization. No telling if yours is the same.¡± ¡°Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.¡± He told the doc. ¡°Go ahead and heal me or whatever.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ That¡¯ll be fifty bucks.¡± He gave the doc a flat look, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. ¡°Just so you know, I am going to be very pissed if this doesn¡¯t work.¡± (That¡¯s the usual feeling when you get played.) ¡°You¡¯re a Madness user. No telling what works for you and what doesn¡¯t.¡± The doc reminded him once more as she accepted his money. ¡°Now just hold still for a moment.¡± The Arcane Doctor made several gestures with her hands before a spinning circle covered in arcane scripts appeared spinning above him, shining down with a faint light. One that made him feel all warm and tingly inside. ¡°Okay, so your body is accepting the magic despite your body having no injuries, so let me know if this is fixing the emptiness or not.¡± The doctor told him, her eyes narrowing as the light began to shine a bit brighter. ¡°Uh, I definitely am feeling something.¡± He assured the doctor. ¡°Good.¡± The doctor nodded, keeping the spell up for a few more minutes before eventually killing it. ¡°Alright, that seems like the limit of what your body will accept. It solve your problem?¡± ¡°Just give me a second.¡± He told her as he ran a mental hand over his various internals before nodding himself. ¡°Yeah, I think that solved my problem.¡± (Shame it didn¡¯t refill my Ink Well though.) ¡°Great. Now while I¡¯m sure a non-Mask won¡¯t be needing to see me any time soon, if you decide you need another top up just come back here and I¡¯ll do the same thing for another fifty.¡± The doctor told him, shooing him off with a hand as she picked her book back up. ¡°Sure thing, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± He assured her. ¡°Especially since you''re a lot more effective than my usual doctor.¡± (Though that might just be because I¡¯m more his guinea pig than his patient.) ¡°Whatever.¡± The doctor yawned, clearly done with him. ¡°So feeling better?¡± Cameron asked once they¡¯d left the makeshift doctor¡¯s office. ¡°Definitely.¡± He groaned, rolling his shoulders. ¡°Didn¡¯t even notice how bad those aches were getting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡± Cameron nodded, looking away for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that Burning Man did a bigger number on you than I thought, huh?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ fire and I¡­ don¡¯t mix.¡± He admitted with a grimace. ¡°It¡¯s the whole reason I ran rather than fighting him head on.¡± ¡°Yeah, uh, thanks again for that.¡± The other teen told him kicking the ground. ¡°Honestly thought I could take an upstart Deviant on there given how long I¡¯ve been on the block.¡± Not liking where her head was going he assured her that, ¡°To be fair I¡¯m pretty sure that guy spiked himself with some M.A.D. stuff.¡± Cameron gave him a frown. ¡°Heard something about a Deviant Drug going around, but those pop up every few months from what I¡¯ve heard. Must be something to amp that guy that far.¡± ¡°True, but I¡¯m also pretty sure it¡¯s the reason he went berserk like that. Definitely not worth it.¡± (Well, unless you¡¯re immune to whatever the fuck caused that problem.) (Heh, hypocrite.) Cameron raised her hands. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not looking to take any drugs myself. From what I¡¯ve heard that stuff does not play nice with my kind of Deviant.¡± ¡°Good.¡± He didn¡¯t care for the idea of anyone else being forced under the Malice Doc¡¯s thumb anyway. (Just need to stick to the long game¡­ Put on a few shows and then bust out¡­) Feeling that he needed a change of topic he turned back to Cameron. ¡°Hey, uh, I think you said something about the Doc telling you to avoid fighting for the day, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, why?¡± ¡°Well, uh, since I¡¯m pretty much done with everything here¡­ I was thinking about leaving.¡± He explained. (Almost there, don¡¯t bitch out now.) ¡°Unless you, uh, wanted to do something else?¡± Cameron seemed to consider it for a moment -(which is good!)- before eventually shaking her head -(which is bad)- ¡°Normally I would, but I¡¯ve had a sort of building headache ever since I got my head fixed. Think it might be best to call it early and just crash at home.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­ fair.¡± He told her, trying to not let his disappointment through. (There, there¡­ These things happen¡­ Just got to accept it and move on.) ¡°Though if you give me your number I can let you know when I¡¯m feeling better.¡± Cameron continued, not quite meeting his eyes. (Nevermind! Kid, give her your number! Give her your number!) ¡°Uh, yeah, sure.¡± He nodded, pulling out his phone and exchanging numbers with the cute girl. ¡°Cool.¡± Cameron nodded back as she read his number. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll call you in a few days then.¡± ¡°Or whenever you¡¯re feeling better.¡± He told her, before adding. ¡°Don¡¯t rush if you¡¯re still out of it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± The other teen smirked before turning to leave. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll be seeing ya soon enough.¡± With that he watched Cameron walk away for a moment -his eyes trailing a bit- before eventually shaking his head and pumping his fist. ¡°Yes.¡± Act 36: Upsetting Revelations Act 36: Upsetting Revelations --- Joshua --- ¡°Fuck, are you sure it¡¯s going to take that much Madness for the basement?¡± He had to ask upon hearing how much Madness this was going to cost him. ¡°Yeah, boss, it¡¯s uh, we had these bootlegging ink stills down there plus a lot of, uh, storage stuff.¡± Avery tried to explain, crouched in front of a small trapdoor in the floor as he pushed one swirling mass of Madness after the other into it. ¡°But, uh, you sure this is going to be worth it?¡± ¡°Given how I had to call a show early because I ran out of Ink, those stills are something I absolutely want to get my hands on.¡± He nodded, flexing his hands in front of him for an emphasis. ¡°Yeah, but those stills are probably as run down as everything else.¡± The Cabaret Manager warned him. ¡°We¡¯re probably going to need even more Madness to get it going. At which point we could¡¯ve fixed the foyer and probably everything else to open the Cabaret back up.¡± ¡°True¡­¡± He forced himself to admit. ¡°But, it¡¯s not like we can get that Madness back now that you¡¯ve started putting it into the basement.¡± Avery stopped what he was doing. ¡°Actually, since it hasn¡¯t realized- er, solidified, uh, something like that. The Madness is still malleable enough for me to pull it back out, but uh, once it settles it won¡¯t want to move without costing Madness. Though, uh, that would only work once we got the foundation settled.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ but I¡¯ve got a good feeling about this.¡± He told the anxious animation, while not telling him that feeling was based around video games telling him that anything that costs a lot is worth even more. (What the fuck is a sunk cost fallacy?) ¡°Come on Avery, have I led you wrong yet?¡± ¡°Well¡­ there was the hat you don¡¯t really wear¡­ and the coat that tried to eat me¡­¡± Avery began listing. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t diss my fashion sense. I¡¯ve got style for days, besides I¡¯m the one wearing this stuff on stage not you.¡± He tried to argue before Avery could list anything else. ¡°I¡¯m telling you there is something big and valuable down there, just trust me.¡± Avery frowned before eventually letting out a reluctant sigh. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re the boss¡­ boss.¡± With that settled Avery went to work putting the rest of the Madness into the basement, before stepping back as what rust and decay had previously sealed the door shut began to break away. The metallic rot floating into the air before fading away as the trapdoor became as good as new. ¡°Now then let¡¯s see what treasures are hidden in the basement!¡± He clapped, before opening the doors to a small set of stairs leading into a sea of black. ¡°Uh, Avery?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m remembering right¡­ there should be a string like¡­ right here.¡± Avery told him taking a few steps into the darkness before waving his hand in front of him. ¡°Ah, found it.¡± There was a faint click and a light came on revealing an even deeper sea of black surrounding them. ¡°Avery¡­¡± He began, looking down at the flooded basement. ¡°The fuck is this?¡± ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t know.¡± The Cabaret Manager admitted, stepping onto the small isle of untouched basement in the sea of black. ¡°It¡­ it looks like ink¡­ but a lot of it¡­¡± ¡°Did¡­ did those stills you were talking about break?¡± He frowned, stepping into the basement. ¡°Maybe but¡­ they made like Dream drinks, the Ink was just¡­ cartoon alcohol.¡± Avery tried to explain. ¡°This though¡­¡± The Boss Dream tapped the ink with his shoe before pulling it back. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got no idea what¡¯s going on here¡­¡± Avery confessed, as the ink clung to his shoe more like glue than any other liquid. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ worrying.¡± He grimaced, reluctant to touch the ink himself. ¡°Can we even make use of the basement when it¡¯s like this?¡± ¡°We can, though there¡¯s not much space¡­¡± Avery told him, looking the space over. ¡°Uh, you mind if I use a little more Madness? I want to try something.¡± He raised his hands. ¡°You¡¯re the manager, you think you¡¯ve got a solution, go for it. I¡¯m not going to micromanage.¡± ¡°Alright, then give me a second.¡± Avery left the basement for a moment before coming back with a couple bits of Madness. ¡°Hopefully, this works.¡± Taking the Madness in hand Avery clapped his hands together before pushing it into the floor, causing the edge of the little basement isle and the sea of ink to bubble and glow. After another moment the ink began to flow backwards, eventually causing a wooden crate to pop out of the ground where the ink had previously been. Unfortunately, even if this doubled the amount of space they had to work with -in spite of the crate taking up a third of the space- it still left the majority of the basement trapped under the black. ¡°Well, that¡­ sort of worked?¡± He told Avery, taking a step away from the Dream now that they had more space. ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯re going to need even more Madness to clean up the rest of this mess.¡± Avery sighed. ¡°True, but¡­ we¡¯ve got this crate here! What¡¯s inside?!¡± He asked, trying to keep positive. Prying the crate open he found his baseball bat and a large bag with a dollar money sign on the side. ¡°Huh, how did these get here?¡± Scene Consequences If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. -Cabaret Basement has been restored. --Joshua can now store items he Toonifies as a Standard Action, and the draw them as a Quick Action. Bigger Items take more space, small enough items take no space. (Current Limit: 2/3) --Buddy the bat, and Toon bag have both been stored. --Consumed: 6 Malicious Madness, 3 Laughing Madness, 2 Terrifying Madness, and 1 Excited Madness. (Leaving one of each by the end of the Turn.) --The basement is flooded in Ink, by feeding more Madness into it Joshua can unlock more storage slots and possibly hidden treasures from the Cabaret¡¯s past. --- After the the mild disappointment with the basement ink stills, or rather the lack thereof, he decided that it would instead be in his best interests to try and work away at his ink production the old fashioned way. (Namely via drugs.) With the taste of strawberries and copper on his tongue, he tossed his last vial of Malice to the side. (Good thing we¡¯re seeing the Doc later, don¡¯t want to run out of the good stuff.) Rolling his shoulders and loosening himself up to the sound of some sinful swing, he eventually rubbed his hands together before placing them both on the ground and pushing out as much ink as he physically could. He had a number of ideas for his ink powers, but all of them revolved around his ability to output as much ink as possible or at the very least significantly more ink than he could currently produce. And so with few other options of pushing this production beyond using it, he did his best to try and flood the warehouse floor with ink as he waited on the Malice Doc. Scene Consequences -Gained (1+D6=6) XP to Ink Production. --Currently: Lv. 6 (10/14) -For maintaining malice chain gained 1 Malicious Madness. --Currently Stored: 1 Malicious Madness --- ¡°And what exactly are you doing?¡± The Doc asked, climbing out of the black SUV he and his bodyguard arrived in. ¡°Beyond making a mess.¡± The Malice dealer added upon spotting the black puddle surrounding him. ¡°Working on my ink limits.¡± He answered, climbing to his feet. ¡°Realized I¡¯m going to need more resources to work with if I¡¯m going to be pulling bigger heists for you .¡± ¡°Hmm, I see¡­¡± The Doc told him. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that this means you¡¯ve chosen your target for said heist?¡± ¡°Yeah, the museum.¡± He nodded. ¡°Not the bank? Figured you would want the money from such a venture.¡± The Malice dealer admitted. ¡°More money, yeah, but I get the feeling a museum job would draw a more¡­ manageable response.¡± He lied, not wanting any attention aimed at his actual target of whatever was causing his Madness to go haywire. Was it a risk going after something that knocked him out just by getting close to it? (Absolutely.) Was that going to stop him from getting his greedy little mitts on what was clearly a Malice artifact of some power? (Fuck no.) Was he insane for doing so? (Well, you¡¯re not sane, that''s for sure.) ¡°I can appreciate knowing your limits.¡± The Doc admitted. ¡°But your job isn¡¯t this ¡®heist¡¯ so much as playing distraction for our other agents. Is that manageable given your current plans?¡± (Maybe but¡­) ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely put on a show no one can look away from.¡± He grinned. ¡°For your sake I hope not.¡± The Malice dealer warned him, before snapping his fingers, prompting the man¡¯s bodyguard to bring over a suitcase that was undoubtedly filled with vials of Malice. ¡°I¡¯d hate to lose any more test subjects to perfectly avoidable consequences.¡± Scene Consequences -Joshua will now be targeting the Museum for a mandatory heist. If you do not purposely perform the heist by Act 40 it will trigger automatically. -Gained 5 Vials of Red Malice. A/N: Would¡¯ve let you guys vote for where to hit, but it seems pretty unanimous going by the comments that this is what you would¡¯ve chosen. --- (Okay, this has gone on long enough.) He decided upon spotting Annette once purposely run out of the classroom before he could talk to her. Which on its own would¡¯ve been fine, if not for the fact that she also refused to talk to him during the class that they had a project together. (One that¡¯s getting way too close to its due date.) Personally, he could care less about his grades as long as he passed the class, (excluding whatever lecture Chris decides to give me.) But he knew Annette¡¯s grades were a lot worse off thanks to her bullies, and he refused to be the reason someone failed at their goals. (That kind of rep is not befitting a star of our caliber!) It took him some effort and just a hint of his enhanced physiology, but eventually he managed to catch up to the other teen. Which of course led to her taking a detour in a completely different direction from her usual path. Luckily, he¡¯d been expecting that. ¡°How the fuck did you get here?!¡± Annette cried as she rounded a corner just to walk straight into him. ¡°I walked.¡± (And jumped the stairs when no one was looking.) ¡°Now then mind telling me why you¡¯ve been avoiding me the last couple of weeks?¡± He asked, figuring it was best to be as blunt as possible given Annette¡¯s personality. ¡°I haven¡¯t been avoiding you.¡± The other teen quickly lied with a shake of her head as she started to back away from him. ¡°I¡¯ve, uh, I¡¯ve just had things going on.¡± ¡°Given how worried you were about your grades I very much doubt that.¡± He told her. ¡°Unless those girls have finally left you alone?¡± Annette grimaced, giving him an answer despite her silence on the matter. (Actually¡­) He frowned, giving Annette a once over as he noticed several things. First the fact that the usually confrontational teen refused to meet his eye and instead of her normally aggressive posture she seemed to be trying to make herself as small as possible. The way she shifted from foot to foot and how she was still trying to back away from him as if she planned on making a run for it any second. All of which when combined with the way she¡¯d been avoiding him for weeks led him to the fairly obvious condition that, ¡°You¡¯re scared of me.¡± Annette winced and looked ready to bolt. ¡°Why are you scared of me?¡± He asked, before letting out a half-bitter laugh. ¡°I mean, I know we¡¯re not the best of friends but what could I have possibly done to scare you?¡± ¡°Y-you¡­¡± Annette swallowed, before seeming to force herself to work up some kind of nerve, her eyes gaining a slight steel to them. ¡°You¡¯re a Deviant.¡± His heart stopped. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Deviant¡­ What¡¯s more you¡¯re, you¡¯re using your powers on the other kids.¡± Annette told him. ¡°I- what?!¡± ¡°Last week you-you made those girls trip, and a couple weeks before that I saw you use your powers to summon some¡­ shadow thing to attack those boys!¡± Annette listed, seeming to turn her fear into anger of some kind. ¡°And, and there¡¯s been other weird stuff going on around school, and people getting hurt, and it¡¯s all been you. You¡¯re using your powers to hurt people!¡± (Fuck.) Act 36-Scene 5: Upsetting Talks And Convincing Arguments Act 36-Scene 5: Upsetting Talks And Convincing Arguments --- Joshua --- A growing pressure began to press in on him, and while there wasn¡¯t much around him, he could tell the world was slowing down as his Toon Time kicked in, giving him time to think. (Okay, how to handle this¡­) He asked himself. (We need to downplay this and spin it our way.) The devil on his shoulder suggested. (We can¡¯t cover up the fact we¡¯re a Deviant, she¡¯s too convinced of that, but right now she thinks we¡¯re just being an asshole to random people, when the people we were messing with were really¡­) (Our bullies, mine and hers.) He glanced back to Annette, taking note of the way that despite her -or probably because she was- moving so slowly he could more easily read the panic and desperation coming off of her. (Yeah, yeah, I can work with this. Just need to explain that I¡¯m not the bad guy here.) Faster than it built up the pressure threw itself off of him and he put on a (completely fake) hurt frown, ¡°First, yeah, I am a Deviant.¡± He couldn¡¯t really deny that, but he could spin and gaslight. ¡°Kind of a dick move to out me but whatever, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s still illegal for me to exist or that I can just quit being one.¡± Annette grimaced at that point but seemed to shake her head and put up a shield of anger. Before she could open her mouth he continued by saying, ¡°Second, those girls were bullying you when I did what I did. Bullying that¡¯s been going on for way too long.¡± (Oh, don¡¯t forget to apologize for that one thing.) He felt a bit of heat in his cheeks as he remembered the one bit he did regret a little. ¡°Though I am sorry about your shirt getting torn, that was an accident¡­¡± Annette seemed to be too embarrassed by that reminder to actually work up any anger over it, which left him with the perfect opportunity to keep his verbal momentum going. ¡°Third, those assholes were bullying me. You know mine tend to be a lot more physical than yours, and I didn¡¯t feel like taking a three on one beating that day so I¡­ scared them off.¡± He admitted, playing up the regret he felt for essentially flashing her bra to half the school since he felt none over what he did to his own bullies. He ran a hand through his hair, letting a bit of the stress he was actually feeling show through, ¡°And look, no one was actually hurt. Yeah, I scared them but even if I haven¡¯t been a Deviant long, I¡­ I could¡¯ve done a lot worse. Like a lot worse¡­¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. A shiver ran through him as he briefly realized, he really could do a lot worse with his powers if he snapped and went on a rampage. (Which is why you¡¯ve got to keep laughing, kid¡­ Toons tend to get dark when we quit laughing¡­ ) (Yeah¡­ have to keep the show going¡­) He told himself, before shaking his head and focusing back on Annette. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The other teen put her head in her hands, her face twisting into a grimace as she did so. ¡°Josh, you can¡¯t just¡­ you can¡¯t just use your powers on people like that.¡± ¡°And what would you rather I do?¡± He asked her heatedly. ¡°Just let them keep bullying me, bullying you! Just skulk around, hiding, hoping they don¡¯t see me and decide to beat me up for whatever I might have in my pockets?! Or, or, that they quit destroying your work and ruining your shit! Didn¡¯t you say you were on the verge of failing because of these assholes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± Annette told him with something between desperation and anger. ¡°You can¡¯t use your powers on people!¡± ¡°Why the fuck not? I¡¯m only using them when they go after me!¡± He growled, tired of her repeating that he can¡¯t use his powers now that he¡¯s finally got them. ¡°And even then I didn¡¯t do anything serious! That shadow thing is a summon, he saw them bullying me and reacted! Just like how I reacted when they went after you! They should consider themselves lucky it¡¯s just mop water and a few bruises rather than me breaking their fucking kneecaps!¡± Annette was silent for a moment, less because she had nothing more to say and more because she was clearly waiting for him to calm down. Which after a few angry breaths eventually did, even if he could still feel the Ink boiling just beneath the surface. ¡°Well?¡± He asked her, no longer yelling. ¡°What if they called Sanctuary on you?¡± He blinked. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°What if they called Sanctuary on you?¡± Annette repeated. ¡°Ours¡­ may not be the worst branch, but who do you think they¡¯re going to side with you or a bunch of kids you used your powers on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace, knowing exactly how that would play out. (They¡¯d probably gangpress me into becoming a Hero¡­) He¡¯d almost prefer prison, but he knew which way Chris and Maddie would push him. ¡°We both go to the same classes, and I know you¡¯re a lot¡­ street smarter than me.¡± Annette admitted. ¡°So I know you know using your powers here¡­ that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s like bringing a gun to school and pulling the trigger. If it were anywhere else they might go easy on you for being a kid, but here¡­ you¡¯d be lucky if they just pulled guns on you.¡± (Fuck¡­ she¡¯s right.) Somehow that made the pill even more bitter to swallow. It was even worse because he just knew that, (Cops are always looking for a reason to pull the trigger on folks like us¡­ or anyone different from them really¡­) Outside of school, his whole ¡®protect the audience¡¯ mentality would keep people from escalating that hard, but inside of the school they¡¯d escalate as quickly as they could in the hopes of putting him down before he could escalate. After another moment of silence, one they both knew meant he couldn¡¯t argue against her, Annette let out a sigh as she ran a hand through her hair. ¡°Look, Josh¡­ I know we¡¯re not¡­ exactly real friends, but¡­ you are the closest thing I¡¯ve got in this hell hole¡­ I¡­ I¡¯d rather you not get yourself thrown in prison.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡­¡± He forced himself to laugh. ¡°I¡¯m too pretty for prison.¡± Annette gave him a wry grin as she understood what he was trying to do. ¡°Yeah, your cellmate would definitely get cancer from all the cigarettes you¡¯d be making him.¡± His laugh at that was a little more honest, even if he still didn¡¯t quite feel like it. Act 37: Barons, Madness, And Ink Act 37: Barons, Madness, And Ink --- Joshua --- ¡°Okay, can¡¯t put this off any longer¡­¡± He sighed, staring at the museum¡­¡¯s roof several blocks away. ¡°We¡¯ll just¡­ we¡¯ll just take this nice and slow, and¡­ and hopefully I won¡¯t black out with another nosebleed.¡± (...) Not able to put it off much longer he began running and leaping across the rooftops towards the museum, not wanting anyone to spot him should things get a little crazy. Something he was slowly coming to regret as he drew closer to the museum, a sense of trepidation building up inside of him. Almost as if he was looking down and on the verge of falling into an abyss. All while the abyss watched with a grin on its face. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he came to a stop. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s all in my head.¡± He told himself, forcing himself to ignore the way he could feel a bone chilling draft cut through his jacket. (No¡­ wait¡­) He paused, looking around a bit before noticing that, (there¡¯s no wind.) His eyes drifted back to the museum as he realized the draft was almost pulling him towards it. (Right, I¡­ I felt something like this before. The last time I was here¡­) Deciding that now that he was close enough to feel¡­ whatever he was feeling, he should try to experiment with his powers and figure out what it was that caused him to blackout before. As he reached for his powers a little voice in the back of his head told him he should back away from the ledge before it was too late. Only to promptly be strangled by a louder voice telling him to quit being a little bitch and take the plunge already. His Madness twisted as he latched onto the draft, the flow of Madness through the air and he immediately felt a pressure growing inside of his skull. One that he forced himself to push through until- The sound of laughter filled the air in spite of the gunfire focused on them from all sides, the mad man completely uncaring as if he knew none of it could kill him. An insane thought that seemed to spread through them all as- -he had to let go with a gasp. Feeling something warm on his face, he wiped at his mouth only to pull back a hand covered in black blood. ¡°Okay¡­¡± He swallowed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ something¡­¡± He gave his healing factor a moment to fix the ache in his head before once more reaching out and- Blood filled the air as a figure in black darted between the gangsters gunning down the mad man who refused to slow down in the face of death almost as if he welcomed her embrace with a suicidal recklessness. A death that grew ever nearer with every bullet to take its pound of flesh and spray the ground in a gallon of blood, staining the ground and- -he fell to the ground panting, his eyes burning as the edges became cloudy and a steady stream of blood poured out from his nose. ¡°Fuck¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± He gasped, some part of him begging him to just reach out and embrace the Killjoy¡¯s Madness like an old friend, but after reaching out twice he knew a third time would melt his brain inside his skull. ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t do that¡­ again¡­¡± He told the insane part of him that still wanted him to reach out as if death isn¡¯t the end. With that admittance, he felt the tides of Madness pull away from him leaving him to lay there in an aching pile of hurt. Scene Consequences -For connecting with the Killjoy¡¯s Madness gained 2 Laughing Madness and took (1+2=3D6) damage. --- Eventually he was able to pick himself up, and despite the pleading part of him that wanted him to try just one more time, he instead dragged himself home before ink flowing through his cracked window and back into his bed. Something that seemed to just make his headache worse. After he had no idea how long, he was able to start thinking about something other than pain and had only one question on his mind. (Who the fuck were the Barons?) Pulling up his phone -and only wincing slightly as the light came on- he began searching for the Barons, finding that he had to repeatedly refine his search to avoid a number of bands and the voodoo religion, but after several frustrating tries that did nothing for his headache he found something of value. From what he could gather the Barons were a gang from the voodoo wars, the nickname for an underground Deviant war during the prohibition era. One that was largely thought to be myth or aggrandization at a time that no one actually believed in Deviants, but that was slowly being revealed to have been accurate if suppressed by the various powers that be. Due to this, discerning what was fact and what was fiction was¡­ difficult for historians to say the least, since a lot of false information was purposely thrown into the mix to muddle everything up about people who already wore masks and stuck to the underground. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. What was absolutely true however was that the Barons were a small gang of no more than twenty at their peak but probably just under a dozen excluding temporary hands. Each of these members was considered a mix of a folk hero and criminal in the same way some people viewed Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, or half of the rap music scene. Criminals, but publicly liked criminals. With that in mind there were seven Barons that everyone knew for sure, with the most infamous being Papa Sammy D. Bones and Mama Bridget. A pair of Deadmen who were known to still be alive having last been seen during the Amityville Nightmare. (Ha! Not even death could keep those two apart¡­) Following them was the leader and founder of the Barons the Cheshire Killjoy, real name unknown. (Jackie¡­) He blinked, before thinking that (yeah, this pain in the ass does look like a Jack) as he looked at the half-burned photo of a man in a suit and skull mask. Next to nothing was known about him beyond him having a blood feud with several gangs, that ended with him having a down right obscene body count. One high enough to have many people considering him one of the first confirmed Slashers. (Heh, he¡¯s way scarier than that¡­) Speaking of scary, there was one Cassandra Jackson, a confirmed Arcane who made no effort to hide the fact that she¡¯d killed and cursed hundreds. All in what he was able to piece together was a vengeance quest from her parent¡¯s shop burning down, killing both in a crime that saw no justice from the law due to the sheer amount of racism directed towards a black family owning their own business in the south during the nineteen twenties. (Can¡¯t say I blame her¡­) (Surprisingly, she was the nice one¡­) Moving on to the non-Deviants of the Barons, who sadly were less famous, he found James Griffith one of the co-founders of the Barons, and a complete non-Deviant. Having been a lifelong enforcer, and done a short prison stint, there was next to nothing special about him beyond the fact that he apparently jumped gangs and survived. (Mostly because the other gang was dead¡­ or they were made dead at least.) Thomas Donovan was another non-Deviant, a first generation Irish American who had fought in WWI before helping found a factory union for various immigrants. Around which point he joined up with the Barons to provide muscle for said union before opening up a boxing gym that made it all the way to the Rift Riots. (Shame, at least he could pass it on to his kid.) Now these six barons told him a decent amount about the Barons themselves, as he slotted them into something of an extremely violent vigilante group in an era of violence and racism where the law definitely was not on their side. The seventh though, they were the one to leave him with more questions than answers, because he¡¯d actually found the man fairly early on, having apparently been the most famous of the Barons. (Naturally.) Unfortunately, everytime he pulled something up on the man he found the webpage covered in massive ink strokes that he knew no one else could see. ¡°Okay¡­ so¡­ someone is being black boxed¡­ and I want to know why¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Joshua has learned more about the Barons. -Joshua is aware that his thoughts are being censored. --- Aware that if he wanted answers on what was happening with him and his powers he was (going to have to steal that gun) he decided he needed to push his powers even harder to make sure that he pulled the heist off without a hitch. And so knowing that Ink was arguably the most important part of his kit -(Beyond being the Cabaret¡¯s support anyway.)- he found himself once more trying to push the limits of just how much ink he could create in one go, something that was an absolute necessity if he wanted to go all out in a fight. Unfortunately, there was a catch to this relatively simple but essential exercise¡­ ¡°I am so fucking bored¡­¡± ¡­ it was boring as fuck to just sit there producing ink. ¡°Gah, there¡¯s got to be something I can do to spice this up.¡± He told himself, staring down at his ink covered hands, he watched as the black liquid dripped between his fingers. ¡°Huh¡­¡± He pushed the ink out to form one of his Ink Blots, noticing how the black substance had taken on more solidity sticking together almost like jello before letting it fall to the ground where it reverted to liquid and splashed across the ground. With the idea that he was onto something, he went on to form a knife out of his ink, before tapping the now solid ink, noting down how it felt like actual metal. ¡°Okay¡­ this stuff is pretty¡­ malleable¡­¡± He rolled his jaw for a moment before trying to shift the ink into a number of different shapes. All of which quickly lost any solidity they had, falling apart the moment he started to get them to take a new shape. After a fair while of trying and failing to create anything with his ink he found his internal ink well beginning to feel a little dry. And so as was habit when he needed to solve a problem with his powers, he downed a vial of Malice. With a sweet sinful symphony of song playing in the back of his head, he found his ink well quickly refilling with enough ink to keep playing with his powers. Whatsmore he found that instinctive connection to his powers growing just enough for him to get an instinctive prodding in the back of his head, asking him, (Hey, if you want to make something new why don¡¯t you try Toonifying the ink?) Giving into this curious thought he began to form another blot of ink in his hands, before cupping it between both and trying to get even more ink to sink into the blot. At first this just made the ink blot grow from the size of a baseball to a volleyball, but eventually he got the idea to try and keep a grip on his connection to the ink he was pouring into the growing blot. From there he was able to pick up the odd sensation of ink drifting within even more ink. Which while disorienting on a certain level, also gave him a good idea of where to twist his Madness to actually begin toonifying the ink blot in his hands. This had the odd effect of making the blot itself twist and spin in a little whirlwind as he grew and spasmed before shrinking back down to the size of baseball. A baseball that did not collapse like all of his previous ink constructs. ¡°Ha, yes!¡± He laughed, because while this was a small breakthrough in the short run he felt like it was the beginning of- He froze staring at the jiggling ink blot. The ink blot froze staring back at him. ¡°Uh¡­ Hi?¡± He told the little googly eyes that had opened on the blob of ink in his hands. The blob made a sort of gurgling sound in response. ¡°Okay¡­ Well¡­ this has happened.¡± He admitted, still processing what this was. The little blob gave him a nod, causing its entire body to bounce and jiggle a bit. ¡°I¡¯m uh, I¡¯m going to need a minute to process this¡­¡± The blob nodded again. Scene Consequences -Malice Chain bonus: Gained 1 Malicious Madness -Thanks to Malice Vial gained (1+D6=3) XP to Ink Production. --Currently: Lv. 6 (13/14) -New Power: Ink Blobs at Lv. 1 (0/4) --Joshua creates up to (Skill Rank) Ink Blobs, with HP equal to (Ink Production + Skill Level) and attack equal to (Skill Rank). -For developing a new Ink Power gained 1XP to Ink Production. --*Power Rank Up* Ink Production Lv. 7 (0/16) Act 38: Blobert ‘Blobby’ Blobington, the Second. Of the Cabaret Ink Blobingtons Act 38: Blobert ¡®Blobby¡¯ Blobington, the Second. Of the Cabaret Ink Blobingtons --- Joshua --- ¡°Ah, aren¡¯t you just adorable!¡± Avery cooed over the newest addition to the cabaret. ¡°Wook at you with your wittle googwy eyes!¡± His latest dream preened under all of the attention as he watched the spectacle beside Doodle on the wall. ¡°So he really is a new Dream then?¡± He asked. ¡°Not some weird power mishap.¡± ¡°Hmm, no, he¡¯s a real Dream.¡± The Cabaret Manager nodded. ¡°A bit, uh, simple in construction maybe, but, you¡¯ve been a Wonderlander for almost two months now so, um, that¡¯s to be expected.¡± ¡°Construction?¡± He repeated, have amused by the way Avery had said that. ¡°Uh, yeah, Dreams we¡¯ve¡­ we¡¯ve got this underlying¡­ stuff based on our purpose and the Madness fed into us.¡± Avery tried to explain. ¡°It¡¯s part of the difference between a Boss Dream and a regular Dream.¡± ¡°Which is why you¡¯re more lively than Doodle or¡­ this little guy?¡± He guessed. Avery tilted his head from one side to the other. ¡°Uh, something like that. I know some broad strokes about Dream production from the older Dreams and the, uh, old Boss but it wasn¡¯t really part of my own ¡®Function¡¯.¡± ¡°Well, then how do we make a more well constructed Dream?¡± He asked. ¡°I mean, if we¡¯re really going to make this place something grand we¡¯re going to need more Dreams to help us run everything.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, we will.¡± Avery nodded, looking a little mixed about that idea instead of his usual excitement at building the Cabaret up. ¡°Um, well¡­ Certain uh, simple Dream will pop up as we fill things up but if you want to build up a Dream¡¯s¡­ complexity(?) You¡¯re going to have to¡­ I¡¯m not fully sure beyond feeding them Madness since I¡¯ve always been a Boss Dream¡­ but I know the first step definitely involves naming this little guy!¡± ¡°Naming him?¡± He frowned. ¡°Y-yeah, like if you make a bunch of these little guys they¡¯ll all be simple Dreams but¡­ they¡¯d all also be pretty similar if with a few of their own little quirks.¡± The Boss Dream elaborated. ¡°If you, uh, if you want him to become more complex you¡¯ve got to make him stand out amongst all of the other, uh, Blobs you¡¯ll be making¡­ if you make more.¡± ¡°Okay, that makes sense.¡± He admitted. ¡°If I want him to stand out I¡¯ve got to shine the spotlight on him.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Avery smiled, pointing at him ¡°Alright, well then if we really want him to stand out we need to give him a name that really stands out.¡± He figured, staring down at the little ink blob with a contemplative look before snapping his fingers. ¡°Ah, got it.¡± He coughed into his hand before picking the little blob up and holding him high in one hand. ¡°I hereby dub thee, Blobert Blobington, the Second. Of the Cabret Ink Blobingtons! Or just Blobby for short.¡± After a moment, he sat Blobby back on the counter. ¡°Okay, now how do we know if that did anything?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Avery shrugged, before looking at Blobby. ¡°Feel any different?¡± The little blob seemed to think about it for a moment, jiggling a bit to each side, before pulling out a knife and stabbing the air with gleeful glare. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ take that as a yes¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Unique Dream: Blobert ¡®Blobby¡¯ Blobington, the Second. Of the Cabaret Ink Blobingtons. --Blobby will always be the first Ink Blob Joshua summons with all other Ink Blobs you create being weaker versions of him. --- ¡°Alright, Blobby, the stage is yours, show me what you¡¯ve got!¡± He called out to the little ink blob. Blobby gave a determined nod before spinning in place and lashing out with an Ink Whip breaking several bottles placed around the alley. The little blob then followed this up by spitting out several small Ink Blots at the impromptu targets Joshua had set up before Ink Flowing a meter away and headbutting the ground to leave behind an Ink Tag. ¡°Good, very good!¡± He clapped. ¡°Now, next test: Let¡¯s see how you handle a Malice Vial¡­ or rather me drinking a vial.¡± There was some part of him screaming, (Bad idea! Bad idea!) whenever he thought about feeding a vial directly to one of his Dreams. (But that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t drink one to see if it does something to the little guy.) Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. And so with the taste of strawberries and copper on his tongue, a swinging song in his head, and a little jig in his step he clapped his hands and told the little Blob. ¡°Second verse, same as the first!¡± Blobby once more nodded before repeating his little routine and popping like a bubble halfway through. He blinked. ¡°That, uh, that wasn¡¯t the Malice was it?¡± (No¡­ No, I don¡¯t think so¡­ But, uh, respawn him just to make sure.) Once more Toonifying his Ink, he watched as a groggy looking Blobby formed in his hand. ¡°You, uh, you feeling alright little buddy?¡± Blobby just slowly blinked up at him, clearly still out of it from whatever caused him to pop in the first place. ¡°Right, okay¡­¡± He looked around a bit before realizing that there was still Ink plastered on the bottles Blobby had shot a minute prior. Ink that had probably come out of the little Dream¡¯s own mass until he hit a point of, ¡°Pop.¡± Small bubble formed beneath Blobby¡¯s mouth where his mouth should¡¯ve been before popping. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m just going to send you back to the Cabaret until you¡¯re feeling better.¡± He told the little blob letting the little Dream melt down into ink and slip through his fingers. He was mostly willing to leave things at that given how the day had gone before he spotted the Ink Tag Blobby had left on the ground. Feeling the same connection between him and the tag as felt with his own he decided to try a slight flight of fancy and attempted to Toonify the Ink on the ground. For a moment the Ink inflated, seeming like it would form something before popping and sending ink everywhere. ¡°Disappointing, but not unexpected.¡± He admitted with a sigh. Scene Consequences -For maintaining Malice Chain Bonus gained 1 Malicious Madness. -Gained (1 + 1 Synergy + D6/2=4)XP to Ink Tags and Ink Blob --*Power Level Up* Ink Tags Lv. 5 (2/12) --*Power Level Up* Ink Blob Lv. 2 (0/6) -Blobby Perk Revealed: Living Ink: Blobby can use any Ink Skill you have at a level equal to his current Dream Level (1) at the cost of spending his HP in place of Ink. Blobby does not receive any of Joshua¡¯s perks unless otherwise stated. (This Perk does not apply to other Ink Blobs.) --Note: If Blobby is resummoned too quickly after dismissal he¡¯ll be stunned based on the number of times he¡¯s been dismissed. -Discovered Synergy Perk: Tag Spawn: (Costs 1 Focus & 1 Ink) Spawn an Ink Blob from any Ink Tag within active Range. (Requires: Lv. 5 Ink Blob and Ink Tag.) --- Walking through the museum -and blatantly avoiding the Madness flow coming from the Baron¡¯s exhibit- he kept his eyes on a swivel. On the surface he was examining the various museum exhibits while writing things down in a notebook, all the while looking like a teen stuck doing a school project of some kind. In reality he was searching the museum for any and all possible exits should his heist go sideways -(Which given how my job is literally to bring as much attention as possible here is pretty much a given.)- while drawing a map of the museum with said exits marked. Unfortunately, his exits weren¡¯t all that impressive, being one of several emergency fire exits. (Which aren¡¯t exactly fitting for a star.) He¡¯d thought about secretly opening one -or more than one- of the windows during his actual heist and Ink Flowing to freedom, leaving his pursuers to cause property damage to follow him. Which was a fifty-fifty bet based on what hero he drew. Unfortunately, every window he found was a massive wall of glass that was more for light and decoration than actual airflow. (Though nothing stopping me from smashing through that glass in an emergency.) (Nothing but Toon Physics of course.) With windows out he ended up wondering about the other glass exit in the building. Namely the skylights above, but given how tall the building was he was pretty sure that was outside of his flow range unless he did some fancy acrobatics off the wall. Something he felt confident he could pull off with his parkour skills and reflexes, though he felt notably less confident pulling that off while dealing with an annoying hero or having the police shoot at him. (Still, as long as they don¡¯t send a flier after me that¡¯s probably my easiest escape.) Given what he knew about the heroes he¡¯d place his odds at three out of eight for a hero being able to follow him that route if he could in fact pull it off. (If we really wanted to be ballsy we could try walking out the front door.) (And straight into the police? No thanks.) (Eh, we can take them.) What he really needed was an escape suitably dramatic and practical enough for him to get away in style. (I need to be able to just appear and disappear without a trace or at least a very hard trace to follow.) He knew his Ink flow was the key, but he needed to know where to flow if he wanted this to work. (The vents maybe? No, I don¡¯t have anywhere near the distance needed for that and I have no way of knowing if they¡¯ll hold my weight.) (The laws of comedy say they won¡¯t.) With mounting frustration he took another look around the museum, ready to call it a day. Only to pause as he spotted a door labeled ¡®Employees Only¡¯. Acting like he was doing absolutely nothing wrong, he made his way to the door and walked in as if he did in fact work here. (I mean, I am going to do a job here so¡­ Technically, I do!) That was how he found himself in a concrete tunnel that was most definitely not on any map of the museum he could find online. ¡°This must be how they move exhibits in and out of storage¡­ Meaning these might connect to a loading dock¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Thievery for sneaking around the museum without getting caught. --Currently: Lv. 3 (7/8) -Joshua will have a number of options when it comes time to escape during the Museum Heist. (Depending on your¡­ audacity.) Nanowrimo Notice Just an announcement for anyone who hasn''t been reading the Author Notes. I''m not going to be updating this story for November because I am entering the Nanowrimo challenge with a new story called Hex City Devils, which despite lacking the tagline is part of the Deviant''s Masquerade Setting. As soon as the challenge is over I''ll get back to updating this and all of my other stories. For anyone curious, here''s the story synopsis I''m using: This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. --- It was a normal day in the city. People were bustling, businesses were running, and life was living. Which is why no one expected it to happen¡­ No one expected the chaos that would follow¡­The fear it would unleash as everything changed¡­The isolation it would leave behind in its wake¡­ No one expected the walls to go up¡­ The men who became monsters overnight¡­ If the monsters ever were men to begin with¡­ Then again given the lengths those same men went to protect their secrets Maybe they always were monsters? After all, there¡¯s a reason they would go on to call these people the Hex City Devils. Act 39: Painful Pasts, Powers, And Presents Act 39: Painful Pasts, Powers, And Presents --- Joshua Durand --- Having developed a mild headache while ignoring the Madness flow at the museum, he decided that it was best to take a bus home rather than what was becoming his usual mix of parkour and ink flowing. While he was waiting for his stop he mindlessly browsed the internet on his phone, going into a mild deep dive on TVTropes to figure out a plan for his heist. It was in this state that he got a text from the GM. GM: [So, I was looking into the city¡¯s going on to try and figure out a holiday event when I found this floating around.] Clicking the link he found some shaky phone footage of his fight with Puck the week before. GM: [Got to admit you were putting on a pretty decent showing, right up until the end there.] He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that reminder, still embarrassed of how that show had ended. You: [Ran out of MP.] You: [Figured my tricks were the only thing letting me keep up and giving up would be less embarrassing than getting my ass handed to me.] GM: [You mean more than it already was?] You: [Yeah¡­] GM: [Daddy really spanked you huh?] He felt a bit of heat in his face as she reminded him of that joke. You: [It was funny when I said it¡­ less so when you bring it up.] GM: [Eh, I can¡¯t blame you if he¡¯s your type. I mean Puck is an absolute DILF.] He briefly considered that for a moment, noting that Puck was kind of handsome, before shaking his head. You: [Yeah, no. It was a joke. I¡¯m into women.] GM: [Dangerous women?] For some reason his danger sense pinged and he found himself looking up from the phone, only to find nothing suspicious going on in the bus. (Weird, maybe the bus drove past something?) You: [Depends on if they¡¯re like you.] He stared at the text he¡¯d sent while distracted, before deciding that it was probably in his best interest to shift the subject a bit. You: [Anyway, you ever meet Puck yourself? He¡¯s a bit of a card.] It took the GM a minute to respond but when she did she sent him. GM: [Uh, I think I did way back, but I can barely remember. Honestly, my siblings interact with the Hero¡¯s Guild more than I do, and anytime one of them shows up around me they sort of usher me off.] That was¡­ something he could relate to. You: [Yeah, my brother did the same thing a lot. I know it was because I was a kid, but he still treats me with the kiddie gloves a lot more than I like.] GM: [Given how they started the Gamer¡¯s Guild to protect me, I doubt that¡¯ll end any time soon¡­] That was an interesting note. He knew the Guild revolved around her, but he¡¯d thought it was because she was their Wonderlander. (Then again, she has mentioned she got her powers when she was like seven¡­) GM: [But your situation is different than mine. I¡¯m sure when you show your brother how much of a kickass do it yourself Wonderlander you are he¡¯ll be all for you doing your own thing.] He wasn¡¯t quite sure of that, especially given how his brother had purposely quit being a Heroic Mask, while here he was trying to be a Villainous one. (Yeah, still not going to tell him anytime soon¡­) Still he appreciated the thought at least. You: [Thanks.] You: [I know you probably can¡¯t respec without messing a bunch of stuff up, but maybe you can build yourself up the way you do everyone else. Maybe that¡¯ll show your siblings you¡¯re not a little kid anymore.] GM: [Tried that. They¡¯ll let me compete in some of our multiplayer games if there¡¯s enough people they know, but if there¡¯s anyone they don¡¯t trust they sort of shuffle me off. Double if there¡¯s another Mask in the area.] You: [Well¡­ maybe we can sneak you out for an adventure or something?] The GM took another moment to answer, seeming to actually consider the idea, before sending him a text saying, GM: [I think I¡¯d like that¡­ Though I¡¯ll have to set some stuff up on my end.] That was more than fair, given how the GM was technically a gang boss. (Though given what she¡¯s saying, I think that technically might need to be underlined¡­) You: [Just tell me when and where and I¡¯ll help sneak you out however I can.] GM: [It¡¯s a date.] He froze halfway through his response, as he realized, (Wait, did I just ask the GM out on a date?!) Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. (Yep, you asked a woman with her own personal army out on a date. Good job kid. That takes guts¡­ or stupidity. Probably both. Yeah, let¡¯s go with both. You¡¯re bravely stupid.) Scene Consequences -Grew a bit closer to the GM. -Discovered the GM is a supporting actor on the Mask stage. --- He rolled his shoulders as he shook his hand out. ¡°This is probably a terrible idea.¡± He admitted to himself as he entered a boxing stance, his eyes never leaving the brick wall in front of him. His thought process for this had gone something like this, (I know I¡¯ve got super strength but I don¡¯t really know the limits of it. I mean it¡¯s useful but at the same time with my reality warping stuff, I can¡¯t really get a solid read on anything. After all, who¡¯s to say I can¡¯t lift something only for it to immediately fall on me because it¡¯s funny?) At which point a more practical part of him had pointed out that, (Technically, it doesn¡¯t matter how much we can lift, so much as how much we can use. And the only time we¡¯re really going to use it is when we want to punch something.) Which is why he came and found something that he could punch, while getting a rough idea of how hard he could punch. It was probably smarter to start with a wooden fence of some kind and work his way up, but he had little doubt that he could punch through said fence. Whereas while he could crack a brick wall he wasn¡¯t sure he could punch through it. Of course this meant he was more likely to hurt himself by punching said wall as demonstrated when- ¡°Motherfucker!¡± - he punch the wall at full strength and ended up busting his knuckles. (Well¡­ at least you weren¡¯t stupid enough to punch metal this time¡­) With a shake of his head, he ignored the pain in his hand and instead focused on the indent he¡¯d left in the brick wall. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a decent enough idea of how much damage I can do.¡± (But what about when you use your toon hands?) The sadistic little devil on his shoulder asked, a smile clear to its voice. Knowing that it would be a good idea to know what the difference between his strength pre and post toon hands was. He sighed, his mind unable to help but wonder if Toon Hands actually increased his strength or just spread out the surface area of his blows. After taking a few steps to his right, he once more entered his stance before pulling his hand back and punching the brick wall as he enlarged his fist to comical proportions. ¡°Motherfucker!¡± And once more it hurt like a bitch when he punched the wall. Whatsmore his hand seemed to visibly throb in a cartoonish manner that he knew for a fact a normal person¡¯s wouldn¡¯t. Turning his gaze from his Maddening physiology, he instead focused on the significantly larger indent -(almost a crater really)- that he¡¯d left in the side of the wall. An indent that was also visibly deeper than his first punch. ¡°Alright, I guess that¡¯s proof that my Toon Hands are doing something for my damage output.¡± (It does¡­ now I wonder how the Malice vials change things?) ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Curse him and his painful pursuit of power. Scene Consequences -Base: Toon Hands Lv. 2 (4/6) + Toon Strength Lv. 2 (5/6) -Gained (1+ Synergy 1 + Malice D6/2= ) 3 XP --*Power Level Up* Toon Hands Lv. 3 (1/8) --*Power Level Up* Toon Strength Lv. 3 (2/8) -Thanks to Malice Chain gained 1 Malicious Madness. A/N: Also to answer the question behind this combo, the two bonuses are additive. I.E. Melee Attacks get Toon Strength as a +1 per level to damage. Then Toon Hands increases the damage and accuracy of an unarmed attack or ability by +1 per level. Meaning this chapter increased our damage by +2 and our accuracy by +1, when we use the Toon Hands or just our damage by +1 when using any other melee attack. -Bonus Info: Taking a Red Vial also temporarily bumps your Physical stats thus increasing your damage a bit there too. At least until it wears off. --- As the day of his heist grew closer he found it growing harder and harder to ignore the little voice in his head whispering, (Come on¡­ One more try¡­ It won¡¯t kill you¡­) Until one day he found his feet taking him back to the museum when he had no real reason to be there. (That¡¯s not true¡­) His eyes drifted towards the wing of the museum that held the Baron¡¯s exhibit, or more specifically the Killjoy¡¯s Gun where he could feel the flow of Madness originating from. The fact that he¡¯d come here without intending to, scared him. Almost as much as the black outs and the hallucinations. All of which reminded him of a number of the stories his brother had told him about Magic and Madness enslaving those who delved into things they shouldn¡¯t. For a moment he considered calling the whole job off before shaking his head at that stupid, stupid, idea. ¡°Fuck it. I¡¯m the Wonderlander, I¡¯m the one who tells Madness what to do. I¡¯m not going to be scared of a stupid gun.¡± And so with what in hindsight would be a regrettable amount of conviction he once more made his way towards the Cheshire¡¯s exhibit, being sure to side step the tour guide that had been there when he¡¯d passed out last time. (Last thing I need is to leave an even bigger impression¡­) (Until the show anyway.) The moment he stepped into the exhibit area, he lost the ability to simply ignore the drafts of Madness that flowed all around him. It being the difference between a windy day and standing at the edge of a twister, one that he could just picture forming around the Killjoy¡¯s gun with a malevolent face grinning at him, daring him to get just a little closer. Rather than giving into the flows of Madness, he forced himself to remain grounded, to not be swept away in a tide that would devour him underneath the abyssal seas of Madness. It was a struggle, especially with some dark part of him begging him to just give in already¡­ but he managed to make his way to a small bench just across from the Killjoy¡¯s gun, before collapsing in it like a puppet with their strings cut. Unable to resist the pull or the voice begging him to please, reach out he ever so gently, ran his fingers against the flow of Madness, before watching as the Killjoy¡¯s mannequin blurred in static, leaving a tall dark haired man in its place wearing the half skull mask with a grin, his gun nowhere in sight. All around him the world seemed to twist and shift, the proportions becoming an unnatural spiral of Madness all around him. The exhibit of the Last Call just a few meters away overflowing as its walls wrapped around them and its tables skittered around until he was sitting inside of the old speakeasy. A place that was as much home to him as the Cartoon Cabaret. He could hear familiar laughter in the air, a dozen friends who made his head pound and his heart clench as he realized he couldn¡¯t remember what any of them looked like. Or even whose voice belonged to who. Desperately, his eyes darted around hoping to find someone, anyone, he could recall but all he saw were faceless ghosts sitting all around him, living a life he no longer could. Seeing this his eyes locked onto the Boss, the only one with a face and he reached out. A gesture his best friend, the man who saved him, returned only to stop short of actually taking his hand. And he couldn¡¯t help but frown in confusion as the pounding in his head grew and grew until he finally realized, he couldn¡¯t remember what the Killjoy looked like beneath his mask. Reality snapped into place around him as he found himself reaching for the lifeless mannequin of a dead man. Feeling a dampness on his face, he went to wipe his nose out of habit, only to find he wasn¡¯t suffering a nosebleed for once. Instead he found himself crying for a reason he couldn¡¯t remember. Scene Consequences -????? realizes he can¡¯t remember. -Gained 2 Melancholic Madness, ????? receives 3D6 Mental Damage in Joshua¡¯s place. Act 40: Heist Preparations And Cabaret Completion (Sort Of) Act 40: Heist Preparations And Cabaret Completion (Sort Of) --- Joshua Durand --- Madness pulsed and wreathed as Avery weaved it into the walls of the Cartoon Cabaret. The decrypted old entrance slowly regained life as cracks sealed shut, cobwebs cleared away, carpet fluffed itself up, and lights flickered on lighting the long hall between the entrance doors and the Cabaret proper. Along each wall a number of old portraits and movie posters depicting a variety of images so faded and ink stained that there was no telling what they¡¯d once shown cleared away to show fresh but empty frames just waiting to be filled. Directly in front of the entrance doors an old podium shook and shivered as it took on a fresh new shine, marking the final revitalization of the Cabret foyer. ¡°Lookin¡¯ good.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but whistle as he took it all in. ¡°Might need a bit of modern sprucing up, and some new movie posters, but we can absolutely open up with something looking like this.¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Avery nodded with a smile as he looked it all over. ¡°With this, we¡¯ve uh, we¡¯ve got everything fixed up enough to, to open the Cabaret back up.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He clapped his hands together with an excited grin. ¡°How do we do that? The sooner we get this old girl up and running the better.¡± The Dream¡¯s smile slowly faded.. ¡°Um, actually Boss we, uh, we can¡¯t open just yet¡­¡± ¡°Why not?¡± He asked, losing his own grin. Avery winced. ¡°It¡¯s uh, I¡­ we can technically open the Cabaret right now but¡­¡± ¡°But¡­¡± He prodded. The Cabaret manager took a deep breath before letting it out. ¡°But I-I can¡¯t run the Cabaret by myself. I wish I could, b-but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned. ¡°You won¡¯t be running it alone, I¡¯ll be here too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Avery ran a hand through his hair clearly stressed by this. ¡°You can¡¯t do the things we need done and put on shows in the waking world. At a, at a certain point it just¡­ it won¡¯t be feasible. Not as things get busier.¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it work until things start getting busy?¡± He tried. ¡°I mean, the sooner we open the Cabaret the sooner we¡¯ll have Madness to get everything properly sorted.¡± ¡°Maybe but¡­¡± Avery shook his head, before moving down the hall. ¡°Even if we do that, we need someone to run the entrance, someone to run the bar, and someone to run the projector minimum. And that¡¯s not including if we want to get the kitchen running for customers or set up someone to keep track of the dining room¡¯s food and drinks. You and I, we, we can do two of those ourselves if you really want to but¡­ we¡¯re, we¡¯re going to need at least one other Boss Dream minimum to open. And even then we wouldn¡¯t, we wouldn¡¯t have everything covered without at least three.¡± ¡°And if we¡¯re going to open, we should open all the way.¡± He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°Last thing we need is to be telling people the bar or the kitchen is closed for whatever reason.¡± ¡°E-exactly.¡± Avery nodded, looking immensely relieved that he got it. He ran a hand down his face as they both stepped into the main area of the Cabaret before taking a look around, and just picturing what it would take to actually run the place. (Yeah, thinking about how much effort goes into running the Crossing I can tell this would take more work than just two people could pull off.) He realized with a grimace. (Hate to say it, but this place ain¡¯t good for a two man show.) ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got that museum show in a couple of days.¡± He eventually told the Cabaret manager. ¡°Hopefully that¡¯ll give us enough Madness to do whatever we have to do to get a couple more Dreams helping out around here, but for now we¡¯ve made some decent progress. For now we¡¯ll focus on what we can and then after the heist we¡¯ll see what we can do.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± Avery agreed. He gave the Cabaret one last look before nodding to himself. (Just got to keep chipping away at everything and we¡¯ll have this place up and running in no time.) Scene Consequences -Cabaret Foyer has been restored. --The Foyer is the entrance hall for the Cartoon Cabaret and allows you to bring Guests in, be they from other Wonderlands or the Waking World once upgraded. -Cartoon Cabaret: The Grand Re-Opening (Act 1: Complete) --Can now work to create new Boss Dreams for the Cartoon Cabaret, offering new upgradable characters as well as a number of bonuses and abilities based on which roles you fill. Quest Updated: Cartoon Cabaret: The Grand Re-Opening (Act 2) -To Actually open the Cartoon Cabaret we need to staff it. --Hire at least 3 Boss Dreams. --Hire at least 5 Boss Dreams. (Optional) --Hire at least 5 Worker Dreams. (Optional) --- Knowing that today was his last day to experiment with his powers before the museum heist, he set out to one of his usual training spots and wasted no time downing a vial of Malice. Clapping his hands together he rolled his shoulders as that sweet symphony began to play inside of his head. Despite his preferences on the matter he knew full well that he was more than likely going to get into a fight with the heroes during the heist, or at the very least with the cops. Which is why he intended to focus on one of the abilities that had proven itself the most useful during his numerous fights thus far. Namely his Toon Hands, which while not as versatile as his Equip Ink or as much of a game changer as his Ink Flow, was still his primary source of dealing damage in any notable quantity. And given what he knew about the heroes be they the two power armor wearing M.A.D.s, the two highly mobile western motifs, or the flying brick of a bruiser, he knew that with most of the heroes in town he was going to need to make what hits he could land deal as much damage as possible. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Which in turn is why he was trying as many different types of damage as possible with his Toon Hands, from grabbing things, crushing them, or even prying things apart with his fingers. In all instances he found the amount of damage he could deal with his Toonified hands was notably greater than what he could do even with his enhanced strength. Unfortunately, about half way through his experimentation he found himself drawing something of a blank. The instinctive understanding his Malice gave him about his powers coming up short in regards to some breakthrough he could tell he was right on the verge of, something about reaching out to his target and¡­ (doing something¡­) Only, every time he tried to follow that instinct it was as if his body itself was incapable of following through on what he instinctively knew he should be capable of. (Maybe¡­ maybe our body isn¡¯t adapted enough to this Toon Body thing¡­) Regardless of the cause however, he just knew that whatever breakthrough he was reaching for was not one he¡¯d be able to reach even if he spent the rest of the day working on this, and so he decided to change his attention to something else in the hopes of better readying himself for the big day. Scene Consequences -Gained (1 + Malice D6 = 3 XP) to Toon Hands --Currently: Lv. 3 (4/8) -Discovered Possible Perk: Toon Stretch (I): Toon Hands can now reach up to (Power Level * (I)) meters away. (Requires Lv. 4) -For maintaining Malice Chain gained 1 Malicious Madness. --Currently: 4 --- ¡°Alright, if I¡¯m going to be pulling this heist off I''m going to need a disguise of some kind to help me sneak around until I¡¯m ready to kick the show off.¡± He explained to Avery as he paced around the Cabaret¡¯s Dressing Room. ¡°Do you think you can figure something like that out?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Avery frowned. ¡°It, uh, it won¡¯t be the best disguise out there, but since we¡¯ve got some Deceptive Madness I think I can make a¡­ general sort of disguise. I doubt it¡¯ll hold up under scrutiny but it should get the job done. At least until you get a Boss Dream to work the dressing room, they¡¯ll be able to do a much better job than I, uh, than I can here. B-but that¡¯s a lower priority than everything else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure whatever you make will be fine.¡± He smiled at the nervous Cabaret Manager. ¡°After all, I¡¯m sure you''re worth like ten other Boss Dreams.¡± Avery gave him a weak grin before shaking his head. ¡°Nah, I can¡­ I can work things but nowhere near what someone built for the job could pull off, Boss.¡± ¡°Just do your best and it¡¯ll be enough.¡± He assured the oldest Dream in his Wonderland. ¡°Right¡­¡± Avery nodded, before inhaling and reaching out to the Madness they¡¯d brought with them, an orb that kept shifting in and out of sight, its edges seeming to blend with the world around it. After a few minutes of intense focus on Avery¡¯s part the sphere¡¯s shifting edges began to shrink and solidify into a more structured shape, before in a flash of light Avery held his makeshift disguise in hand. ¡°W-what do you think?¡± Avery asked nervously as he held his product up. ¡°I know it¡¯s not a full disguise but, uh, I worked the Madness as best I could to get these.¡± ¡°Ha, are these what I think they are?¡± He laughed, recognizing the cartoon classic as he took them from Avery. ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Avery admitted looking a little confused. ¡°When I was pushing for disguises this is the shape the Madness wanted to take. Do they, uh, even work? Because it¡¯s just a pair of glasses with a mustache.¡± ¡°Ah, Avery, these are a classic cartoon disguise known as Groucho Marx glasses!¡± He explained to the ill informed Dream. ¡°Groucho Marx¡­ like the Marx Brothers?¡± Avery frowned. ¡°The who?¡± He blinked. ¡°The, the Marx brothers, you know¡­ the famous comedians from the movies? I mean they¡¯re not cartoons but they were pretty famous actors in the waking world if I¡¯m remembering right.¡± Avery tried to explain. ¡°Uh, maybe?¡± He shrugged, figuring that Groucho Marx might¡¯ve been related to those brothers somehow given how old all of that stuff was. ¡°That was all a bit before my time.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Avery nodded. ¡°Still, uh, do they work as intended?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see?¡± A little giddy he slipped the glasses on. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Uh, I still recognize you?¡± Avery grimaced. ¡°Hmm¡­ what if I put the fedora on too?¡± He wondered, putting his hat on his head only for the glasses to pop off his face. ¡°Oops, must not have put them on right.¡± He reached down to pick up the glasses before putting them back on his face¡­ and feeling the hat jump off his head. ¡°The hell?¡± Avery caught the hat before it could hit the ground and handed it back to him. ¡°Uh, that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s weird right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He nodded slowly, eyeing the hat suspiciously before trying to put it on his head, this time keeping a firm grip on his glasses as he did so, and this time he could feel both fighting to get off of him as if they refused to be worn at the same time. Something he was a little more sure of when they both finally went flying with a powerful force, both bouncing off the roof and the walls in rattling impacts. ¡°Hit the floor!¡± He called as the both leapt to the ground waiting for the cartoonish bouncing to stop. After a few moments they both cautiously looked up to find the hat and the glasses facing each other on one of the nearby make up stations. ¡°The fuck was that?!¡± He practically yelled. ¡°Uh, maybe¡­ maybe they don¡¯t like each other?¡± Avery offered with a shrug. He gave Avery a dry look. ¡°They¡¯re inanimate objects they don¡¯t have-¡± He cut himself short as he found the Groucho Marx glasses holding the fedora at knife point. ¡°Where¡­ where¡¯d the knife come from?¡± He found himself warily asking. ¡°Probably the same place as the gun.¡± Avery answered, pointing to where the fedora now held the glasses at gunpoint. ¡°This is going to keep escalating isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Rule of three says-¡± A loud thwack drew their attention to the flattened fedora laying next to the glasses and a small mallet. They both stared at the glasses. The glasses stared back innocently. Its mustache twitched side to side deviously. Scene Consequences -Spent 1 Deceptive Madness. -Gained [Groucho Marx] glasses. --Equipment Slot: Head (Meaning you can take the Glasses or the Hat on a mission but not both. (They get jealous.)) --- With his new glasses upon his face -(and just the glasses)- he set about seeing what mischief he could get up to and figuring out just what the limits on his glasses were. First and foremost, he found that as long as the glasses were on people sort of just¡­ ignored him, no matter how much they really shouldn¡¯t ignore the very obvious Mask proudly displaying the fact that he was a Mask with his cartoonishly oversized hands. Not that this effect was unlimited, as discovered when he started actually interacting with things, because while they ignored him when he was more or less passive the moment he started actually causing trouble people would notice him. Second, a quick trip to the fight club to see how other Deviants responded to the glasses, told him that while he wore this thinly veiled disguise no one would recognize him. Including Zaum, and by a stroke of luck -both good and bad- Puck, though the latter did seem to suspect something when Joshua went to shake his hand. (Which was kind of stupid actually.) The devil on his shoulder pointed out. (Hey, hey, I needed to test how hard we could push the disguise without getting caught, and apparently we can push it pretty fucking hard.) Hell, Cameron hadn¡¯t even recognized him when he bumped into her, though she did look like she was going to punch his teeth in if she didn¡¯t have to get to the arena for a fight of her own. At which point he decided that sticking around to watch Cameron¡¯s fight with some M.A.D girl was probably not worth it. Especially after telling her that he wouldn¡¯t be able to make it himself. (Which to be fair I still wouldn¡¯t be ready for the heist if I¡¯d competed today.) Regardless, he¡¯d tested the glasses about as much as he realistically could and felt that -despite Avery¡¯s doubts- he had a pretty solid tool to help him with his heist tomorrow. Scene Consequences -Gained 1XP to Thievery --*Skill Rank Up* Thievery Lv. 4 (0/10) -More Details about the [Groucho Marx] glasses. --While equipped can spend 1 Madness so that until disguise is broken people will assume Joshua is an innocent bystander no matter how much the rest of his outfit stands out or if they should recognize him. Can only be triggered while ¡®out of sight¡¯ of any other unit. Does not work on [Alert] enemies. May [Alert] enemies sensitive to Madness. ---Note: Enemies will remember suspicious behavior while disguised, even if they don¡¯t see through the disguise. Second Heist- The Madcap Museum (Pt. 1): Prologue Second Heist- The Madcap Museum (Pt. 1): Prologue --- Joshua Durand --- Feeling like he was running more than a little late, he made his way to the museum while wearing his groucho marx glasses, more in preparation for his heist than any actual need for the disguise. He¡¯d already informed the Malice Doctor that today was the day, and had been given the greenlight as well as a reminder that the point of his heist today was not actually to steal anything but to draw as much attention to himself as possible. That way whoever was actually furthering the Doc¡¯s agenda would have an easier time of it. (Not that that is the most important detail of this little show.) Honestly, it was probably one of the least important ones overall when he considered how putting a large enough show on could let him build up Madness for the Cabaret, or how if he actually stole something it would probably net him a pretty solid profit. (Though I shouldn¡¯t forget my own safety. Trusting the Doc¡¯s people to bail me out if I get caught is ten different kinds of stupid.) (You know that¡¯s not what I meant¡­) A pulse of pain shot through his head, drawing his attention to the flow of Madness he could feel directing him towards the Killjoy¡¯s gun. Something that he knew was important, even if his every interaction with the thing left him with an ever growing list of problems and concerns. (It¡¯s worth it¡­ You know it¡¯s worth it¡­) This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. (Of course I do¡­) He admitted to himself. (But that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s the most important thing today.) (Heh, and they call me mad¡­) (I¡¯ve got time¡­ If worse comes true, I can always steal it later. The exhibit won¡¯t disappear, as long as I don¡¯t make it obvious that¡¯s what I want.) (But security might be up pulling the same job twice¡­) (Or they might let it down, not expecting an encore on the same stage so quickly.) Regardless of which it was, that wasn¡¯t the only thing he needed to decide. He may¡¯ve had less time than his previous heist but he had time to think about how he wanted to handle this, and in turn he¡¯d put together the barebones of a plan, even if it wasn¡¯t as well thought out as it could be. (I did fine with no plan last time¡­) He told himself. (So what if the stakes are a hell of a lot higher now¡­) (Look, it just means there¡¯s room to improvise.) He reminded himself after a moment. (Remember, Joshua, the most genius parts of the show are the ones where you make the role your own. Follow the script when you have to but don¡¯t be afraid to break away from it when you have something greater you can do. Know who you want to be and go for it.) ¡°Right.¡± He nodded to himself, considering any last minute details he should consider for this show. (I¡¯m putting on a show, but I need to know what to prioritize, how I¡¯m going to handle security, and -if things went to plan- how I¡¯m going to respond when the heroes show up.) Maybe he hadn¡¯t thought this out as well as he should¡¯ve¡­ (Doesn¡¯t matter, after all¡­) In spite of the stress he was feeling, he couldn¡¯t help but grin madly. ¡°It¡¯s show time.¡± Second Heist- The Madcap Museum (Pt. 2): Guarded Mayhem Second Heist- The Madcap Museum (Pt. 2): Guarded Mayhem --- Joshua --- Walking up to the museum counter he waited in line to buy his ticket before in his boredom he found himself wondering (why are you planning to pay for your ticket?) (Because I need to get in the museum to start the show?) He frowned to himself. (Yeah, but you¡¯re the bad guy¡­) He reminded himself. ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± He blinked as that little detail clicked into place. ¡°Uh, sir?¡± The teenager in charge of the ticket booth called when he didn¡¯t step forward. ¡°Huh? Oh, sorry.¡± He apologized as he removed his Groucho Glasses. ¡°Just spaced out and completely forgot that I¡¯m a supervillain. I shouldn¡¯t be paying for this.¡± With an amused shake of his head he slipped his glasses back into his coat before walking to the ticket turnstile and jumping over it. Only for his foot to catch on it, causing him to slip and stumble in a rather embarrassing hopping foot action. (Well, at least you didn¡¯t face plant?) The few people in the museum lobby gave him confused looks and he coughed into his hand before yelling. ¡°Just ignore that! The show starts, uh, now!¡± He glanced around the lobby searching for a suitable starting act before spotting the gift shop. (That¡¯ll work as an opening act.) With his first target found, he reached into his coat and withdrew a large bag that he promptly toonified into a comically oversized and inflated bag as he made his way to the gift shop before throwing said bag over his shoulder. Inside he found the gift shop -which he hadn¡¯t really bothered with despite locating during his scouting- to be a large room filled with various toys and memorabilia based on whatever exhibits the museum had stashed within its walls. ¡°Let¡¯s see here¡­ I don¡¯t care about any of this junk but I¡¯m still going to steal all of it anyway!¡± With that decision made he grabbed everything off of the nearest table -and the table itself- before shoving all of it into his bandit¡¯s bag. An action he proceeded to repeat with every other table in the room as he filled his bag with junk, at least until he found the bag had already reached its capacity. Something that no amount of jumping on top of it to stomp down the contents would solve. Hopping off, he proceeded to glare at the bag, not actually feeling any frustration as he instead began to put together the basic inklings of a plan inside of his utterly deviously demented mind. (Okay, I can see you¡¯re trying to cook in here but let¡¯s add a bit of kerosene to this and then we just light a match here¡­) As he began to smoke pouring out from somewhere, he spotted a security guard making his way over, before yelling, ¡°Hey, put all of that back right this instance! That stuff belongs to the museum!¡± (Ooh, a volunteer¡­) He grinned before hitting his hand off of his forehead. ¡°Oh, of course what am I thinking!¡± He flipped the bag over and dumped out the bag¡¯s contents into a massive mountain in the middle of the room. ¡°This is the cheap shit the museum sells, not the fun stuff they swiped from other people! Good idea!¡± He told the brown haired thirty-something as he gave the man finger guns, before reaching out with his Toon Hands and swiping the cash register. ¡°Oh, like this money they stole from the unsuspecting rubes that bought all of this tacky junk.¡± ¡°W-wait, put that back!¡± The guard ordered as he stuffed the register into his bag. ¡°Look¡­¡± He glanced at the guard¡¯s name tag and read, (Bill) as he led the man out of the gift shop. ¡°Billie Bob, you had a good idea. That doesn¡¯t mean all of your ideas are going to be bangers man. I mean giving back the money? What are you thinking? I expect your next idea to be better than that one.¡± He looked around the gift shop where a couple of people were recording him with their phones, but nowhere near as many as he¡¯d been hoping for when putting on a show. (Damn it, where is everyone?) ¡°Look you can¡¯t just do this kind of thing kid.¡± Bill frowned at him, it apparently not clicking just who he was dealing with. (Wonder if that¡¯s because of the glasses, I mean not wearing them but a secondary effect maybe?) It was something to think about later, for now he assured Bill that his words were, ¡°Nonsense. If I couldn¡¯t do this kind of thing then I wouldn¡¯t be doing it, but clearly given how I¡¯ve been able to do everything I¡¯ve done thus far, I can in fact do all of it.¡± He glanced around the lobby. ¡°Hey, Duck Bill, what¡¯s your favorite exhibit here?¡± Bill blinked at him for a moment before pointing towards one of the museum doors. ¡°Um, we¡¯ve got an interactive animal exhibit for the kids over there.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Ooh, interactive!¡± He cooed before making his way in that direction, before finding a number of life-size models showing off various creatures of the sea. ¡°Those things must¡¯ve taken forever to set up.¡± ¡°It, uh, took like a week to set them all up but we did most of that after hours. The main exhibit was just the electronic stuff and the projector, so we could leave it open during the days.¡± Bill told him. ¡°I thought you were the security guard?¡± He frowned, eyeing the other man¡¯s uniform. ¡°Oh, some of the staff ask me to help them move stuff around because I¡¯ve got more muscle than most here.¡± Bill explained, flexing one of his arms. ¡°Ah, I see¡­ it¡¯s because you¡¯ve got ¡®I¡¯m easily manipulated¡¯ written all over your face.¡± He nodded in understanding as he capped his Toon Pen after subtly writing that on Bill¡¯s forehead. (Did not think this thing made me that fast with my writing.) (Eh, it was just three words.) (And nine syllables!) He gave the exhibit a once over before turning towards the projector playing an ocean documentary on the wall and bathing the entire room in blue lights as fish swam across the wall. ¡°Ugh, documentaries? We need to put on some cartoons.¡± He grimaced at the wall, before spotting the projector the documentary was coming from on the ceiling. (Hmm, I wonder¡­) Setting down his bag he ran for the wall, took two steps up it, before kicking off and twirling towards the projector that he just barely managed to slap his ink covered hand against. As his feet hit the ground the documentary on the wall cut away to black and white film reel for a moment before counting down. When the count down hit zero a black and white title card read, ¡®The Cartoon Cabaret Presents¡¯ the screen switched to a picture of his cartoonish self, ¡®!^#¡¯@ The Toon Criminal in¡¯ the last slide read ¡®The Madcap Museum¡¯ over an old black and white image of the very museum he was in. ¡°Oh, this is so cool!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he watched a cartoonish version of himself waiting in line for a ticket to the museum, before comically stumbling on the ticket stile. ¡°Huh, that¡­ is kind of cool, how¡¯d you make this so fast?¡± Bill asked, watching the cartoon alongside his slowly growing audience. ¡°You see this face, Billie Joe, it was made for the big screen. Just got to broadcast my life as I go.¡± He explained, turning towards the museum figures as the cartoon played his meeting with the security guard, sufficiently distracting his little crowd. ¡°Hey, is that me?¡± Bill laughed, not noticing as Joshua began trying to shove the models into his bag. ¡°Yep, sure looks like you.¡± He admitted, eyeing one model that was even larger than himself before glancing at his bag. ¡°Should¡¯ve brought a bigger one of these¡­¡± Not that that was going to stop him from trying to steal the thing. (Just need to make some room in my bag.) He began pulling out some of the models he¡¯d already swiped, toonifying them as he tossed them to the side only to flop around as if they were actually living fish. Except for the crab, that one got frisky and pinched him before he could toss it. Ripping it off his hand he glared at the crab before stuffing it into one of his coat pockets as he severed his connection to the ink animating it. ¡°Hey, wait!¡± Bill shouted. He turned at the sudden shout and realized the cartoon playing behind the glaring security guard was currently showing his attempt at stealing all of the models. ¡°Huh, thought it would take longer to get to this point.¡± ¡°Look at this mess, what do you have to say for yourself?¡± Bill asked him. ¡°I have to say¡­ That I am a little snitch bitch!¡± He shouted, pointing a finger at his cartoon self who paused and put his hands to his chest in a ¡®me?¡¯ kind of gesture. ¡°Yes you! You snitched me out to the fuzz!¡± His cartoon self shook his head, as Bill¡¯s head darted between the two Joshuas. ¡°Yes, you did! And you know what they say about snitches?¡± He yelled, reaching one hand into his jacket before pulling out Buddy and waving the toonified bat in the air. ¡°They get stitches!¡± He ran forward with the bat held high, yelling like a mad man before running straight on past the cartoon that he could feel turning to watch him run past, before -and he wasn¡¯t sure how he knew this- turning to Bill and holding up a sign that said, ¡®Isn¡¯t it your job to go catch him?¡¯ ¡°Oh, oh, yeah!¡± He heard Bill exclaim from where Joshua had hid himself around the corner, before watching as Bill ran straight on past him. Walking back into the room, he passed the crowd that had been watching his little show and picked up his bandit¡¯s bag. ¡°Forgot my things¡­ Well, the things I stole¡­ which makes them mine now.¡± He explained as he threw the bag over his shoulder before starting towards the next room with a skip in his step. (Hmm, now what?) He wondered, only half-heartedly picking up things he wasn¡¯t supposed to touch before tossing them to the side. (I doubt what I¡¯ve done so far is enough to get a serious response¡­ I mean I¡¯ve maybe had the cops called on me by now, but¡­ I don¡¯t think the Doc would be happy with just that¡­) (Maybe not, but he just wanted a show, at this point we¡¯ve done that. It¡¯s time to focus on what really matters.) A part of him reminded him as he felt his eyes drifting to a sign for the Baron¡¯s exhibit. (We aren¡¯t leaving without that gun.) (Right.) He nodded to himself, before putting on a smirk and spinning the sign with a bit of toonification, causing the arrows to point in different directions even as the words remained legibly in place. Seeing this he went ahead and repeated the little trick on every other sign he passed on his way to the Barons¡¯ exhibit. Hopefully making the whole thing seem like he was just wandering about messing with things rather than focusing on anywhere with intent. An act he played up by occasionally tossing something in his bag before tossing something else out as he randomly fleeted between exhibits. When he reached the one on the Barons¡¯ he found himself pausing at the doorstep, unable to pretend he wasn¡¯t feeling the Madness in the air, seductively whispering for him to come and claim his prize no matter how dangerous he knew it to really be. He swallowed before crossing the threshold and feeling a shiver down his spine. One by one he passed the exhibits on the various members of the old gang, blatantly ignoring the cold sense of longing each of them filled him with even as his eyes drifted to the airborne ink stains obscuring the one exhibit he thought he should have feelings about. Eventually he found himself stopping in front of the Killjoy¡¯s mannequin holding the Tommy Gun, and for a brief moment he saw the man offering him the gun with a grin beneath the skull mask. Almost daring him to take it in spite of the Madness it was sure to unleash. Second Heist- The Madcap Museum (Pt. 3): History of the First Toon Second Heist- The Madcap Museum (Pt. 3): History of the First Toon --- Joshua Durand --- (As if there was any other choice.) His shaking hands reached out and took the gun. The world around him disappeared in a sea of black, leaving him standing in an endless void with the Killjoy¡¯s gun in his hands. A gloved hand with claws sticking out of the fabric pulled him forward by the gun and left him staring into a mad set of yellow eyes surrounded by a skull mask. ¡°So this is where you disappeared to @^#&%.¡± A maw full of fangs grinned, before chuckling as Joshua¡¯s eyes rolled up into his skull. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡± --- @^#&% &@%#$ --- He was a dreamer with his head in the clouds. Everyone always told him he needed to be more realistic, that he¡¯d never amount to anything otherwise, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to listen to any of them. No matter how much reality beat him down, he just¡­ he couldn¡¯t. --- He was a janitor barely making ends meet. The only reason he could do that much was because his boss let him sleep in the back room. A part of the scenery that everyone was content to forget about. No matter how much the crowd applauded, he knew¡­ it wasn¡¯t for him. --- He was just another member of the audience. Eyes upon the stage watching the actors bring their story to life, making everyone experience emotion so elusive as they played out their roles. No matter how much he wished to join them, he¡­ he could only watch. --- He was in love with a woman named Betty. The moment she entered the room it was like a spotlight shone down on her, causing everyone else to fade into the background as he prayed for her to look his way. No matter how much he wanted her though¡­ she deserved better. --- He was enthralled by what he was seeing. Everyone was, the whimsical cartoons playing out on the screen. A new invention mixing moving drawings with music for an illusion of life that surpassed the stage he dreamed of. No matter how much he knew it was impossible¡­ he dreamed of them coming off the screen. --- He was going to take a risk for something better. The theater was having auditions, and while he may have failed his last few tries, this one was different. Betty was auditioning too, and they could do it together. No matter how much he feared being rejected again¡­ he had to try. --- He was a failure whose dreams wouldn¡¯t come true¡­ Everyone had warned him about that all his life and he¡¯d never listened. He¡¯d failed his audition¡­ again. And Betty¡­ Betty was seeing the new star. No matter how much he wished it¡­ his dreams would stay dreams. --- He was just trying to be a good friend. Things with Betty probably wouldn¡¯t ever go the way he wanted, but that didn¡¯t mean he could just let that asshole cheat on her and break her heart. No matter how much said asshole kicked his ass¡­ or got him fired¡­ --- He was¡­ he was thinking about ending things. Every day was wearing down on him. Every day he failed at everything he tried. Every day he consoled himself with cartoons. Every day he was forced to live in harsh reality. No matter how much he wanted things to get better¡­ every day they didn¡¯t. --- He was a hostage being held at gunpoint. That was something he felt he should be more concerned about but he couldn¡¯t really bring himself to do it. After all, he''d had his last meal in the dinner that Betty worked at, and got to say goodbye to her, so if this was how it went well¡­ No matter how much- ¡°You know you need to smile more.¡± He blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You need to smile more!¡± The masked man holding him at gunpoint reiterated. ¡°I mean you look all sad and dour and it¡¯s really bumming me out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re holding him hostage to keep the cops back.¡± The other (unmasked) man pointed out looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here. ¡°He¡¯s probably as happy to be here as I am.¡± ¡°What are you talking about you¡¯re happy to be here aren¡¯t you Griffy?¡± The masked man blinked innocently. ¡°Not at all.¡± The other man stated in a tone that told him that if he ever said ¡®Griffy¡¯ he was probably going to die. ¡°This was supposed to be a simple job and look at how many cops you¡¯ve brought down on us Jackie!¡± ¡°Oh, there aren¡¯t that many¡­¡± The masked man -Jackie- tried to argue before patting down a pocket. ¡°I think I have more bullets than cops.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t go killing cops, that¡¯ll just have the whole city hunting us down!¡± ¡®Griffy¡¯ scowled looking out the door¡¯s glass to see the many cop cars gathering outside. He watched Jackie¡¯s eyes flash yellow as his grin grew manic. ¡°Sounds like fun¡­¡± ¡°No it doesn¡¯t, and when you take that Mask off you¡¯ll agree with me.¡± ¡®Griffy¡¯ frowned, with a concerned glance at his friend. ¡°Only one of us is the Killjoy Griffy¡­¡± Jackie growled, his eyes glowing brighter. ¡°Y-you¡¯re a voodoo boy¡­¡± He realized, a flavor of fear filling him that hadn¡¯t been there before, because while he wasn¡¯t afraid to die if the rumors were true voodoo boys could do far worse than killing somebody. Jackie¡¯s eyes dimmed as he made a so-so gesture with the gun. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s not really voodoo so much as it is Madness.¡± ¡°Madness¡­¡± He repeated, the way the other man said the word, making his heart beat a little faster. Jackie tilted his head as the man stared at him, before what could only be described as a mad grin slowly grew on his face. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ interesting¡­ the voices like you¡­¡± He swallowed. ¡°Voices?¡± ¡°There are eyes on you, watching you, waiting for the curtains to open and the show to begin.¡± The man in the mask explained, an odd tone to his voice as if it wasn¡¯t really him saying the words. ¡°Jackie¡­¡± ¡®Griffy¡¯ said with no small amount of fear or concern. The masked man blinked, looking confused for a second before putting on a wide smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea! A wonderful idea! Heh-heh¡­¡± ¡°Jackie the last time you got an idea with that look you got us into this mess.¡± ¡®Griffy¡¯ pointed out. ¡°You¡¯re right! I did, and because of that wonderful idea we met this fellow here!¡± Jackie explained, tapping his chest with the gun as the masked man led him towards the door. ¡°Now here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen, I¡¯m going to throw you out these doors and you¡¯re going to dazzle those cops out there with the most distracting performance they have ever seen!¡± ¡°A-a performance?¡± He stammered out even as ¡®Griffy¡¯ shouted, ¡°Are you insane?!¡± ¡°Yes, a performance the likes of which no man out there has ever witnessed!¡± The man in the mask nodded his voice practically echoing out. ¡°Now the world is your stage, so get out there and show everyone a world of entertainment!¡± The next thing he knew he was flying out the door before painfully landing on the pavement in front of the police. ¡°Are you alright kid?¡± One of the officers asked, walking up to him as others shouted out to start moving in. He knew that the smart thing to do was to keep quiet and just let the cops arrest the two criminals that had taken him hostage but¡­ (but I¡­ I want to put on at least one show before I die¡­ and he wanted to see a show.) As the cops began to pass him his heart pounded inside of his chest, until (it¡¯s finally show time!) Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. With a dexterity he didn¡¯t know he had, he stole the gun from the cop¡¯s holster before sticking it to his own chin and yelling, ¡°Stop or the hostage gets it!¡± in his most gruff accent. The cop gave him a confused look even as the other cops came to a stop. ¡°Boy what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± When the officer took a step towards him he cocked the hammer of the gun, before growling out. ¡°Hold it! Make a move and the hostage gets it!¡± ¡°P-please, listen to him h-he¡¯s crazy enough to actually do it!¡± He whimpered, letting actual tears form in his eyes. The cop looked at him like he was crazy, (which I just might be¡­) ¡°Boy what are you-¡± ¡°He¡¯s a Voodoo Boy!¡± He wailed loud enough for everyone to hear, and causing the entire (audience) to gasp. (Crazy like a fox that is!) ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± He snarled, putting on a mean face. ¡°And if you don¡¯t listen to what I say I¡¯ll blow his brains all over these stairs! I will!¡± ¡°S-save me, p-please save me!¡± He cried, putting on an ugly face. ¡°I-I just got married! P-please don¡¯t make my girl a widow!¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯ll be a widow alright! That is unless everyone stays right where they are!¡± He yelled, before grabbing his own shirt and began dragging himself towards the street even as it meant pushing past a few of the boys in blue who backed away in fear of catching his ¡®voodoo curse¡¯. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me you¡¯re buying this malarky.¡± At least until one of them refused to let him push back. (Uh-oh¡­) He began to panic as the officer glared down at him. ¡°Oh? Ya, don¡¯t think I¡¯ll pull the trigger on him do ya?¡± He managed to get out in his ¡®criminal¡¯ voice. ¡°Everyone knows voodoo boys aren¡¯t real.¡± The cop told him. ¡°This idiot is just distracting us from the actual goons we¡¯re after, probably threatening him or paying him off.¡± ¡°P-please, don¡¯t do this¡­¡± He whimpered, not really having to fake it. ¡°Don¡¯t think voodoo boys are real do ya?¡± He grumbled out with no small amount of irritation. ¡°Well, do ya think this gun is real? Because I¡¯ll be painting that pretty suit red, blue boy!¡± The cop narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not going to shoot yourself.¡± ¡°Oh, shooting the hostage doesn¡¯t scare you eh? Well then-¡± He aimed the gun at the man¡¯s crotch. ¡°How¡¯s about shootin¡¯ off your jibbly bits, eh?!¡± ¡°No! Not his jibbly bits!¡± He pleaded with himself as he fell to his knees. ¡°He needs those to satisfy his poor lonely wife!¡± He jabbed the gun into the now nervous looking cops leg. ¡°Oh, I doubt he¡¯s satisfyin¡¯ anyone with this¡­ this¡­ surprisingly large amount of¡­ heat he¡¯s packing¡­¡± Flattening his own expression he blinked. ¡°What.¡± With his gruff face he looked up at the now confused cop. ¡°I take it back, you must have a very happy wife, my good man. Congratulations.¡± With his flat face he said. ¡°No seriously, what is happening here?¡± His gruff face gave the embarrassed looking cop a coy grin and a wink. ¡°The other cops better be careful of you stealing their wives. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.¡± Pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation, he grumbled out, ¡°Oh, just shoot me now.¡± He leapt back to his feet as he put the gun back to his chin as he yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me!!!¡± ¡°I take it back, I take it back, I take it back!¡± He repeated with growing panic as he raised his other hand into the air. With a snarling growl he looked out over the watching (audience). ¡°Now if anyone doesn¡¯t want me to shoot this wise guy here, then they better start meetin¡¯ my demands, ya see?!¡± ¡°And, and what are your demands?¡± One of the other cops asked, as he finally spotted something. He narrowed his eyes as he gave the cops a calculating look and slowly backed away from them. ¡°I want one thousand smackers in a duffle bag brought forward with an unplated car. You¡¯ve got one hour to get my money or it¡¯s off with this man¡¯s head!¡± ¡°P-please, just do what he says!¡± He cried. ¡°We-we¡¯re going to need time to get that kind of money together.¡± The cop nervously told him, eyeing the others. ¡°Oh, well ya see time ain¡¯t exactly on your side.¡± He growled at the man before jabbing the gun at his own temple. ¡°Or rather it¡¯s not on the side of our funny friend here!¡± ¡°L-look, don¡¯t shoot!¡± The cop shouted. ¡°Just, just give us a bit of time!¡± ¡°Ya want time, do ya?¡± He scoffed, as his back hit a car. ¡°In that case, I want something easy for you boys in blue to do.¡± ¡°W-what do you want?¡± The officer nervously asked. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s real simple like.¡± He assured the cop as he blindly scrabbled to open the car with his hand. ¡°All I want ya to do¡­ is please tip your servers this evening.¡± He answered in his regular voice as he found the handle. ¡°What?¡± The cop blinked. ¡°It would be ever so kind of you to tip the waitstaff, they do live off of that money after all.¡± He explained, with a shake of his head as he opened the door. ¡°Real shame how few of them get paid for the fine work that they do.¡± ¡°What?¡± The cop repeated, looking just as confused as the rest of the boys in blue. ¡°You see, the show has sadly come to end. You¡¯ve all been a wonderful audience and I would absolutely love to entertain you all once more.¡± He sincerely told them, as he let the gun fall limp in his hand before taking a bow. ¡°Thank you all for watching my very first performance!¡± He tossed the gun to the side as he memorized everyone¡¯s dumbfounded faces before willingly hopping into the car with his ¡®captors¡¯ where ¡®Griffy¡¯ promptly floored it and a struggling Jackie finally gave up suppressing his giggles, the man in the mask¡¯s laughter following them all the way down the street. ¡°Did you see their faces!¡± Jackie cackled, as ¡®Griffy¡¯ drove them off after his¡­ (after my show¡­) ¡°Alright, yeah that was pretty funny.¡± ¡®Griffy¡¯ told the laughing man, trying to keep his focus on speeding away before the cops could mount a pursuit. Though the man did spare him a glance. ¡°You¡¯ve definitely got more talent than I was expecting.¡± ¡°Damn right he does!¡± Jackie smiled. ¡°You should be on a stage with an act like that.¡± He blinked, unable to help the small smile that made its way on his face. ¡°You¡­ you really think so?¡± ¡°Yeah, you put on a show like that again and the whole place will be sold out.¡± Jackie assured him. He couldn¡¯t help the wry grin that brought to his face. ¡°Th-thanks¡­ I¡­ I wish the theater agreed with you, they¡¯ve shot me down at every audition I¡¯ve had.¡± ¡°The theater?¡± Jackie frowned for the first time since meeting him before giving him a once over. ¡°They¡¯ve shot down your every audition¡­ how many of those have you had? I mean, if you¡¯ve had just one or two¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had dozens¡­¡± He sighed, his good mood evaporating like it always did. ¡°Well, then¡­ fuck ¡®em.¡± Jackie told him, a growl to his voice as his eyes began to glow. ¡°If that theater won¡¯t treat you right, then you don¡¯t need them¡­ you don¡¯t need any of those¡­ those backstabbing fuckers.¡± ¡°Jackie¡­¡± ¡®Griffy¡¯ called, watching them from the driver¡¯s seat with concerned eyes. ¡°I¡¯m good!¡± Jackie shouted more than said, before turning back to him and looking him in the eye. ¡°You don¡¯t need that theater. You don¡¯t need any theater. You want to put on a performance then put on a fucking performance! Remember what I said? The world¡¯s a stage? Well then, let¡¯s make it your stage! Put on shows so big and bad that we make every theater that ever rejected you regret it!¡± He shook his head. ¡°I-I can¡¯t just put on a performance- I-I need a script and, and props and-¡± ¡°And what? You didn¡¯t have any of that shit today and you still put on a show that none of them will be forgetting!¡± Jackie assured him. ¡°Hell if that¡¯s what it takes to get you over this stage fright, I will drag you out there at gunpoint and have you put on another show and another until you realize that you can be as much a star as any of those assholes that look down on you!¡± He swallowed, feeling something in the air that he¡¯d only ever felt when watching the greatest of performances. ¡°You promise?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll fucking shake on it.¡± Jackie¡¯s mad eyes met his own before the man stuck his hand out. ¡°Stick with me and I¡¯ll make sure they remember our names for a hundred years to come! All you¡¯ve got to do is keep knockin¡¯ ¡®em dead with your shows my man!¡± With shaky hands -knowing that this was insane and that the man in front of him couldn¡¯t keep that promise- he still reached out and shook his hand, because some part of him¡­ some part of him wanted to keep on dreaming. --- He was a dreamer with his head in the clouds. Everyone told him he needed to dream big, that he¡¯d never amount to anything otherwise, but he wasn¡¯t sure he could bring himself to believe them¡­ No matter how much reality beat him down, he¡­ he wouldn¡¯t give up on his dreams. --- He was a star living the dream. The only reason he could do that was because his boss forced him out of his comfort zone and out into the world where no one would be able to just ignore him. No matter how much the crowds applauded, he knew¡­ he¡¯d never get enough. --- He and the others stood in front of their audience. Eyes upon him watching as they brought their story to life, making everyone experience emotions so elusive as they played out their roles. No matter how much he couldn¡¯t believe it, he¡­ he really was one of them. --- He was surrounded by women begging for his attention. The moment he entered the room a spotlight shone down on him, causing everyone else to fade into the background as they prayed for him to look their way. No matter how much they wanted him though¡­ he deserved better. --- He was enthralled by what he was seeing. Everyone was, the whimsical cartoons playing out on the screen. A new invention mixing moving drawings with music for an illusion of life that surpassed the stage he dreamed of. Everyone was, the way he brought the whimsical cartoons to life. A new power mixing Madness and his imagination bringing for the life that made up the stage he always dreamed of. No matter how much he knew it was impossible¡­ he dreamed of them coming off the screen. --- He was going to take a risk for something better. The theater was having auditions, and while he may have failed his last few tries, this one was different. Betty was auditioning too, and they could do it together. The audience was watching him, and while he¡¯d never done a show by himself, this one he had to. Betty was there¡­ seeing who he¡¯d become, for better and for worse. No matter how much he feared her rejecting him¡­ he had to try. --- He was a success whose dreams were coming true! Everyone had told him to go for his dreams and he was so glad he listened. Betty had watched his show and was still talking to him! No matter how much he couldn¡¯t believe it¡­ his dreams were coming true. --- He was content just being a good friend. Things with Betty hadn¡¯t been a part of the plan, but that didn¡¯t mean he regretted them for a second. He¡¯d love her until the day she broke his heart and even after. No matter how much she¡¯d kick his ass for even thinking she¡¯d do that. --- He was¡­ he was thinking about things. Every day was building him up. Every day win or lose, he tried something new. Every day he consoled the world with cartoons. Every day he made harsh reality a little more livable. No matter how much the world tried to bring him down¡­ he wouldn¡¯t let it. --- He was asleep, held in an eternal dream. That was something he felt he should be more concerned about but he couldn¡¯t really bring himself to do it. After all, he had Betty with him, he¡¯d said his goodbyes to the Barons, still visited them in their dreams too. So if this was how he went out, well¡­ he¡¯d do it all again if he could. No matter how much- ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see your encore, ya old toon.¡± --- Joshua Durand --- ¡°W-what?¡± He blinked, finding himself staring once more at the grinning Cheshire Killjoy, (No¡­ Jackie¡­) ¡°Don¡¯t give up, you didn¡¯t back then. So don''t do it now.¡± A clawed hand gently pushed him back. ¡°Besides, you promised to knock ¡®em dead didn¡¯t you?¡± He stumbled away from the mannequin, finding that the tommy gun had disappeared from both his hands and reality itself. Leaving him physically empty handed even as it left him with something far more¡­ ethereal. A hole in his heart, one he hadn¡¯t even noticed except in his darkest moments, finally filling as he felt his imagination overflowing in a way that made the world just a little brighter and his resolve a little stronger. Around him he could feel an audience three hundred and forty nine strong watching him, not including the audience physically present. Two sets of those physical eyes were staring at his back quite intently, the flow of Madness shifting around both of these outstanding volunteers, marking their importance amongst the crowd. (Hmm, we shouldn¡¯t leave our audience waiting like this. That was really quite rude of me. Why don¡¯t we start the main act kid?) As a sweet symphony started to surround them, he met the mannequin¡¯s eyes as both halves of him quietly promised, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure they die laughing.¡± before spinning on his heel and facing his heroic audience with a mad grin on his face as he enacted Second Heist- The Madcap Museum (Pt. 4): A Show For The History Books Begins Second Heist- The Madcap Museum (Pt. 4): A Show For The History Books Begins --- Joshua Durand --- ¡°Why hello there!¡± He smiled at his guests as he took a theatrical bow. ¡°So glad the two of you could volunteer for today''s show!¡± ¡°Great, he''s a show boat¡­¡± A tanned teenage girl sighed, her blue and white costume making it apparent who she was when combined with the large gourd on her lower back. (Terraform, the leader of the Jr. Heroes¡­ Elemental manipulation and martial arts.) ¡°Come on, those are the fun ones.¡± A blonde girl laughed, floating a few feet off the ground in what looked like a cheerleader uniform. (Power Flight¡­ Flight, super strength and durability¡­) ¡°It also means he won¡¯t be coming quietly.¡± Terraform reminded her compatriot. ¡°You¡¯re both correct!¡± He helpfully informed the pair as he felt a number of cameras and eyes shifting to him. ¡°I¡¯m as fun as they come¡­ and I¡¯ve got a terminal case of loudmouth, sadly can¡¯t shut up to save my life¡­¡± He gave a put upon sigh. ¡°The doc informs me there¡¯s no cure and that I¡¯ll sadly die laughing¡­¡± ¡°There are worse ways to go.¡± Power Flight grinned, apparently a fan of banter. (Making her a fantastic guest for the show!) ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± He nodded, thoughtfully running a hand over his neck as he remembered his fight with TPK. ¡°Trust me when I say getting decapitated is a pain in the neck.¡± Power Flight let out a snort. ¡°Trying a bit hard for that one.¡± ¡°Not as hard as her abs.¡± He argued, snapping his fingers as he pointed at Terraform. ¡°T-true.¡± His guest star giggled, even as her compatriot glared at them. ¡°Right, let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Terraform groaned, stepping forward. ¡°Look you haven¡¯t done anything too extreme, so I¡¯ll make the token offer that I know you¡¯ll refuse, of turning yourself in for leniency.¡± He ¡°Hmm¡­¡±ed while rubbing his chin, before inquiring, ¡°How much is leniency worth exactly? I mean I am all for bribes and payments of varying qualities for services rendered and goods plundered, but I¡¯m not sure how leniency converts into moolah.¡± ¡°Welp, I tried.¡± Terraform said, sounding not at all troubled before throwing her hand forward and sending a water whip flying from her gourd. ¡°Oh my, whips? Didn¡¯t think we had the same taste, Terra!¡± He admitted, flexing his wrist and meeting the heroine¡¯s whip with his own as he brought forth his ink weapon. ¡°Though I should warn, I prefer giving to receiving!¡± He threw his own hand forward, sending the ink whip out in an attempt to pull the heroine towards him, only to have her avoid his whip and cut it as she converted her own into a blade of water. (Okay, so she uses the water the same way I use my ink. Obvious in hindsight.) More on instinct than actual skill he triggered Toon Time just as Power Flight¡¯s fist was about to hit his skull, the heroine not hesitating for a second to back up her leader¡¯s previous attack. With time -or at least his perception twisting into his favor- he quickly grabbed Power Flight¡¯s wrist before spinning with the momentum of her punch so that the pair did a twirl that left them standing face to face as he loomed over the heroine. His eyes narrowed as he noticed a faint flush on her stunned face¡­ and if he didn¡¯t know better he¡¯d swear the Killjoy¡¯s mannequin was giving him a thumbs up. (You know what to do kid.) ¡°Now, now¡­¡± He grinned, the heroine¡¯s face flushing even further as he leaned into the accent of his toon persona. ¡°Wait your turn, won¡¯t you darlin¡¯?¡± There was a faint tingle in the back of his head and he gave the Flight¡¯s nose a gentle push, nudging the floating heroine back as he leaned back himself allowing both of them to avoid a water projectile Terraform had shot at the back of his head. ¡°My, my you¡¯re both impatient aren¡¯t you?¡± He chuckled, walking towards the watery heroine as he moved away before the distracted Power Flight could think to attack him again. (Need to draw this out, I¡¯m supposed to be a distraction for whatever the Doc is cooking up¡­) The devil on his shoulder laughed. (Let¡¯s give these girls one hell of a show shall we?) (Let¡¯s.) ¡°You know, you two really are so very forward, not even giving me your names before one of you brings out the whips and the other tries to cop a feel.¡± He gave a disappointed shake of his head before giving Terraform a devilish grin. ¡°What are they teaching you girls these days?¡± Terraform narrowed her eyes at him as she held one hand near her guard, the fingers moving in a way that just screamed (voodoo boy magic). ¡°They¡¯re teaching us that creeps like you need to be taken down hard.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Oh, a creep, me?¡± He scoffed, tilting his body out of the way of another water projectile, before repeating the action three more times as he once more pulled out his toon time to keep from breaking his stride as he moved towards the heroine. ¡°Darlin¡¯ you and your friend are the ones trying to assault me¡­ Not that I¡¯m complaining about two beautiful women getting handsy.¡± He winked. Instead of blushing Terraform growled before reaching out with both hands and pulling them to her chest with a grasping motion. ¡°Now, now be a good girl and use your wor-¡± A wave of water slammed into him from behind cutting his words off as he was dragged with the wave through the recreation of Bones¡¯ Last Call before slamming into the bar¡¯s counter. ¡°Would you look at that I found a cure for your loud mouth, guess it isn¡¯t terminal.¡± Terraform told him as she made her way over to where he lay waiting for his healing factor to return his ability to get up under his own power, the heroine¡¯s every step causing more of the water she¡¯d unleashed to begin to rise behind her. Of course, between his aching back and the weight of his soaked clothes he didn¡¯t really notice this, far more preoccupied with resisting the urge to, to- A flood of water erupted from his mouth, far more than any normal person could have swallowed, as well as far more than he actually had. An uncomfortable sensation that wasn¡¯t helped in the slightest as something forced itself out of his mouth and he found himself spitting out a fish. (Da fuq?) Both he and Terraform stared at the flopping black and white fish as Power Flight flew over, her eyes on the same. ¡°Uh¡­ Terra, do you¡­ do you keep fish in your tank thing?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± The watery heroine denied with a mix of concern and confusion. (Okay, kid, flirting ain¡¯t working with this one, time to change tactics before that act gets old.) His common sense informed him. (Quick do, something funny!) In a fit of desperation to keep the show going he lunged for the fish- ¡°Protect me, fishy friend!¡± -before quickly slapping it across Terraform¡¯s face. All three of them froze. Terraform and Powerflight because of his action and him because the fish turned to him with a tearful look of betrayal, cartoonish tears pouring from its eyes. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± He winced before trying to make it up to the little toon by giving it some of his ink -which he was pretty sure was alcohol to them- and telling it to, ¡°Swim free fishy friend!¡± Terraform and Power Flight couldn¡¯t help but watch as he threw the fish into the former¡¯s floating flood where the fish happily swam through the water. ¡°Uh, Terra¡­ what¡¯s the¡­ what¡¯s the protocol on this one?¡± Power Flight asked, clearly not sure what she was supposed to do. The other heroine visibly inhaled before exhaling as she pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Let¡¯s, let¡¯s just¡­ catch this guy¡­ and be done with this nonsense.¡± He nodded -having slipped on his groucho marx glasses while the pair was staring at the fish- before pointing to the side. ¡°That plan makes a lot of sense, he went that way girls.¡± Both girls stared at him with confused expressions. ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t actually expect that to work do you?¡± He blinked. ¡°Expect what to work?¡± Terraform inhaled once more before splitting off half of her water and wrapping it around his throat as she knocked the glasses off. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re idiots?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± He answered the heroine as he felt the whip around his throat tighten enough to restrain him, but not enough to actually hurt him. ¡°Just¡­¡± ¡°Just what?¡± Terraform glared, as Power Flight watched on with a touch of concern. ¡°You do know that we¡¯ve been doing this for years don¡¯t you?¡± He struggled against the whip around his neck, one hand pulling it back as he met the heroine¡¯s eyes and told her to ¡°Just¡­ quit talking and cho-¡± The whip tightened as Terraform growled. ¡°So help me if you make that joke I will choke you until you pass out.¡± He couldn¡¯t help the ¡°Kinky.¡± that slipped out, even as he fell to his knees. At the same time Power Flight interrupted them saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit much?¡± Terraform rolled her eyes, before looking at the other heroine. ¡°The ¡®choke me mommy¡¯ jokes are like the flying skirt and cheerleader jokes with you. Everyone makes them.¡± ¡°I wear shorts underneath.¡± Power Flight mumbled with clear frustration, as she glanced to the side not noticing the flick of his lower hand. ¡°Good to know.¡± He assured the flying heroine, before turning to the one choking him. ¡°But no. I wasn¡¯t going to make that joke.¡± He blatantly lied before pointing behind the pair. ¡°I was going to say ¡®just quit talking and check behind you¡¯.¡± Once more Terraform pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. ¡°Check behind me. You really do think I¡¯m an-¡± The heroine¡¯s words were interrupted as he pulled his arm back and used his ink pull to slam one of the bar¡¯s chairs into her back, shattering her concentration causing her to release the grip on his throat. ¡°Terra!¡± Power Flight yelled before turning to him with a glare. ¡°I¡¯m going to-gah!¡± The other heroine¡¯s words were interrupted as his fishy friend leapt out of the falling water and slammed into her face with a knife in hand. ¡°Flight!¡± Terraform cried as she picked herself up and found her friend trying to hold off a slippery fish with a knife. ¡°You know, you really should¡¯ve noticed that his sudden appearance was kind of Fishy.¡± He taunted, covering up the fact that Fishy Friend was absolutely another accidental dream he¡¯d made by hapchance. (Not that I¡¯m regretting it right now.) Terra¡¯s eyes shot to him with a look of hate as he held her at knife point with an ink blade of his own. He felt cool warmth spread through the air as it began to gather and pick up speed, sending his danger sense into overdrive as the air seemed to grow heavier. (Ah, shit. She¡¯s getting serious.) ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± The elemental heroine yelled as she twisted her arms, moving the air around them with enough force to make him skid backwards as she sent Fishy Friend flying from Power Flight. As she stood up Terraforms now glowing blue eyes never left his, even as the elements wrapped around her ready to do her bidding and rip him limb from limb if her murderous glare was anything to go off of. Knowing that an asskicking was imminent on his part, he said the only thing that came to mind, ¡°Anyone ever tell you, you¡¯re kind of breathtaking when you¡¯re angry?¡± Second Heist: The Madcap Museum (Pt. 5): Stalling The Show Second Heist: The Madcap Museum (Pt. 5): Stalling The Show --- Joshua Durand --- Rather than taking his compliment to heart, Terraform growled before shoving her hand towards him and sending a torrent of wind visibly rushing towards him. (Uh-oh.) On instinct he grabbed onto the flowing Madness around him as the world faded into black before regaining color as he reappeared behind Terraform with his back to the heroine. ¡°So we¡¯re getting serious now?¡± He checked with a smug grin he wasn¡¯t sure if he felt. (Just the stage jitters. Don¡¯t let it get to you.) Rather than answering him, the heroine spun on her heel, her hand carrying the wind in a cutting chop that he was sure could¡¯ve taken his head off if not for him bending over and spinning on his own heel to face her once more. Something that allowed him to block her follow-up punches with his forearms, before ducking as she quickly followed up with a wind empowered roundhouse kick that reminded him of his usual sparring partner. (You know what? I should really thank Zylah for literally kicking my ass so much.) He decided, before leaping away from a second kick with a blade of water trailing it. Unfortunately, his experience dodging kicks did little to help him when Terraform punched the water before it could fall back to the ground allowing her to hit him in the chest with two bullets of water magic. (That¡¯s going to bruise!) He hissed to himself, refusing to fall even as he skidded back on the water still on the ground. (Need to think fast¡­) He inhaled deeply as Terraform moved to rush him, before making a T with his hands and calling. ¡°Time out!¡± Of course this did absolutely nothing to stop the heroine as she shot a punch at his face that he was only just able to dodge by using his Toon Time. ¡°Hey, I called time out!¡± ¡°There is no time out.¡± Terraform scoffed as she grabbed him by the collar before judo throwing him over her shoulder. ¡°I thought heroes were supposed to be the honorable sort?¡± He blinked as he used his enhanced reflexes to flip back onto his feet before he could actually hit the ground. Something that allowed him to quickly form an Ink Knife to try and force her back a step with a cutting slash. ¡°Says the guy who slapped me in the face with a fish, and held my friend with a knife to her throat.¡± The heroine pointed out as she grabbed his wrist and twisted it to the side, forcing him to drop his blade, before she delivered a wind infused hook to his face that was promptly followed up by a string of blows that knocked him into the air where she leapt after him and slammed him back into the ground with a heel drop. ¡°Ow-chies!¡± He gasped, feeling several bones break before slowly snapping back into place. (Okay, this one may be a little higher level than we were expecting. Might want to think about calling it.) The devil on his shoulder winced. ¡°Had enough yet?¡± Terraform asked as she stood with a boot on his chest. (Can¡¯t call it. The Doc wanted a distraction and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve given enough of one yet.) He grimaced, letting his head fall back as he took a look around the museum room before taking note of several things. ¡°You know¡­ for a hero¡­ you are causing a lot of property damage.¡± He realized, not entirely surprised given how he knew Deviant fights went but, ¡°Honestly, thought I¡¯d be the one doing that.¡± ¡°The museum is insured for this kind of thing, and I haven¡¯t broken anything that can¡¯t be repaired or replaced within an hour. The current property damage is still within acceptable budgetary ranges given how you again put a knife to my friend¡¯s throat.¡± Terraform argued as she dug her heel in, worsening his still healing ribs. ¡°You heroes always have an excuse don¡¯t you¡­¡± He growled, feeling really sick of getting his ass kicked. The heroine gave him a curious frown of her own. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to-¡± He grabbed onto the ink flow to break free of Terraform¡¯s pin and reappear right in front of her staggering form, allowing him to deliver a knee straight to her face before falling back to the ground. ¡°Damn it, nearly broke my nose.¡± The heroine told him, palm to her face as she glared at him. ¡°Yeah, and you broke at least three ribs.¡± He scoffed, kind of disappointed that he didn¡¯t break her nose. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Hey, uh, isn¡¯t this getting a bit intense.¡± A voice cut in. Both he and Terraform blinked before glancing towards Power Flight floating off to the side, the other heroine having been forgotten by both of them as an actual participant of this little conflict. ¡°He put a knife to your throat!¡± Terraform (boringly) reiterated for the umpteenth time. ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m bulletproof.¡± The mediating heroine pointed out before glancing his way. ¡°You did know I was bulletproof, right?¡± ¡°Does anyone in town not?¡± He asked, not admitting that while he knew that Power Flight was a Bruiser he had no idea if his Fishy Friend knew when he pulled that knife. (Actually, might need to talk to him about doing that kind of thing.) ¡°See, no harm no foul.¡± Power Flight nodded hands on her hips. ¡°Now then, I think it¡¯s time for both of you to deescalate a bit if you¡¯ve gotten to the point of breaking parts of each other.¡± Terraform inhaled before exhaling with a pained look. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Power Flight gave him an expectant look. ¡°What?¡± He frowned in confusion. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this fight is going a bit far?¡± Power Flight pressed with a tense expression as the wind began to once more swirl around Terraform. ¡°Uh, honestly, this is how half my interactions with girls go.¡± He admitted, rolling out his shoulder. ¡°The women in this city are disturbingly violent. Like, in the last month alone I¡¯ve had a woman cave my skull in, another decapitate me if not for the Guild¡¯s weird powers, and another drag me to a fight club to fight me in a ¡®socially acceptable¡¯ place. Whatever that means.¡± Both heroines just stared at him for a moment with different (but equally amusing) looks. He snapped his fingers, deciding to rub some salt in the wound. ¡°Oh, and you saw Terra here choke me with her whip after you tried to knock me out, before breaking several ribs.¡± Terraform grimaced as Power Flight gave him a pitying look. ¡°Are¡­ are you okay?¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve learned to heal fast.¡± He shrugged as he remembered. ¡°My doctor showed me how when he broke my hands.¡± He knew he shouldn¡¯t be mentioning the Malice Doc, but given how he intended to break away at some point. (Might as well throw out a few hints before they¡¯re really paying attention to me. Probably won¡¯t do much, but might do something.) (Just got to be careful when you¡¯re playing both sides, otherwise you¡¯ll have enemies on both.) His inner reason warned. While he had that thought, Terraform narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°You¡¯re messing with us.¡± He pinched his fingers together. ¡°Little bit.¡± Power Flight clapped, giving him a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t seem like that bad of a guy so can we just talk this out?¡± (Well, since that will let me stall this whole thing for a bit,) ¡°Sure why not!¡± He grinned at his mark. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s start with why you¡¯re doing all of this?¡± Power Flight suggested. ¡°Because.¡± He answered with a serious nod. Power Flight rolled her eyes, already knowing where this was going, ¡°Because of?¡± ¡°Mild psychosis mixed with a slightly less mild sociopathic streak, that when combined with a love of attention induced by frequent childhood bullying and case of disney¡¯s dead parent syndrome resulting in a series of logically really bad decisions that I don¡¯t actually regret even if the consequences are making things a bit more complicated.¡± He explained, before assuring her that. ¡°In the fun way mind you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Power Flight blinked, clearly having not known where the conversation was going. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ self-aware¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s messing with you again.¡± Terraform pointed out, sounding done with his garbage. (Which will hopefully make it easier to escape in a bit. Just have to lure her into a false sense of annoyance.) (False?) (I meant, con her into a sense of annoyance.) He mentally corrected himself as he once more pinched his fingers together and said, ¡°Little bit.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Power Flight sighed while pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°Okay, since you like talking¡­ why don¡¯t you tell us what the plan was?¡± ¡°Come here and cause a bit of mischief.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You did all of this for the sake of mischief?¡± Terraform scoffed. ¡°And because it¡¯s funny.¡± He added with a snap and a wink, before catching sight of a nearby exhibit and getting an idea. (I wish I could, but that would totally bite me in the ass later¡­) (That is a terrible idea¡­ You have my full permission to do it.) (Screw it, I can''t resist.) ¡°Felt like it was the kind of thing to do my dear ol¡¯ grandpappy proud.¡± He lied to the girls as he put a hand over his heart and started to wander a bit, something that immediately set them both on edge. ¡°I mean, someone has to keep the show going or else everyone else will think it¡¯s over, and trust me when I tell you it isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What show is that?¡± Power Flight asked, her eyes glowing faintly as they narrowed at him, and at the same time he felt something prickling along the edge of his mind, feeding into his own Madness. (Naughty, naughty.) He let out what he knew was a deranged giggle before putting something properly showy into his now exaggerated stride. ¡°A legacy immortal, a tale of liberation, the unending story of an unstoppable legend.¡± He elaborated, hyping things up as he began to twist the world around him with his Toon Field, hoping it wouldn¡¯t ruin the moment he was going for. ¡°What legend is that?¡± Terraform frowned, clearly understanding that he was working another angle. He kicked up a fallen chair that had been cast aside from the Last Call exhibit before spinning on his heel and crossing one leg over the other as he took a seat the moment the chair hit the ground. Behind him stood the old boss¡¯s exhibit, the banner falling on one side so that it would float through the air behind both him and the old boss¡¯s mannequin. And while he couldn¡¯t see it, he knew that for just a moment both heroines saw the old boss standing behind him. ¡°Which one do you think?¡± Second Heist- The Madcap Museum (Pt. 6): An Audacious Escape Second Heist- The Madcap Museum (Pt. 6): An Audacious Escape --- Joshua Durand --- Both heroines were quiet for a moment as they each processed his declaration and what they¡¯d just seen. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ @^#%/ ?@^#$ grandson?¡± Power Flight frowned. (Damn it.) Part of him had been hoping his little black box would¡¯ve loosened after his recent revelation, but (you can¡¯t have everything I suppose.) (Which just makes what you earn all the better.) ¡°Something like that.¡± He grinned, watching the pair to see how much they were buying it. (Well, Power Flight seems sold but Terraform is skeptical¡­ Eh, doesn¡¯t really matter right now.) (Unless you intend on spreading the old boss¡¯s infamy like a good little successor?) (Eh, I¡¯ll give him a chapter in my autobiography later.) ¡°Just because being an asshole runs in the family doesn¡¯t mean you can do whatever you want.¡± Terraform growled, as she sent a wave of wind flying his way. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not.¡± He assured her as he leapt out of his chair with his enhanced strength, before flexing his Madness as he flipped through the air before landing with a bow between the heroines and the watching crowd at the room¡¯s entrance. ¡°I¡¯m merely doing as the audience demands, and giving them a show they won¡¯t soon forget.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll forget about you the moment we catch you.¡± Terraform scoffed. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re probably right.¡± He admitted, thoughtfully before giving his foil a grin. ¡°I suppose that means it¡¯s time to exit stage left?¡± With that remark he leapt back and used the ink flow to pass through his adoring audience and into the museum hallway behind them. Their gasps of awe audible even in the inky black of the void. (It¡¯d be even better if I could flow out the museum altogether¡­) (Or if you hadn¡¯t forgotten the loot¡­) He paused, nearly missing a step as he realized, ¡°Fuck! How did I forget the loot?¡± He snapped his fingers in frustration. ¡°Maybe I can go back for it?¡± (You could, but that would ruin your exit.) A loud crashing sound echoed out of the Baron¡¯s exhibit. (And that would be the Toonification wearing off the bag.) He shook his head, continuing to walk as his audience¡¯s attention was split between him and the distraction of his loot slipping through his fingers. (Look on the bright side, you¡¯ve probably got more than enough Madness to make up for it after everything.) ¡°Right, just got to focus on the positive.¡± He told himself, before feeling his danger sense go off from behind him and quickly spinning on his heel to avoid a tackling blow. ¡°Like how there¡¯s a beautiful gal unable to keep her hands off of me.¡± He winked at Power Flight as the heroine spun to face him once more. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away that easily.¡± The flighty heroine warned him. (She¡¯s the one weak to flirting.) ¡°Mm, I like a girl who¡¯s persistent.¡± He grinned before glancing over his shoulder as Terraform landed behind him after leaping over their audience. (Her, less so.) Not that stopped him from adding that, ¡°I especially like being between two beautiful women, but unfortunately I do need to get going. Though if you two ¡®d like to schedule a date for next Saturday I¡¯ll be free.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be tempted, but I don¡¯t intend to spend the night sitting in a jail cell with you.¡± Power Flight told him as she crossed her arms and the wind began to pull behind him towards her partner. (That¡¯s going to mess with our footing.) ¡°Oh, that does sound terrible.¡± He agreed with a frown, before ink flowing directly in front of the heroine and grinning as Madness flowed through his veins. ¡°Then again, I wouldn¡¯t mind spending the night with you, darlin¡¯.¡± Caught off guard Power Flight¡¯s face flushed as she flew back from him. The wind tunnel effect grew stronger, enough so that he could feel himself slowly slipping towards the other heroine even as he resisted the wind¡¯s pull. ¡°Come on! Weren¡¯t you telling me not even five minutes ago you wanted me to leave?¡± He sighed at the elemental heroine. ¡°Now you¡¯re pulling me back towards the exhibit, make up your mind won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What did you think you were just going to walk out the front door?¡± Terraform growled, one fist in front of her even as her other hand twirled through the air behind her. ¡°No¡­ Though now that you mention it, that does sound significantly easier than what I was actually planning.¡± He confessed, getting another terrible idea. (But if you pull it off they¡¯ll never forget.) (And how could I resist that?) Half heartedly he threw a blot of ink in Terraform¡¯s direction, more to distract her than to actually hit her. Not actually paying attention as the ink was shredded into nothingness by the wind tunnel surrounding them. A wind tunnel that let up just enough for him to continue forward before Flowing around and behind Power Flight. ¡°Given how you¡¯re the more reasonable of the two of you, do you mind dealing with your friend for me?¡± Reacting fast Power Flight threw an empowered elbow back at his head, with enough force that it would¡¯ve cracked something if he hadn¡¯t activated Toon Time to duck and weave around it. With her facing him, he promptly shoved Power Flight with as much strength as he could muster, sending the Floating Heroine flying back and leaving her to be pulled in by Terraform¡¯s wind tunnel in his place. Seeing this Terraform quickly adjusted her spell to slow and catch Power Flight, or at least that¡¯s what would¡¯ve happened if he hadn¡¯t let his Madness Field lash out at the pair. For a brief moment Terraform¡¯s winds became more pronounced, before causing the two heroines to collide in an exaggerated tangle of limbs. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh with a shake of his head before once more turning to leave. Only to stumble a step as the world around him began to spin. He reflexively stomped his foot down before he could actually fall, unable to do much else as his thoughts were filled with static and cotton. After a moment this sensation faded and he shook his head before wiping at a wet sensation on his face and finding black blood leaking from his nose. (What¡­ the hell?) (Might be pushing the Madness a bit too hard¡­ Really need to get going now, those two are getting back up.) He blinked before glancing back and seeing that Power Flight and Terraform had separated themselves and were picking themselves off the floor. The latter with a notable glare in his direction. (Yeah¡­ I really need to get out of here¡­) He grimaced as he started moving towards the exit with far more haste than he had before. His danger sense pinged as he reached a turn, before feeling a water bullet slam into his shoulder and send him spinning on his heel as he tried to keep balance with a couple of hasty hops to bleed the momentum. Once one more stable footing he started sprinting forward as it clicked just how heavily he¡¯d been relying on Toon Time to keep from getting decimated. And while the sting in his shoulder encouraged him to just spam his Ink Flow from here to the exit, he wasn¡¯t quite willing to chance stumbling again with his already dazed mind. (Especially when those two aren¡¯t stunned themselves.) Luckily, as he raced into the museum lobby he found nothing standing between him and the exit, save for the ticket turnstile. An obstacle he easily hopped over without slowing his sprint for a moment. Which with his clouded mind prevented him from spotting the handful of police and Sanctuary vehicles waiting in front of the museum until he was already halfway between the museum and the street. (Ah, shit.) ¡°Now you¡¯re cornered.¡± Power Flight told him as she flew over the turnstile and stared him down, the flying superheroine having caught up much faster than her on foot partner. He glanced between the various law enforcement agents surrounding him (and their very scary guns) before using the one power that had never truly failed him or the old boss. A technique that other masters of it had started and ended wars with. An art form that made men and women alike swoon under its power. A forbidden act that he knew down to his very soul was capable of conquering the world. The infamous, unforgettable, unstoppable act of bullshitting. ¡°Power Flight, you can¡¯t hop the turnstile like that!¡± He cried as loud as he could in outraged offense. ¡°I mean you¡¯re a hero and here you are disrespecting this humble device of maintaining law and order within our society?!¡± (Ah, turning the tables. A classic.) Power Flight blinked as she looked down on him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yes, what next?!¡± He wondered at their audacity. ¡°I mean first you ignore the turnstile, completely skipping over the line waiting to get in or out. Then when ignoring the ever loyal and faithful turnstile just trying to do its job you fall further and further down the slippery slope of crime until you¡¯re committing arson, murder, and most despicable of all¡­ jaywalking!¡± The heroine¡¯s confused stare slowly flattened out. ¡°You¡¯re messing with me again.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± He asked dramatically. ¡°I mean as a super villain do I or do I not have more experience with what would lead a young soul astray upon the path of crime and ne¡¯er-do-well? For instance, I bet you didn¡¯t even pay for your tickets to enter the museum! And that is theft.¡± ¡°We entered the museum to stop you from robbing the museum!¡± Power Flight argued in frustration. ¡°Two wrongs may make a right mathematically but not in social studies!¡± He yelled like a mad man before immediately calming down and making several long strides towards the ticket booth. ¡°You¡¯re lucky as a gentleman I feel morally obligated to pay when you cannot.¡± Power Flight shook her head as he pulled a wallet out of his pocket. ¡°You¡­ what?¡± ¡°I know it really says something that I the super villain have better morals than you the super hero. You¡¯re supposed to be a role model. For children!¡± He gave her a shake of his own head before looking to the ticket booth employee and slid several bills their way. ¡°Here this should cover for her and her friend¡­ I¡¯m still not paying for my ticket though.¡± ¡°You¡­ hypocrite!¡± Power Flight yelled. ¡°Super villains are allowed to be hypocrites sweetie!¡± He smiled back before sticking his hand out towards the attendant. ¡°Tickets please.¡± ¡°Um, this¡­ this is fake¡­¡± The employee told him to hold up the bills he¡¯d slid over, revealing that they were black and white with cartoonish caricatures of the people actually on them. ¡°So¡­ it¡­ is¡­¡± (Note to self, money apparently transforms when I do.) He coughed into his hand, before leaning forward. ¡°Tell me are you paid enough to actually care?¡± That made him pause. ¡°Actually now that I think about it, why are you here? There¡¯s a super villain robbing the place and you¡¯re just¡­ sitting here. There is no way they¡¯re paying you enough to put up with my bullshit.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ the uh, the handle broke and I¡¯m kind of stuck in here¡­¡± The attendant admitted. ¡°And, and your co-workers?¡± They couldn¡¯t have just- ¡°They left me here¡­¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know what to say to that, causing him, the trapped attendant, and the watching heroine to all fall under a blanket of silence. Thankfully, this was when Terraform finally showed up. ¡°Oh, I am so glad you¡¯re here. This was getting awk-ward.¡± He whispered to the heroine as he hooked his arm around hers and started walking her towards the watching law enforcement. ¡°But what took you so long? I mean with legs like those you clearly- gah!¡± His (compliment(!)) was cut short as Terraform punched him in the diaphragm hard enough to pick him a few inches off the ground before leaving him to fall to his knees. ¡°I had to clean up the damage from our fight, because unlike you I actually take responsibility for my actions.¡± Terraform explained as she put him in an arm lock. ¡°Does that mean¡­ you¡¯re going to apologize for¡­ hitting me when I did nothing wrong?¡± He asked, only to have her twist his arm even further. ¡°You were robbing the museum!¡± Terraform growled. ¡°No I didn¡¯t!¡± He argued. ¡°I left everything in the museum!¡± (I¡¯m still kind of pissed about that¡­) (Eh, we¡¯ve still got Jackie''s gun so that¡¯s something.) ¡°Because we stopped you!¡± Terraform reminded him. ¡°Yes, you stopped me from rearranging the exhibits into a much more palatable form that would¡¯ve better drawn the eyes and attention of the observer via a careful manipulation of object, size, structure, and coloration of proper variety and pattern.¡± He explained, randomly throwing out words he¡¯d read in some of his art books. ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s bullshit!¡± Terraform spat out. ¡°You cannot expect that to, to excuse¡­ all of this!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. I just expect it to let me stall long enough to recharge so I can do this.¡± His leg shot out and swept the back of Terraform¡¯s knees at the same time that he used his full strength to break the lock she had on his arm and cause her to fall onto her back as he broke free. Power Flight rushed in front of him to cut off his escape, clearly having forgotten that he could just grab the flow of Madness and rush past her and straight into the line of cops and Sanctuary agents aiming at him. As he escaped the black of the void he yelled, ¡°Pull the trigger and you¡¯ll shoot each other!¡± as he ran into the middle of the line of law enforcement faster than they could react. (Wait, don¡¯t forget to cherry tap!) He spun towards one of the cop cars before pulling out his Toon Pen and writing ¡®I wuz here¡¯ on the hood and stamping it with one of his Ink Tags as an added signature. To his side one of the Sanctuary guards -realizing how bad shooting between all of them would be- swung on him only to have the blow blocked. ¡°You¡¯re not as good as Terraform.¡± He informed the guard sympathetically before less sympathetically kneeing them in the crotch with enough force to pick the guard off the ground. Stepping around his victim he sprinted forward a bit more before spinning on his heel to once more face the line of police and soldiers before leaping backwards as he gave them all two middle a cry of, ¡°Fuck the police!¡± before disappearing in another flow of ink before he could hit the ground. Madcap Museum (Epilogue): Learning From The Past Madcap Museum (Epilogue): Learning From The Past --- Joshua Durand --- Given how many people had been watching his little exit, as well as how many of those people would be pursuing him, he felt no issue spamming his Ink Flow until his well ran dry to get as far from everyone as possible before on the final flow entering an alleyway and reverting back to his normal identity. From there he took a relatively mundane route via city buses and on foot traveling to get back to the warehouse that -even if not their actual base- his meetings with the malice doc were based out of. A route that was time consuming enough that he was not at all surprised to find the Doc already set up and waiting with his bodyguard. ¡°So, what did you think of the show?¡± He asked, taking his seat before the doc could say anything. ¡°Or rather, what did the spy you had on me think? I feel like your opinion would be all drab and scientific.¡± He knew he was being flippant with someone holding a metaphorical gun to his head, but he was still riding a bit of a high from his show and was dying to hear the reviews. (Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get used to it. This was just a big show and you¡¯ve still got nerves from your debut.) ¡°It was intriguing for a number of reasons, but ultimately you did accomplish the goal we¡¯d given you.¡± The Doc assured him, in spite of looking irritated about something. ¡°You don¡¯t look particularly happy about that.¡± He frowned. (I did my job but¡­ I¡¯m guessing there was something else he wanted.) The Malice Doc paused for a moment before admitting that, ¡°The point of this was to draw enough attention to put you on the radar of Sanctuary and or the Hero¡¯s Guild. With them aware of you it would hopefully result in a more focused event the next time you act, the fact that you were forced to flee from the Jr. Heroes, while understandable, is also regrettable.¡± ¡°Figured getting caught would be more¡­ regrettable.¡± He explained with a terse grin as he felt his eyes narrowing with the realization, (They want me cornered. Either I needed their help to escape or I became a big enough threat that the heroes would stomp me next time.) He knew it was a common enough tactic for gang initiations, (but that doesn¡¯t mean I need to let them leash me.) (The Malice vials are enough of a dependency as it is.) ¡°It would.¡± The Malice Dealer agreed, seemingly unaware of what he was thinking. ¡°But if we¡¯re going to use you as a proper stalking horse for this endeavor, we need you to have a reputation memorable enough to distract from what we¡¯re actually doing.¡± ¡°Well, at the very least neither Terraform or Power Flight are going to forget me anytime soon.¡± He shrugged, aware that as his reputation grew he was going to need to whatever street smarts and slyness he could bring to bear if he wanted to minimize the chains binding him to the Doc and co. ¡°Quite, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that we need you to be considered enough of a threat to actually send a force to stop you. The fact that you managed to so easily escape them after fighting is a point in your favor, but given the circumstances you¡¯ll have to continue to evade them in similar fashion. At least until you can win a fight against whatever force they send after you.¡± The Malice Doc told him, before sliding a folder his way. ¡°Which is why you¡¯ll need to act again while you¡¯re still in their minds.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. (As if they could think of anything else.) He scoffed internally, even if he forced himself to point out that, ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous to go out again while there¡¯s still heat coming my way?¡± He frowned, an expression that grew worse when he realized, ¡°This folder is empty.¡± ¡°Because, your next target will be solely your decision.¡± The Doc explained. ¡°Thus far, we¡¯ve proven you can go out with your first job, and we¡¯ve begun building your reputation, with the second. The next one will prove whether or not we need to hold your hand to fulfill your duties.¡± ¡°And what are my duties? I mean, beyond the whole distraction thing?¡± He wondered, knowing that there was an angle to all of this he wasn¡¯t seeing. Rather than revealing this angle, the Doc merely confirmed that, ¡°That is your duty. So long as you can continue to draw enough attention to distract from our other operations then we¡¯ll continue to give you a steady supply of Malice.¡± As if to underline this the Malice Dealer set another batch of Red Malice Vials on the table for him to take with him. He stared at the vials for a moment before letting out a sigh, and accepting the leash he still needed. (For now¡­) ¡°Since I¡¯m doing this job on my own, am I still coming back in a week to tell you what I¡¯ve decided to do? Or am I on my own for that too?¡± The Malice Dealer seemed to consider it for a moment, ¡°If you¡¯re caught, we¡¯ll still free you but I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ll need to reconvene with us before your next job. Consider it a reward of¡­ trust, for fulfilling your duties thus far.¡± ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to believe that for a moment. (Just because he¡¯s in on the experiment, doesn¡¯t make the lab rat a scientist.) He was fully aware he was only a part of this group because he was a Madness user, and they wanted to test Malice against that. The kidnappings, death threats, secrets, and manipulations all simply underlined the fact that he wasn¡¯t a ¡®trusted¡¯ member of their organization the way the old Boss was to the Barons, (who were practically a family) so much as it was he was a ¡®trusted¡¯ tool that wouldn¡¯t go too far off script. The vision he¡¯d gotten from the Killjoy¡¯s gun underlined the difference for him, and brought a number of things he¡¯d been ignoring about this relationship bubbling up in his mind. He¡¯d always been planning to break away from the Doc and co once he¡¯d built up enough power, but (if they¡¯re trying to chain me to them, then maybe I need to start working on an out sooner than later.) (Won¡¯t hear me complain.) ¡°If that¡¯s the case then I suppose I should get to work, huh?¡± He grinned at the Doc as he stood. ¡°That would be for the best, at least while we go over the footage we acquired from the museum.¡± The Malice Doctor told him, before adding, ¡°I¡¯ve only watched it once, but I did see a number of new power interactions.¡± He grimaced, realizing that accidentally or not he had used a number of tricks he¡¯d been planning on hiding from the Doc during his little performance. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve been learning a lot of fun things I can do with my Ink.¡± (I can explain the fish as an ink construct, my ink flow is an ink power, and¡­ was there anything else I was keeping quiet?) The Malice Dealer gave him a pointed look. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a very interesting discussion about all of that once you¡¯re finished with your next job, in two weeks time?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah, we will.¡± He agreed, not really able to argue the point. (Yet.) ¡°Good.¡± The criminal scientist nodded, going back to the paperwork he was perpetually working on. ¡°I¡¯ll want a full list of your ink abilities on hand when our mutual employers ask.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get right on that.¡± He frowned as he started to make his way towards the exit, several thoughts battling in his head. Be they about his personal ¡®experiment¡¯ with the Malice Doc, whatever Zaylah was tasked with, or Halloween¡¯s revelation about the Doc¡¯s co-workers selling Malice as if it were a common street drug rather than the key to his lifelong dream. With those thoughts in mind after seeing the group that his predecessor had impulsively joined, he was finding the one that he¡¯d impulsively joined to be fairly¡­ lacking by comparison. (Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll find you a proper crew. For now though, we¡¯ve got a show to plan!) Act 41: Checking In With Friends Act 41: Checking In With Friends --- Joshua Durand --- He stepped into the Cabaret with a faint skip to his step, because even if the Malice Doc was starting to play shadow games with him that didn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯d just had another successful show and could not wait to get Avery¡¯s thoughts on arguably his first real performance on the public stage. (A massive step into the resurrection of the Cartoon Cabaret to be sure.) Which is why he found it a bit odd that rather than swarming him in excited chatter about how things had gone or how best to use his freshly collected Madness he instead found Avery fretting over a kitchen pot over by the bar with a curious Doodle and Blobby nearby. ¡°Uh, what have you got there Avery?¡± He found himself asking as he made his way closer. ¡°Oh, Boss!¡± The Cabaret Manager smiled in relief. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°You usually are.¡± He pointed out as he tried to take a peek at what was in the pot before blinking. ¡°Is¡­ is that Fishy Friend?¡± The fish Dream sat up in the pot of water, his lower half still inside it as the Dream gave him a silent nod of acknowledgement with the half sticking out of the pot. ¡°Yeah, once he got dismissed from your last show he¡­ showed up here.¡± Avery explained. ¡°Only, uh, we didn¡¯t have anywhere for him to swim so¡­ things got tense for a moment.¡± ¡°Oh. I figured he¡¯d be okay given how he did in the museum out of water.¡± He admitted with a grimace. ¡°Heh, I guess Madness thought it¡¯d be funny to give me a panic attack when he started air drowning¡­¡± Avery smiled, looking more than a little stressed before side-eyeing Fishy Friend as if there was something wrong. ¡°Speaking of¡­ I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be willing to make him his own little¡­ aquarium, Boss?¡± Before he could answer, Avery leaned forward with a half-panicked look and whispered, ¡°We need to get him an aquarium before he realizes I put him in the fish pot.¡± ¡°Fish pot?¡± He repeated with a frown. ¡°From the kitchen¡­¡± Avery elaborated through his teeth. ¡°Oh. Oh¡­¡± He cringed, before coughing into his hand. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s, let¡¯s get on that¡­¡± (I¡­ I can take a Malice Vial later to make up for the cost.) Not that he needed to worry about that given how much Madness he could feel bubbling within him. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Avery almost wept in relief before looking around. ¡°Where, uh, where should we set him up?¡± He took his own look around the Cabaret before shrugging. ¡°At the bar where everyone else gets their drinks?¡± ¡°A-alright.¡± Avery nodded before moving to collect the necessary Madness and weave into shape. After a moment of watching this, he remembered something important. ¡°Hey, this actually reminds me of something I wanted to ask you after I finished with my museum show.¡± ¡°Which was fantastic!¡± Avery assured him. ¡°I know, went way better than I thought it would.¡± He admitted. ¡°But in the middle of the show I, well, accidentally made Fishy Friend.¡± Avery grimaced as the Madness in his hands fought him. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°Well, so far every Dream I¡¯ve made has been by¡­ accident more or less.¡± He tried to explain, aware that he was making a face similar to the Cabaret Manager¡¯s. ¡°Anyway, you said if we¡¯re going to re-open the Cabaret we¡¯re going to need more Boss Dreams, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Avery nodded before pushing the Madness into the bar counter and causing the segment by the wall to turn into a large aquarium connected to the rest of the counter. ¡°We¡¯re¡­ going to have to do that¡­¡± He sighed, running a hand across the back of his neck. ¡°Yeah, and I have no idea how to do that.¡± ¡°Well, making a Boss Dream is¡­ it can¡¯t be an accident like a normal Dream.¡± Avery began with a complicated expression. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s going to take time and a lot of Madness¡­ From there we¡¯ll have to¡­ work on each Dream for the specific role we want to fill and¡­ If, if we¡¯re lucky we might be able to¡­ fill the gaps made while the Cabaret was shut down but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± He prodded, easily noticing how off the Cabaret Manager was acting. ¡°That might be getting my hopes up again¡­¡± Avery confessed not looking his way as the Cabaret Manage pulled a tab on the bar and the aquarium began to fill. ¡°And I¡­ I¡¯m not sure I can do that again¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but wince when he realized what the old Dream meant. (He¡¯s hoping I can bring his old crew back¡­) They were both silent for a moment, as he licked his lips before swallowing. ¡°If, if we can¡­ I will.¡± Avery gave him a weak smile. ¡°I know Boss.¡± Before taking a deep breath and letting it out. ¡°What matters though is getting the Cabaret open again¡­ In which case¡­ Just pick a role you want filled and we¡¯ll get it filled. Just¡­ Just give me a bit to steel myself, please?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He assured the closest thing he had to a partner in all of this. ¡°Just let me know when you¡¯re feeling up to it and we¡¯ll¡­ take care of it.¡± ¡°Thanks boss¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Fishy Friend, was not in the Fish Pot long enough to realize what it was. -For consuming a Malice Vial just for the Resources gained 2 Malicious Madness due to maintaining the Malice Chain. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. --A/N: The big value here is that consuming a vial is a free action that can be used like this to maintain the chain bonus without having to do a training action every turn. -Can now spend an Action to create Boss Dreams (Note: This will be a mini-event of sorts.) --- ¡°So what exactly is your Deviancy?¡± Annette asked with little preamble as she sat across from him at lunch. ¡°Shh!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but cringe at her bluntness, his eyes quickly darting around the cafeteria to see if anyone had heard her. The other teen just rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one can hear me over all the screaming and yelling of everyone else.¡± He gave her a frustrated sigh. ¡°I know they probably can¡¯t hear us but still¡­¡± Annette gave him a skeptical look. ¡°Given how many times I¡¯ve seen you use your powers around school, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be this paranoid about it.¡± ¡°Yeah, well¡­ you¡¯re the one who pointed out how stupid I was being.¡± He reminded her without meeting her eyes. ¡°I did¡­¡± Annette admitted, pointlessly stirring her food with a plastic fork before eventually taking a deep breath and asking -a bit more kindly, if just as bluntly- ¡°So, what is your Deviancy? If you don¡¯t mind talking about it¡­¡± He frowned before giving Annette a cautious look and seeing that she wasn¡¯t quite looking at him. She already knew he was a Deviant, and hiding that fact was pointless, meaning the question became (how much do I tell her?) On the one hand the less she knew the less she could connect to normal him to toon him, which given the way she¡¯d reacted to him using his powers on their bullies was definitely something he was in favor of. On the other¡­ Pretty much every other he knew had had their own Deviant things going on, some of which were a lot more active and interesting than anything he could show off at the moment. (It¡¯d be nice to be the most interesting one in the conversation for once.) Besides¡­ (You need to start building your crew somewhere¡­) While Annette wouldn¡¯t normally be his first pick for a crew¡­ she was someone who knew about his powers. Enough so that (she might be worth bringing around to my way of seeing things¡­) At the very least their public situations were similar enough that he had somewhere to work there. (You just need to make friends with her. Actual friends.) He glanced at Annette''s way and would¡¯ve had to be blind to miss the disappointed slump she gained, one he knew she usually fend off by getting angry rather than sad. The fact that she wasn¡¯t lashing out at him already said a lot. ¡°I¡¯m a Wonderlander.¡± He finally confessed. Annette¡¯s wide eyes shot to him. ¡°I can¡­ I can make things¡­ funny¡­ Make physics act the way they would in an old cartoon. The kind from the old Tex Avery days.¡± He explained. ¡°Like¡­ the Looney Tunes?¡± Annette asked, interested even if she was still figuring out what he meant. ¡°Basically.¡± He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m connected to this place, The Cartoon Cabaret, it¡¯s like one giant cartoon bar filled with cartoon characters putting on shows.¡± Or it would be by the time he was done. ¡°And how are you connected?¡± The other teen wondered, more in fascination than skepticism. He considered that question as he ran his tongue over his teeth, before deciding that this was probably a good place to start¡­ bending the truth towards how things were for the normal Wonderlanders he¡¯d heard about. ¡°I, uh, I go there whenever I fall asleep and I remember everything that happens there¡­ At first I thought it was just me and my imaginary friends, you know a normal kid, but¡­ After a while I realized they weren¡¯t so imaginary¡­ And whenever I changed something in the Cabaret¡­ I was changing myself a bit too. Nothing drastic, just¡­ little powers here and there, the kind of things a kid could pretend were real, until finally¡­¡± ¡°Finally?¡± Annette repeated, clearly desperate for more. He looked around them as he reached into his backpack before pulling out a pen and drawing a little doodle on a napkin. Once he was finished he slid the napkin towards Annette. ¡°Until finally¡­ My dreams started following me into reality.¡± Annette stared down at his napkin in wonder as Doodle waved up to her in greeting. Scene Consequences -Grown a lot closer to Annette. -Annette is now aware that Joshua is a Wonderlander connected to the Cartoon Cabaret. A/N: Just to be clear, the Questers on SB specifically said to share the fact that Joshua is a Wonderlander. --- ¡°So, how¡¯d your thing go?¡± Cameron asked after they¡¯d met up at the fight club, the place looking less crowded than the last time he was here. (I guess with the tournament over, there¡¯s less need for people to come around.) He figured. (Without those, this place is probably more like a boxing gym than anything else.) ¡°Mm, not as well as my boss hoped but I¡¯d still call it a massive win in my book.¡± He decided after a moment of thought. Cameron¡¯s face scrunched up a bit as she looked around the club. ¡°You said you were in like a theater club or something, so, uh, how does that translate?¡± ¡°Uh, the show itself could¡¯ve done better, but I nailed my performance¡­ for the most part.¡± He tried to explain without explaining what his performance was. (Need to figure out where she¡¯d stand on all of that still.) (The fact that she invited you to a fight club is probably a point in your favor.) ¡°Cool, so that means it was worth skipping the tournament for?¡± Cameron wondered, hands behind her head as she started moving a bit faster. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± He nodded, feeling a bit awkward about it given how Cameron had specifically invited him to said tournament. ¡°Um, how did you do at¡­ all of that?¡± ¡°Eh, well enough.¡± The other Deviant shrugged. ¡°Made it to the final four. Had some weird power reactions with this one new girl but nothing as bad as when I picked a fight with TPK in the gamer¡¯s guild.¡± ¡°You fought TPK?¡± He blinked, thinking that had been just him. (Then again as much as that girl liked fighting) (and flirting) (I really shouldn¡¯t be surprised.) Cameron laughed. ¡°If you want to call it that. She was hosting this battle royale thing and slaughtered everyone in like a ten v one.¡± (I am suddenly feeling much better about how easily she curb stomped me.) He decided, rubbing a hand over where she¡¯d nearly decapitated him. (Just let the cartoon violence desensitize you and it¡¯ll quit bugging you.) ¡°Ah, here we go.¡± Cameron grinned as she started messing with a console next to one of the rings. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s up?¡± He frowned. ¡°Well, since you canceled on me with the whole Tourney thing I figure that means you still owe me a fight.¡± The other teen explained. ¡°Huh, but-¡± Whatever excuse he was going to come up with was cut off as he found a large hand wrapping around his torso before tossing him into the center of the ring. More on reflex than anything conscious he was able to right himself and keep on his feet after the sudden change in position. He raised both his hands in front of him as Cameron stepped into the ring with him. ¡°Can we please talk about this for a second?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll keep it simple this time with just our fists.¡± The other teen told him as she hit her knuckles against each other. ¡°We can start bringing out the fun stuff next time.¡± (Kid, why are all the women in your life trying to kick your ass?) (I really need to figure that out¡­) Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Cameron. -You can now challenge Cameron to Spars for XP to random combat skills. -Gained 1XP to Brawling, Mobility, and Toon Enhanced Strength. --Currently: Brawling Lv. 5 (3/12), Mobility Lv. 4 (5/10), and Toon Enhanced Strength Lv. 3 (3/8) Side Show: Heroes React To Madcap Museum Side Show: Heroes React To Madcap Museum --- Beau Ryder (AKA Puck) --- He danced a few of his cards across his fingers as he waited with his boots on the table, content to let things play out until the person on the other side was ready to talk. On said other side of things, the teenage pair of Terra and Cora were looking far less content, the pair squirming as they waited for a berating that he was not planning on giving to them. (Hence why I¡¯m here and not Jess.) He glanced at his wife¡¯s mentee, the girl¡¯s frustration apparent for all the world to see, before glancing at his own mentee trying to look as small as possible. Figuring that neither of them were going to start this conversation, and noticing someone waiting outside of the room, he went ahead and flexed one of his fingers while the girls were distracted by his card trick. On the table a nearby remote clicked and began playing the footage of the museum from a couple of days ago on a screen against the back wall of the room From beneath his hat he watched as a teenage cartoon ran around the museum causing havoc, harassing the guards, and causing general mischief in spite of being -or perhaps because he was- a 2D figure in a 3D world. Despite not saying anything, he knew both girls were watching the video far more intently than he was as he watched the pair arrive just after the kid stole a gun that was not accounted for in the recovered goods. (But given how it¡¯s a Madness artifact¡­) Puck honestly pitied the kid if he was stupid enough to keep the thing on him. (Dead or not, last thing anyone wants is a Cheshire¡¯s attention.) Things played out with the girls confronting the kid, and while there was no audio due to some recording laws spawned by Watergate, even without their reports he could tell that Cora had started a banter with the kid to try and get something out of him. (Just like I taught her.) Of course, things escalated as they tended to with teenagers before everyone started fighting, and flirting based on Cora¡¯s blush and general sense of embarrassment, before escalating even further. (I am terrified of the day Stella becomes a teenager.) The fact that she had her first crush was bad enough. He couldn¡¯t help but let out a smile as he watched the kid spit out a fish and slap Terra with it before putting on a pair of glasses and trying to convince the girls he was someone else. (Always fun to watch someone¡¯s power flop.) The smile dimmed at how fast Terra went to using a whip around the kid¡¯s throat, even if he did know her spell had a specific safety limit to keep it from hurting anyone it still felt a little too much for him. (Heroes are supposed to represent hope not law.) If he didn¡¯t know how much work she put into all of her community service programs, he¡¯d honestly think the girl a better fit for Sanctuary all things considered. (Then again she¡¯d probably strain even worse under all their rules until she made Agent.) Things of course escalated yet again when the boy with a noose around his neck had his summons put a knife to Cora¡¯s, and while the girl with a constant kinetic shield wasn¡¯t particularly phased her partner wasn¡¯t so cool or calm. Under normal circumstances he might¡¯ve gotten on to her for using so much force, but the fact that the kid took all of it and kept on going underlined the fact that (he¡¯s definitely got a bruiser rating.) Which made him an exception to the usual restraint rules given how much force it would take to take him down. And of course this opinion had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the kid¡¯s fluid dash was extremely distinct or that a similar 2D figure was on the recordings of his spar that had been making the rounds to his wife¡¯s immense amusement. (Besides the fact that she¡¯s wincing so much tells me she knows she screwed up.) Cora -true good hero that she is- tried to deescalate things, which everyone was luckily amenable to especially as the kid let a few details slip as he apparently proclaimed one of the Barons -a group he was only passingly familiar with- his grandfather. Something that was currently being investigated given how after so long all of the Barons had been named and the Bones still being around somewhere. (I¡¯ll have to summon the Baron¡¯s Last Call at some point.) That was always fun. Since he wasn¡¯t really watching the video, he vaguely caught sight of the figure appearing behind the kid. One that wouldn¡¯t reappear if he tried to watch it on subsequent runs, which is why he knew the girls¡¯ faces were scrunching up in confusion. (Might need to give them both a lesson on Madness if this kid ¡®s a user like I think.) He¡¯d picked up bits of it during their fight in Tru Grit¡¯s pit, but this all but confirmed it. (Especially given how things with an artifact of the Cheshire might escalate things.) He really wanted to talk to the kid about that. What followed was of course the running fight between all of the kids, with Terra pulling out all the stops -short of burning the building down- to try and stop him. Though Cora¡¯s worsening blush when she watched the kid appear in front of her, did make him wonder if he needed to have a talk with his mentee about seducing supervillains. (Then again I should probably have Jess give her that talk.) She was the expert after all. The footage continued bouncing through the museum, staying focused on the cartoon kid before the kid stumbled out into a line of police and Sanctuary. (Kid really shouldn¡¯t have stalled for so long.) Not that it proved much of a hindrance with the way he dragged Cora into more banter before talking with the attendant who should really sue the museum over getting left in a villain attack. No matter how low of a threat. Honestly, if he didn¡¯t know better he might actually believe the kid had everything under control rather than making it up as he went. (Can¡¯t bullshit a bullshitter after all.) Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to tell the girls any of this, instead viewing it as a lesson for next time. (Speaking of¡­) He went ahead and pulled his boots off the table before turning off the screen since apparently the best part of this little show wasn¡¯t caught on the museum¡¯s cameras, and Sanctuary was being a little jurisdictional bitch about their camera footage. (Fuck the police indeed.) He looked between both girls, letting his senses roam a bit as he went ahead and checked their emotional states. Nothing too invasive, but enough that he could tell they were both feeling a mix of shame and frustration (that just won¡¯t do.) ¡°Alright, so¡­ what did we learn today?¡± He asked, before tilting his head. ¡°Or the other day at least.¡± The girls were silent for a moment, before Cora -more used to him- spoke up. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t get so caught up in banter that I lose control of the conversation.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t, but by maintaining a dialogue you were able to get him to deescalate and stall for enough time for Terra to catch up.¡± Or that was how he was going to present it to buy her a little more credit. ¡°The kid was clearly a talker, so that¡¯s something you can exploit if we can help you maintain better control of the tempo. Trust me, even I would have a bit of trouble keeping up with a fast talker like him.¡± His mentee gave him a small smile, though his Empathy told him she clearly didn¡¯t quite believe him. (Meaning she hasn¡¯t seen the video. Good.) With the metaphorical ice broken, Terra let out a sigh before admitting that, ¡°I lost my temper and escalated things, causing more damage than I should¡¯ve and losing control.¡± ¡°Yep, but that¡¯s what you get for having Starlight as a mentor.¡± He confessed, because while he loved that woman, he was fully aware of her temper. (That sexy temper~) He shook his head. ¡°Either way, since he¡¯s a Bruiser you¡¯re not in trouble for cutting loose on him, but you are going to be learning a few restraining techniques that don¡¯t involve wrapping a whip around someone¡¯s throat. If you want those jokes to stop, you¡¯re going to have to change your MO there.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s fair.¡± Terra nodded with a grimace. ¡°Good.¡± He nodded back before standing up. ¡°That¡¯s- that¡¯s it?¡± Terra frowned in confusion even as Cora -more familiar with him- had already started getting out of her chair. ¡°Is it not?¡± He wondered, already knowing how someone who was taught by his wife would react. ¡°But, but- He got away!¡± ¡°He did.¡± He confirmed, before clarifying that ¡°He got away from you and passed a line of both police and Sanctuary using a teleportation power that you couldn¡¯t have caught up to without some serious training. Now if Shadow Slinger had let him get away it would be a bit different given her shadow dash. Once he broke that line -manned by other people with the same job as you- you were no longer liable for his escape.¡± While Cora seemed to get what he was getting at, Terra didn¡¯t seem satisfied with what he was saying, so elaborated. ¡°You two stopped him from hurting anyone or stealing anything¡± (of value.) ¡°As far as anyone is concerned you two did your job. If Sanctuary couldn¡¯t keep him contained, and you two lacked the tools to catch him, no one is going to blame you.¡± ¡°But we could¡¯ve beaten him in the museum.¡± The self-critical teenager tried to argue. ¡°Not without burning the place down. He took on both of you and you clearly tried your best to beat him. The sad fact is sometimes there are people that you can¡¯t beat at your level or skill.¡± He sighed, before pulling out some of his cards and having them dance along his fingers. ¡°Those are the times that the guild was made to deal with. While you two might not be able to catch this kid, when -and I know it¡¯s when- he shows up again there are people in the guild who can counter him even if you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°And if that¡¯s still not good enough for you¡­¡± He tossed one of his cards towards Terra, more specifically one with a spell he thought she¡¯d appreciate if she converted it from Spell Script to Will Craft. ¡°Don¡¯t forget there¡¯s no reason that you can¡¯t learn from your guildmates and learn to develop whatever you need to best the bad guys that give you trouble. All you -both of you- need to do is ask.¡± With his piece said, he went ahead and left the girls to talk as he made his way out into the hall where a blonde woman in a white outfit of at least three layers was waiting while wearing a white domino mask. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± ¡°About as well as it could¡¯ve. That girl really is too much like you.¡± He huffed with a shake of his head. ¡°She¡¯s probably going to keep beating herself up until she catches the kid.¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured as much¡­¡± Jess admitted as they started to move before the girls could find them. ¡°I was kind of hoping with the way you talk me down you could do the same with her.¡± ¡°Heh, I can talk you down like half the time.¡± He reminded her, glad that there hadn¡¯t been a ¡®real¡¯ threat in the last couple years. ¡°Still better odds than me.¡± Jess sighed, before giving him a look. ¡°How about Cora? While she flies with me a lot, she¡¯s still technically your mentee.¡± ¡°We work on a lot of emotional control stuff due to the whole psychic thing.¡± He shrugged. ¡°She should be able to work her stuff out on her own and she knows we can talk it out if she can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Maybe I should have Terra work with you more¡­ disguise it as broadening her spell book?¡± Jess suggested, sounding a little down that Not willing to stand for that, he told her that that plan ¡°Could work. We could do that, while you talk to Cora about falling for dashing rogues.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why their reports sounded off¡­¡± Jess groaned. ¡°She was flirting with the villain.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± He smirked as he bumped her hip. ¡°Figured you could give her a few tips.¡± ¡°Why did I fall for you again?¡± His wife glared. ¡°Because I was a dashing rogue and you thought you could ¡®fix me¡¯ or something like that.¡± He grinned as he wrapped an arm around her, before whispering, ¡°Though I think we both know I¡¯m the one who corrupted you.¡± Jess merely rolled her eyes, but didn¡¯t push him away as she pulled out her phone and brought up the kid''s -developing- file. ¡°You think she¡¯ll turn him around or are you just projecting?¡± ¡°Bit of both.¡± He admitted. ¡°Kid does remind me of me back in the day, showy smart ass and all. He didn¡¯t really threaten them until Terra lost it, so he was holding back for most of their fight. The only thing that maybe worries me is the fact that he might be a legacy criminal.¡± ¡°In which case we couldn¡¯t get him to flip.¡± Jess grimaced, likely thinking about the other legacy they both knew and how Tru would never disband the Mad Dogs despite only tangentially being a ¡®criminal¡¯. ¡°So how do you want to handle this?¡± He asked, since for all intents and purposes while he was in charge of scouting and first dialogue with new Deviants, she was the one in charge of deciding the overall stance given his record. Jess stared at the screen for a moment, before eventually deciding, ¡°Given how many new Deviants have been popping up these last few months I think we can leave this one to the kids. Like you said he was holding back, and seems to only be doing this for attention or to honor his grandfather. If anything he¡¯ll be a good bar to get them ready for more serious threats.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan to me.¡± He nodded. ¡°Worst case scenario you can always teach Cora to seduce him to the light side.¡± Jess scoffed. ¡°You sure you shouldn¡¯t be the one doing the seducing?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± He smiled, leaning in until their lips were almost touching. ¡°Because I¡¯m better at it?¡± ¡°Well, I mean he was calling you daddy.¡± His wife smiled as she immediately killed the mood. He gave her a flat look. ¡°You¡¯re never going to let me live that down are you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only going to get worse if he does join us.¡± Jess admitted before kissing him. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I love you.¡± He sighed. ¡°No, you¡¯re lucky I love you.¡± His wife corrected him. ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± Act 42: First Hire of The Cabaret (I) Act 42: First Hire of The Cabaret (I) --- Joshua Durand --- ¡°Okay, so how is this whole Boss Minion thing going to work?¡± He asked, clapping his hands as him and Avery sat in the main room of the Cartoon Cabaret Doodle, Blobby, and Fishy all watching from the side lines. ¡°Um, okay, so first we need to decide what kind of Boss Dream we¡¯re making.¡± Avery answered with determination despite looking excited and nervous in equal measures. ¡°What role we want them to fill and then how we want them to fill it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned, his arms crossed over the back of the chair he was sitting reverse in. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a Boss Dream just¡­ do their job?¡± Avery made a so-so gesture with his hand. ¡°Yes, and no. While they will do their job, there are different ways to do said job like¡­ take the bar for instance. You could have a dream that specializes in talking people through their issues, or one that can make drinks super fast, or even one that doubles as a bouncer of sorts.¡± ¡°Right, and I¡¯m guessing there¡¯s a reason we can¡¯t make a Dream able to do¡­ all of that? I mean, my brother does all of that and cooks half the time.¡± Admittedly, Chris was cheating by using the Rule of Cool, but (I¡¯ve got my own Rule of Toon.) The Cabaret manager¡¯s face scrunched up a bit, ¡°Well, um, that would be¡­ complicated¡­ And Boss Dreams are, uh, they¡¯re already really complicated compared to worker dreams¡­ and well¡­ I can¡¯t make a Boss Dream and you haven¡¯t made a Boss Dream before¡­¡± ¡°So making one that can do its job perfectly is probably beyond me at the moment.¡± He sighed as he got what his most anxious Dream was scared of saying. ¡°Okay, so we keep things simple and focus on one thing at a time for now since reopening the Cabaret is the main goal here.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Exactly.¡± Avery nodded, looking more than a little relieved that he got it before continuing his explanation. ¡°Once we¡¯ve got that together, we¡¯re going to be weaving a lot of Madness together. More than we have before and more than I can by myself.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m getting fairly good at manipulating my Madness even if I haven¡¯t done too much for building the Cabaret up myself.¡± He hoped at least. ¡°Based on what I saw during your show you should have this in the bag¡­ with a little, uh, help.¡± His first Boss Dream assured him. ¡°That said, you¡¯re going to have to focus on what you want the Dream¡¯s job to be, how you want it to do it, all while thinking about what you want it to look like.¡± ¡°That all sounds easy enough.¡± He figured, before frowning once more. ¡°Though you mentioned something about the Cabaret filling in gaps the last time we talked about this.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± Avery grimaced, before going silent for a moment as he seemed to think about something. ¡°You remember when we restored the kitchen or any of the other rooms even? We were just throwing Madness at it to clean the place up and get old things moving again.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded, fully aware that while he was rebuilding the Cartoon Cabaret, he was just restoring the Wonderland he¡¯d gotten rather than building it up himself. (But I¡¯ll get there eventually¡­) ¡°Right¡­¡± Avery nodded back, while not quite meeting his eyes. ¡°Well given how, uh, all of these jobs used to be¡­ filled, I¡¯m hoping that if we fill this place with enough Madness eventually the old crew will¡­ Maybe, hopefully, come back¡­¡± ¡°And if they don¡¯t?¡± He felt the need to ask. ¡°Then¡­ then it¡¯s no different from how it was when you found me.¡± Avery admitted without meeting his eye. (You mean when I found you getting plastered by yourself¡­) He couldn¡¯t remember much of his first visits to the Cabaret but he could remember that much. ¡°Look it-it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The Cabaret Manager told him more firmly than what he usually got out of the Dream. ¡°What matters is that we can still rebuild.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ if you¡¯re sure.¡± He sighed before looking around the Cabaret. ¡°So where should we begin?¡± ¡°We definitely need someone for the Foyer, the Bar, and the Projector but if you want to work on the Kitchen we can do that, um, waitstaff is kind of pointless without a kitchen, and while it won¡¯t help the Cabaret right now having someone in the dressing room could help your shows. Though I think any of the positions could help you in one way or another.¡± Avery shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s your choice where we start with everything Boss.¡± Act 42: First Hire of The Cabaret (II) Act 42: First Hire of The Cabaret (II) --- Joshua Durand --- He considered things for a moment, both the things they needed and the fact that he¡¯d never actually done this before, which is why he eventually decided, (it¡¯s best to start with something that won¡¯t slow down the Cabaret¡¯s opening if I screw it up.) (Now the question is: what?) He let his eyes drift around the Cabaret for a moment, starting with the bar he and everyone else always gathered before eventually falling onto the kitchen. A place that Avery had had a very strong reaction to him restoring, more so than any of the other rooms he¡¯d worked on before it. ¡°How about we start with the kitchen?¡± He suggested, eyeing the cabaret manager cautiously. To his surprise however Avery merely nodded, even looking a little happy as the Dream nodded. ¡°Alright, yeah, that¡¯s uh, that¡¯s a good place to start.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± (Figured he¡¯d react a little more strongly.) Deciding to just push that to the side for the moment, he instead asked, ¡°And how do we start this?¡± ¡°Right, so, uh, we need to go to the kitchen first.¡± The Cabaret manager told him, climbing out of his seat. ¡°There¡¯s this whole thing about¡­ places of power and helping form things related to it¡­ or something like that, I think¡­¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± He shrugged, as he got up and followed the Dream towards the kitchen. ¡°Have to be in the kitchen to make the kitchen boss.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Avery nodded, looking a little relieved that he didn¡¯t have to explain it further. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. (Which also makes sense given how he¡¯s probably trying to remember stuff from decades ago that have nothing to do with his actual job.) Stepping into the kitchen, he clapped his hands together as he turned back to the Cabaret Manager. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Now we gather a bunch of Madness together and¡­¡± Avery trailed off for a moment. ¡°And?¡± He prodded. ¡°We, uh, sort of smash it all together into an¡­ egg?¡± They both frowned in mutual confusion at that. ¡°An egg?¡± He found himself repeating. ¡°Um, it¡¯ll make sense once we get started.¡± Avery assured him, before shaking his head. ¡°But, uh, before we can do that we need to figure out how you uh, want the Kitchen Boss to do their job. That decides what kind of Madness this is going to cost us.¡± ¡°Because different kinds of Madness bring forth different kinds of Dreams.¡± He figured as he crossed his arms before going over what kind of Madness he¡¯d gathered from his recent outings and such. In the back of his mind some part of him was instinctively keeping track of the Madness available to him, each feeling like a pool of emotion with the depth of it being based on how much of each he actually had. (Meaning) ¡°If I¡¯m feeling this right, we¡¯ve got a lot of¡­ Excitement, Laughter, Freedom, Melancholy, and Malicious Madness?¡± That last one stood out being both angry and hungry at the same time. ¡°We¡¯ve also got a little bit of the other kinds I¡¯ve found, but probably not enough to make much.¡± ¡°Unless we mix it all together. You don¡¯t want to use just one type of Madness for a Boss or else they¡¯ll come out a bit¡­ simple.¡± Avery warned him before shaking his head and nodding. ¡°But yeah, all of that, uh, all of that sounds about right by my own count.¡± ¡°Okay, so what can we do with all of¡­ that?¡± He asked, still figuring out what the different kinds of Madness could do given how (there are just so many of them.) ¡°Well¡­ whatever you can dream of.¡± Avery shrugged, with a wry grin. He couldn¡¯t help but snort at the pun, pretty sure it had been intentional. With a shake of his head, he took another look around the Kitchen, seeing where his mind wandered as he let his thoughts wonder, ¡°Whatever I can dream up, eh?¡± Act 42: First Hire of The Cabaret (III)- Troubles In The Kitchen Act 42: First Hire of The Cabaret (III)- Troubles In The Kitchen --- Joshua --- Weaving Madness into a proper dream took significantly more time and effort than he thought it would, even with Avery¡¯s warning about just that. (Though I am getting the egg analogy¡­) The initial process required him to gather a bunch of madness together and condense it down as much as possible, all while feeding the slowly growing sphere of Madness the various ideas he had for the Boss Dream in question. A task that became increasingly difficult as he added more and more Madness to the Dream, part of him scared that if he didn¡¯t feed the Dream enough Madness that it wouldn¡¯t form right. (Really regretting that now¡­) He couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he tried to hold the Madness together, every second building more and more pressure inside of his skull. ¡°Sh-shouldn¡¯t this be easier? I mean, the GM ¡®s been doing this since she was a kid!¡± ¡°Um, Madness likes kids?¡± Was the best Avery could apparently offer as the Cabaret Manager brought more and more madness out of storage. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, it-it was never this hard for the old boss¡­ I think?¡± ¡°None of that really helps.¡± He was forced to admit as he continued to will the Madness into shape, something it was actively resisting. (Come on, give me a chef that¡¯s a fast cook, good with food, and-and can lead a bunch of mini-chefs around.) He told the Madness within him as something damp began to leak down his face. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe you¡¯re trying too hard?¡± Avery suggested unsurely. ¡°Trying too hard?¡± He growled out as another knife of pain shot through his head. ¡°Y-yeah.¡± The Cabaret Manager winced, before trying to explain that, ¡°If, if kids can do this then, then maybe your problem is you¡¯re trying too hard to shape the Dream?¡± ¡°Then how am I supposed to turn it into the Dream I want?¡± He gasped, being forced to give the Madness space whether he liked it or not from how much resistance it was putting up. ¡°Madness, madness likes to change¡­ Maybe, maybe if you just nudge it it¡¯ll start changing on its own?¡± Avery grimaced with a helpless shrug. That didn¡¯t really sound like it should work to him, but given how much his head was starting to pound? He decided to just say, ¡°Fuck it¡­¡± and stumble back from the sphere of compressed Madness. Almost immediately he felt the pressure inside his skull let up, even if he still felt a sort of swirling tenseness from where he could usually find his connection to his Madness. ¡°Okay¡­ better for me but¡­ I can¡¯t tell if anything is happening now?¡± He gasped as he tried to catch his breath. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t either.¡± Avery admitted with a nervous frown as he began to walk around the sphere of Madness. ¡°I-I know I haven¡¯t seen a Boss Dream made in a while but like you said it really shouldn¡¯t be this hard¡­¡± ¡°Maybe because of how much Madness we put together?¡± He could see that as being the part where he screwed up. ¡°No.¡± The Boss Dream almost immediately shot down. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve got more Madness in me than this seed. So that shouldn¡¯t be the problem¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m also pretty sure the Boss was a lot more experienced when he made you.¡± He felt the need to point out. ¡°No, no, that¡­ that can¡¯t be it.¡± Avery ran a hand through his hair as he let out a frustrated sigh. ¡°We¡¯re so close to fixing the Cabaret¡­ What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s different between now and when the old boss did this?¡± With a moment to think about it, he eventually realized that there was one major difference between him and the old boss. ¡°Maybe¡­ Maybe it has to do with my Malice corruption?¡± ¡°Your Malice Corruption?¡± Avery repeated with a frown. He nodded. ¡°Yeah, you mentioned before that you don¡¯t like working with Malicious Madness. Might that be interfering here, because we did put a decent amount of it into this Dream since we¡¯ve got so much of it.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ possible¡­¡± The Cabaret Manager gave the seed of Madness another once over. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know enough about¡­ Malice to be sure one way or the other though¡­¡± ¡°Okay, given how it¡¯s the easiest Madness for me to gather, we¡¯re going to have to figure out how to make it work.¡± He told his dream as he considered the condensed Madness once more. ¡°Alright, so you said we have to gather Madness together and condense it, which we¡¯ve done. Then we pick the place and job we want to give it, which is a chef for the kitchen. There¡¯s got to be something we¡¯re missing¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­ what do we actually know about Malice?¡± Avery wondered. ¡°I know that like Madness it makes me stronger, makes my powers easier to use, while generating Ink, and on top of that it also refills whatever I use to fuel my healing factor.¡± He listed out, before tossing his hands. ¡°Oh, and to top it off Malice also gives me more Madness to work with¡­ All of which makes it too valuable to just toss aside.¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­ What does Malice feel like to you?¡± Avery asked. ¡°I mean, when I work with Malicious Madness it feels¡­ angry and hungry and¡­ dangerous¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± He frowned. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve felt the angry and hungry from the Madness but I¡¯ve never really felt the dangerous. Heck, I don¡¯t even feel the angry or hungry when I use it most of the time.¡± Avery¡¯s face twisted. ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Nah, if anything it gets my heart pounding and it makes me almost¡­ whimsical?¡± He tried to explain. ¡°If anything it¡¯s more like Liberating Madness when I use it.¡± ¡°Hmm, well then what do you know about other Voodoo Boys -er- Deviants(?) who use Malice?¡± His Boss Dream tried instead. ¡°Well according to all the games I¡¯ve played, Malcontent and Slashers are the only real Deviancies to use Malice regularly.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure how connected their Malice is to the drug I¡¯m taking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s somewhere to start at the very least.¡± Avery shrugged back. ¡°So what do you know about Malcontent and Slashers?¡± ¡°Malcontent are like shapeshifters who -I think- eat people like Deadmen, but that might be propaganda after the whole Tallman thing.¡± They were rare enough that he didn¡¯t know for sure, what he did know was that, ¡°There aren¡¯t a whole lot of open Malcontent out there, so there¡¯s no telling what¡¯s fact or fiction.¡± The Dream nodded. ¡°Okay, and what about Slashers?¡± ¡°Serial killers who grow stronger with every kill.¡± He easily answered. ¡°There is a metric shit ton of horror stories about them. From killing thousands of people, to turning places into murder motels, or even making reality itself bleed if you believe the more far out stuff.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Avery smiled an odd tone to his voice. ¡°And you¡¯re uh, you¡¯re using their¡­ stuff in the Cabaret?¡± ¡°Uh, I guess so?¡± (Hadn¡¯t put that together before¡­) ¡°Great!¡± Avery laughed, shaking ever so slightly before visible inhaling and exhaling. ¡°One moment please.¡± The cabaret manager turned away from him and hunched over while faintly mumbling. ¡°Remember how desperate you are. Remember how desperate you are. The cabaret is coming back. It¡¯s worth it. It is¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ okay?¡± He felt the need to ask. Avery stood and spun on his heels with a wide grin. ¡°I am wonderful! Thank you!¡± ¡°You sure?¡± He pressed, knowing that something was going on with his Dream. ¡°Yep.¡± Avery nodded. ¡°But thinking about it, given how¡­ violent the other Malice Deviancies seem to be, maybe you need to¡­ make this Boss a little more¡­ combative.¡± ¡°Combative?¡± He frowned. ¡°Yes, you know more¡­ fight oriented.¡± The Cabaret Manager clarified. ¡°So instead of just making a chef, I should go for a combat chef?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Like what someone that throws around food in a literal food fight? And his speedy food lets him prep dishes in seconds for more ammo?¡± ¡°Boss?¡± Avery blinked. He rolled his eyes. ¡°Or heck maybe they can make like this one villain from a kids show and any food she throws out will come to life as monsters of some kind? And then every recipe they make will be a different edible monster that if you¡¯re unlucky will poison you instead because monsters clearly wouldn¡¯t want to be eaten.¡± ¡°Boss¡­¡± He felt he was on a roll and in turn ignored the Cabaret Manager. ¡°And then because they¡¯re a chef they¡¯ll of course be able to throw around cooking flames though that¡¯s kind of generic¡­ Yeah, no, let¡¯s double down on the edible monster thing. That sounds way cooler, and I¡¯ve seen like a dozen fire chefs but only a couple monster chefs or no¡­ Pastry-mancers? No, too sweet¡­ It¡¯s got to be a pun a¡­ a Culinaromancer! Like, like a culinary necromancer¡­ I¡¯m trying too hard with that one aren¡¯t I? Damn, I could¡¯ve made that work if I used a day of the dead candy skull instead of an actual undead skull. There¡¯s, there¡¯s potential there¡­¡± ¡°You done boss?¡± Avery asked in a dry tone. ¡°Uh, yeah?¡± He shook his head as he realized how out of it he¡¯d gotten. ¡°Sorry, I let myself get a little worked up there. Kind of just let my imagination run wild, you know?¡± The Cabaret Manager nodded slowly, ¡°I see¡­ Remember that for next time.¡± ¡°Next time?¡± He frowned. Avery grabbed the top of his head and turned him towards the Madness sphere as it began to slowly turn into a skeletal-like figure wearing a dress and hooded apron. The figure¡¯s face was covered in flowers and swirling lines on a white face that seemed to flicker between a painted skull and a human depending on what angle he was looking at. From within the darkness of the eye sockets two large eyes blinked open and seemed to slowly open before locking eyes with him. ¡°Oh, hello¡­¡± ¡°Hola?¡± Act 42: First Hire of The Cabaret (Scene IV)- Una Cocinera Dulce No Tan Dulce Act 42: First Hire of The Cabaret (Scene IV)- Una Cocinera Dulce No Tan Dulce --- Joshua Durand --- The candy skulled woman stared at him as he found himself awkwardly staring back, a state of affairs that had dragged on for a fair while now. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she saying anything?¡± He whispered to Avery. ¡°No idea Boss. Usually Boss Dreams are usually a little more talkative than this.¡± The Cabaret Manager whispered back. ¡°Did I mess something up?¡± He wondered even as he noticed the newly made Dream was taking a moment to look around the kitchen as they whispered between themselves. ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡± Avery frowned, looking at his fellow Dream. ¡°As far as my side of things go, she¡¯s a full on Dream. She¡¯s connected to the Cabaret¡¯s Kitchen and everything¡­¡± ¡°?Ustedes dos saben que puedo o¨ªrlos, verdad?¡± The candy skulled woman called. They both blinked, before Avery quietly asked, ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°I¡­ have no idea. I got like a C in Spanish.¡± He admitted with a shrug, before glancing at his newest dream. ¡°That is Spanish right? I know it¡¯s something¡­ latin-y.¡± Said dream gave him a confused look. ¡°?No hablas espa?ol?¡± ¡°I know what that meant, and barely?¡± He paused as something occurred to him. ¡°Wait, you understand english?¡± The female Dream considered that for a moment before nodding. ¡°S¨ª, ?creo que s¨ª? ?Pero en serio no puedes entender lo que estoy diciendo? ¡°Okay¡­ I caught that yes so¡­ Can speak english?¡± That would make things significantly easier. ¡°Mmm, podr¨ªa pero no creo que lo haga.¡± The Dream confessed with a sad sigh. ¡°Creo que ser¨ªa mucho m¨¢s divertido burlarme de ustedes dos si no me entienden.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ take that as no.¡± Because he had no idea what she actually said there. ¡°Oh, puedo decir cu¨¢nto me divertir¨¦ con esto.¡± She nodded with a wry grin, her lips twitching as she forced it. He grimaced before turning to Avery. ¡°You getting any of this?¡± ¡°Uh, I only know some Creole from¡­¡± Avery winced, before shaking his head with a frown. ¡°From when the Old Boss¡­ Bones(?) and¡­ this one smiley fella got into a competition about¡­ something in Louisiana¡­ Sorry¡­ that was uh, a long time ago¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, wouldn¡¯t really help us right now anyway.¡± He sighed, before giving his newest Dream a considering look. ¡°Any idea why she can speak a language I can¡¯t and can¡¯t speak the one I can?¡± ¡°Bueno, quiero decir que puedo hablar ambos. Simplemente elijo no hacerlo.¡± The spanish speaking dream shrugged. Avery shook his head. ¡°I uh, I¡¯ve got no idea, Boss.¡± ¡°Wonderful¡­¡± He looked at the new Dream who had no control over this situation. ¡°This would be a lot easier if we had subtitles like in actual cartoons¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a cartoon thing¡­ I might be able to do something there with her help but¡­¡± Avery rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°I¡¯m, uh, I¡¯m going to need some time to figure it out though¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± He assured the nervous Cabaret Manager. ¡°You¡¯ve probably got a better idea on how to fix this than I do.¡± ¡°?Entonces est¨¢s diciendo que necesito aprovechar esto tanto como sea posible antes de que ustedes hagan eso y les diga que puedo hablar ingl¨¦s?¡± The candy skulled dream gave them both a nod. ¡°Entiendo.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Don¡¯t worry we¡¯ll take care of this.¡± He promised his newest dream who offered him a smile of her own. ¡°Ah, casi me haces sentir mal por meterme contigo. Casi.¡± ¡°Sure thing¡­ I never asked you for your name.¡± He realized. ¡°Yo... ?No tengo nombre?¡± The candy skull blinked, her surprised sentence simple enough for him to understand. ¡°You don¡¯t have a name?¡± He frowned. ¡°Well, uh, you did just make her, Boss.¡± Avery reminded him. ¡°Naming her is kind of part of your job.¡± ¡°Oh, right. It is.¡± He remembered the whole bit he did with Blobby¡¯s ludicrously long name. (Let¡¯s go for something simpler this time.) He gave his newest dream a once over as he tried to think of something appropriate. ¡°Well, you¡¯re a chef¡­ and you¡¯re also a candy skull¡­ who is sweet¡­¡± ¡°En realidad, soy un poco agria.¡± The Dream giggled. ¡°So how about¡­ Dulce, that means sweet? No, wait¡­ Dulcinea!¡± He grinned. ¡°It¡¯s got a classier feel to it.¡± ¡°Est¨¢s llamando a la mujer calavera de caramelo Dulcinea. No s¨¦ si eso es realmente dulce o si deber¨ªa agarrar mi chancla y golpearte en la cabeza.¡± The newly named Dulcinea told him with a grin of her own, before letting out a huff. ¡°Pero supongo que hay nombres peores. As¨ª que gracias, supongo... Aunque no me voy a sentir culpable por trollearte.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll fix those translation issues as soon as we can.¡± He promised her once more. ¡°Then you can tell me whatever you want.¡± Dulcinea gave him another smile. ¡°Ya lo soy.¡± ¡°Anyway, uh, this kitchen is going to be your domain more or less.¡± He told her after a moment. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t look like much right now, but hopefully with your help we can fix things up into a proper kitchen for you.¡± ¡°S¨ª, a este basurero le vendr¨ªa bien el toque de una mujer.¡± The Dream Chef nodded looking around the place once more, before checking the fridge and a couple of the pantries and telling them, ¡°Puedo decir que ambos est¨¢n solteros por lo mal abastecido que est¨¢ este lugar.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll stock things up for you and uh¡­ Actually, Avery, how do we stock the kitchen?¡± He asked the Cabaret manager. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve really done much in here.¡± ¡°S¨ª, puedo decir que ninguno de ustedes sabe qu¨¦ es una tienda de comestibles.¡± Dulcinea said. ¡°Um, usually I¡¯d just make whatever I can with whatever Madness you¡¯d give me.¡± Avery shrugged. ¡°I uh, I was kind of hoping that since we Dreams instinctively know how to do our jobs that¡­¡± The Boss Dream trailed off before turning towards Dulcinea. The female Dream rolled her eyes with a, ¡°Chicos¡­¡± before seeming to focus. He felt a faint pull on the Madness he kept pooled inside of him, eventually a small pair of Madness spheres formed in Dulcinea¡¯s hands before she pushed one into the cabinet and another into the fridge. There was a brief flash before each became far better stocked than the scraps that had been in the kitchen before with flour, eggs, vegetables, and all sorts of food stuff that he recognized even if he couldn¡¯t name. Dulcinea gave her work a satisfied nod. ¡°Esto servir¨¢.¡± before digging around inside. ¡°Ahora cons¨ªganme algo de ayuda real aqu¨ª.¡± ¡°I guess she wants to take the kitchen for a spin?¡± He noted unable to do much more than watch as the Dream Chef¡¯s movement¡¯s began to faintly blur around the kitchen with a sparkling trail following her. He caught some of the sparkles on his hand before putting them in his mouth. (Sugar. She¡¯s leaving a sugar trail everywhere.) In less than a minute, Dulcinea had mixed together a batch of dough before setting it on a metal tray and beginning to glaze it in colored icing. ¡°Uh, aren¡¯t you supposed to ice them after-Ow!¡± Avery put his hand in his mouth after a glaring Dulcinea whacked it with a wooden spoon. ¡°No me digas c¨®mo cocinar en mi cocina, ese.¡± ¡°Just, uh, let her do her thing.¡± He told the Cabaret Manager. The candy skulled woman gave them a nod before turning back to the tray. Instead of sliding it in the oven like he expected from the few times he¡¯d helped Chris with the bar¡¯s restaurant, Dulcinea instead raised her hand and formed a pink flame in it. She then proceeded to inhale before blowing the flame, bathing her pastries in its heat. After a moment of this, the Dream Chef stepped back to inspect her work with a satisfied grin. ¡°Damn, those smell good.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but note as he walked over to inspect the tray full of what looked like little candy skeletons. ¡°Lo son, pero tendr¨ªa cuidado al comerlos...¡± Dulcinea told him with a grin as suddenly, one of the skeleton¡¯s hands shot off the tray. ¡°Estas galletas muerden.¡± One by one the skeleton candies stood up, before staring at their creator. Dulcinea said, ¡°?Manos a la obra, ni?os!¡± as she snapped her fingers and the candies hopped off the tray before moving around the kitchen to collect ingredients. Watching the candy run around to help prepare more food, even if at a slower pace than Dream Chef¡¯s personal work, he found himself thinking, ¡°Yeah, I think the kitchen ¡®s in good hands.¡± Dulcinea smirked. ¡°?Hab¨ªa alguna duda?¡± Behind The Scenes (Omake Bonus I): It was supposed to be a joke… Behind The Scenes (Omake Bonus I): It was supposed to be a joke¡­ --- Joshua Durand --- It started out innocently enough with Annette asking him about his powers during their lunch break, an expected follow-up of sorts to his reveal about being a Wonderlander. ¡°So you said you can cause things to follow toon physics, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded, glad that they were in an empty classroom for this conversation. ¡°Does that apply to like¡­ your whole body?¡± She asked, gesturing towards him. ¡°Like how cartoons have that whole¡­ squash and stretch thing?¡± He made a so-so gesture. ¡°Sort of? I mean, I can do a bunch of cartoon stuff but a lot of it is sort of situational. Um, the closest I¡¯ve got to that would be if I¡­¡± He inflated his toon hands, causing them to increase to cartoonish proportions. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s so cool.¡± Annette told him as she reached out and began examining his hand. ¡°Eh, cool does describe me.¡± He preened, puffing his chest out with a grin. ¡°And freaky¡­ I mean look at this you¡¯re like a rubberband!¡± Annette laughed. He blinked. ¡°A rubber band?¡± That was when he realized that the other teen had not only pulled his arm but continued to do so as she slowly walked backwards. ¡°I¡­ did not know I could do this.¡± He admitted, before vaguely remembering something similar from one of his ¡®episodes¡¯. ¡°Uh, do you mind?¡± ¡°Oh, right. Sorry.¡± Annette grimaced, dropping his hand. Which fell to the ground. They both stared at his elongated arm laying floppily across half the classroom. They both started to panic as his elongated arm laid floppily across half the classroom. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it retracting?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Scene Consequences -Toon Stretch (I): Toon Hands can now reach up to (Power Level * (I)) meters away. -Joshua has grown a bit closer to Annette. --- After that mess and (thankfully) fixing his arm after spending five minutes running around like a chicken with its head cut off. He was a bit surprised to get a text from Zylah of all people asking him for a meet up. ¡°So uh, everything okay?¡± He found himself asking as he arrived at the warehouse to an angrily pacing Shadow Dancer. ¡°No. No it¡¯s not!¡± Zylah growled, stamping her foot hard enough to crack the pavement. ¡°My parents are¡­ fuck!¡± He grimaced. ¡°Is there¡­ Anything I can do to help?¡± Parents were not a topic he was equipped to help with on any level, but if it was bad enough that she was calling him of all people to help her. ¡°Yeah, I need someone who can put up a fight, because I really need to fight something right now.¡± The Shadow Dancer confessed as an inky blackness began to shift around her. ¡°Yeah, no. I¡¯m not going to be your punching bag.¡± He told her with a frown, kind of pissed that she thought he¡¯d just stand here and take that. (I¡¯m better than that.) ¡°I don¡¯t need a punching bag.¡± Zylah rolled her eyes, looking like she was holding back from punching him. ¡°I said I need someone who can put up a fight. Punching things isn¡¯t helping, so I need something that can punch me back. Someone that can prove to my parents that- Grah!¡± The other teen threw out a kick, a wave of black trailing behind it before leaving a massive groove in the concrete. The fact that this was followed by two more such kicks, did little to reassure him of her mental state. Still he watched Zylah for a moment, the way she was practically shaking in rage, a rage the sort of unending rage he¡¯d felt before he¡¯d gotten his powers. When he¡¯d just had to roll over and take it from the world before he realized (sometimes you¡¯ve just got to go crazy if you want to stay sane¡­) Letting out a sigh, he rolled his shoulders before raising his fists. ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ve been meaning to see just how hard I can push myself anyway.¡± Scene Consequences -Push The Limits: (Costs 1 Stamina) On a single Strength based action add D6 to the check/damage. -Joshua has grown a bit closer to Zylah. --- While their fight wasn¡¯t exactly a win on his side, he was proud of the fact that he was able to last a lot longer against Zylah than any of their previous spars. The fact that the Shadow Dancer gave him a tired but grateful thanks afterwards, made him feel pretty good about the whole thing. Even if he still wasn¡¯t sure what had upset her so badly. The fact that he¡¯d gotten a text from Cameron asking to hang out during said spar, just put that extra bit of pep in his step on his way to meet up with a cute girl¡­ Because he¡¯d completely forgotten that the cute girl he was meeting up with was also a battle junkie. ¡°You know, when you asked to hang out this is not what I thought you meant.¡± He told the other teen as he took several blows to his forearms. Each with a level of force that he was slowly growing used to in spite of the pain. (And I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good thing¡­) ¡°What did you think we were going to do together?¡± Cameron asked, hopping back but not lowering her fists. ¡°I don¡¯t know? Hang out?¡± He figured. ¡°What do you call this?¡± The other teen frowned, before rushing in for another flurry of blows he had to block rather than Ink Dashing away from due to not being allowed to use any of his powers for this spar. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of calling this abuse.¡± He admitted, having to rub at a bruise forming on his arm. Cameron rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be a baby. If you want to make it through the club¡¯s ranks you need to learn to grit your teeth and fight.¡± The other teen unleashed another flurry of blows at the air. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re getting your ass kicked by a girl. Isn¡¯t that supposed to annoy you boys or something?¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Given how many girls have kicked my ass this month I¡¯m kind of getting used to it.¡± He grimaced, feeling several phantom aches across his body. Cameron paused, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Girls?¡± (Uh-oh.) He wasn¡¯t sure why, but he thought he may have screwed up there. (You did.) Scene Consequences -Grit Your Teeth - (Costs 1 Stamina) Reduce the damage of any incoming attack by your current Brawling level. -Joshua has grown a bit closer to Cameron. --- With more than one bruise forming he decided to take a scenic route via the rooftops, his ink flow, and just a touch of acrobatics. Not something that helped said bruises but the freedom of moving through the air, still soothed something inside of him enough to keep going. (The only greater feeling is the spotlight of the stage, and the applause of the audience.) It was a feeling he savored¡­ at least until he got another text¡­ and then another¡­ and another¡­ Feeling just a touch of trepidation he opened his messages to find a string of messages from the GM. GM: Hey, me and my guild are running a game downtown and I just saw this guy who kind of looks like you jumping around with my GM exclusive god view. GM: If it is you, you want to play with us? GM: I mean you don¡¯t have to but maybe you¡¯d like it? GM: Again you don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to! He considered that for a moment, because while it was getting a bit late it wasn¡¯t like he had a curfew or something. (Eh, I could do with hanging out with someone who isn¡¯t completely insane.) (Ha!) With that decision made he texted his fellow Wonderlander back: ¡®Sure, where do I meet up with you guys?¡¯ GM: Wherever. We¡¯re using the whole area for our game, I¡¯ll go ahead and send some of my dreams your way and they can lead you over. You: See you then. He couldn¡¯t help but smile as he put his phone away, glad that at least one girl he knew wasn¡¯t going to draw him into a fight. (Now I¡¯ve just got to find that Dream of hers. Wonder if it¡¯ll be anything like Dulcinea or maybe it¡¯ll be more like Fishy Friend and Doodle?) A faint warmth washed over him from behind. Ever so slowly he turned around, before finding a massive dragon-like creature clinging to the edge of the building looking down on him. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± He whimpered as the beast began to inhale. The moment he saw a light in the back of the dragon¡¯s throat he took off in a sprint because (fire bad. Fire very bad!) He was in such a state that when he fumbled his leap between buildings, he quickly kicked off the air and told reality to go fuck itself as he course corrected his escape. Scene Consequences -Double Jump (Costs 1 Stamina) Re-Roll any failed Acrobatics check. (Including air dodges.) -Joshua has grown a bit closer to the GM. --- While running from the fire breathing dragon¡¯s (very bad, very bad) fire trying to roast him alive, he eventually found himself crashing into a group of teens in hoodies covered in neon paint. As well as a more familiar one in a red jacket that saw him and promptly leapt over his head. He stumbled, his eyes tracking the red missile before watching as it removed the dragon¡¯s head in a spinning slash that trailed through the air. TPK landed before turning to him with a grin as she hefted an axe he was scarily familiar with onto her shoulder. ¡°Hey, if it isn¡¯t the silver tongued devil.¡± The red haired woman licked her lips. ¡°I was wondering what had lil¡¯ sis so excited.¡± His danger sense pinged, and he dropped to his knees. A smaller drake flew over his head, before TPK¡¯s hand shot out and she crushed its skull without much effort, dissolving the reptile into a small swarm of blue pixels. The sounds of fighting alerted him to the fact that these were not the only dragons in the area, dozens of them flying around as the guys wearing neon hoodies fought them off with all sorts of bladed weaponry. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve got a pretty good healing factor, right?¡± TPK checked as she made her way over. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s how you kept up with me before and everything.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± He nodded, getting a bad feeling. ¡°Then you mind running tank for the party?¡± She asked him, before glaring at everyone else. ¡°For some reason everyone decided to run DPS like idiots! And we need someone to tank some damage for us if our team is going to beat Decker¡¯s crew today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m allowed to dodge, right?¡± He grimaced upon seeing all of the fire out there, before trying to save face by explaining that, ¡°I¡¯ve got this teleport thing I¡¯ve been trying to power level.¡± ¡°A dodge tank is still a tank.¡± TPK shrugged before stepping into his space and running a finger down his chest. ¡°Though the next time we play you better come at me from both sides~¡± (You really are in over your head with this one.) Before he could muster up a response the redhead slapped his ass and told him. ¡°Now, if you want the princess get to work meat shield.¡± (Meep.) Scene Consequences -Increased Healing Capacity (I): Raises HP per power level to (+6PHP). -Joshua has grown a bit closer to TPK. --- As the last of the dragons dissolved into a swarm of pixels, he found himself panting as he¡¯d been reminded multiple times just how flammable he was. Which is why he was somewhat slow to react when someone shouted, ¡°Shit, it¡¯s the fun police!¡± Unlike him however, everyone else was very quick on the uptake as every member of the Gamer¡¯s Guild scattered. Each going in a different direction through a variety of different mobilities, as if they¡¯d all rehearsed escaped strategies many many times. (Which they probably have¡­) He realized as he thought about just how many ¡®games¡¯ the Gamer¡¯s Guild ran across the city. (Given the size of their shows they¡¯ve got to have an exit strategy pre-setup.) An exit strategy he was not at all privy to as he was left standing by himself in the middle of the street. ¡°Oh¡­ it¡¯s you.¡± He blinked before turning and finding both Terraform and Power Flight watching him, the latter with a smirk and the former with a glare. ¡°So you run with the guild, huh?¡± Terra scowled as the wind began to flow around her. ¡°Fits you¡¯d be one of those show boats.¡± He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not saying a word. Something that seemed to unnerve the nicer of the heroines. ¡°Uh, are you okay?¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± He thought about his arm being stretched out, his beating from Zylah and Cameron, being chased by a dragon, and used as a very flammable meat shield. ¡°Just¡­ fine¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Power Flight frowned as she looked him over. ¡°You¡¯re looking a little¡­ crispy¡­¡± ¡°Yep.¡± He nodded, before slapping the brick wall next to him and walking inside the black hole that formed without another word, deciding that (I¡¯m done for the day.) (Should always know when to end the show.) Scene Consequences -Lasting Hole (I) Increases the formula for Hole In The Wall''s Duration, allowing you to either dig further or let the hole last longer. -Joshua has worried Power Flight and annoyed Terraform. (Again) --- Back at the crossing he sat down with his head against one of the tables as he waited for whatever bar food his brother was making for him while dealing with all the other customers. ¡°So, uh, rough day?¡± Maddie asked, taking a seat across from him as she brought him his plate. ¡°Rough day.¡± He agreed. ¡°Wanna talk about it?¡± She offered. He thought about how much he could say without outing himself, before telling her that, ¡°I was hanging out with these girls today¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± His sister in all but blood asked with no small amount of interest. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all as crazy as you.¡± He popped that bubble without hesitation. ¡°Oof¡­¡± Maddie winced, less in offense and more in sympathy given how the powerless girl who used to bash criminals skulls in with a baseball bat knew exactly how crazy she was. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He nodded, having long since given up hope on any of the women in his life being (madness forbid) sane. ¡°Well, uh¡­ props for hanging out with a bunch of girls?¡± Maddie offered, with a there-there pat to his shoulder before more seriously adding, ¡°Just remember not to stick it in crazy. Otherwise you¡¯ll be really fucked then. More than one of my exes made that mistake¡­¡± Scene Consequences -Joshua has grown a bit closer to Maddie. Act 43: Funny Falls And Family Act 43: Funny Falls And Family --- Joshua Durand --- ¡°You know, given how it¡¯s technically a holiday I¡¯m kind of surprised by just how many people are here.¡± He admitted, as he took a break from fleeting around the bar delivering the various snack trays that Chris was cooking. ¡°Eh, Thanksgiving isn¡¯t for a couple more days.¡± Chris shrugged, a faint Madness flickering around him as he used his powers to cook far faster than was normally possible. ¡°Place usually clears out on the actual holiday.¡± ¡°Unless people need to get drunk to deal with their families.¡± Maddie noted, a wry grin to her face. ¡°Typically that only makes it worse.¡± Chris disagreed, smacking a hand against the counter and knocking over a spice canister on the other side of the kitchen and sprinkling just the ¡®right¡¯ amount of spice on something. ¡°Having to spend an hour with everyone sober makes it worse.¡± Maddie scoffed, crossing her arms. ¡°I can guarantee it¡¯s going to break down to questions about when I¡¯m getting married, or about how there¡¯s this nice guy they know who totally isn¡¯t secretly an asshole. All while comparing me to our more ¡®successful¡¯ relatives who aren¡¯t bar waitresses, never mind that they¡¯re all addicted to Prozac and their husbands are cheating on them.¡± ¡°You know I get the feeling it would be a lot easier if you just skipped their Thanksgiving and stuck to ours.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but point out. ¡°Oh, I am absolutely vegging out with you two and pizza, but I still have to at least show up or I won¡¯t hear the end of it for months. One hour of judge-y suffering is better than a hundred.¡± Maddie assured him. ¡°Mm.¡± Chris¡¯s face twisted but he didn¡¯t say anything else, his brother always getting a bit¡­ odd when it came to other people¡¯s families. (Not that I can blame him, even if Maddie ¡®s more our family than her ¡®family¡¯s.) Scene Consequences -For helping out around the Crossing gained: (3D6=14+Crit D6=17) Dollars. --- ¡°You know I always forget we¡¯ve got a catwalk up here.¡± He admitted, as he and Avery crouched around the projector slowly weaving Madness into it because of all the complicated parts within it. ¡°Not really much reason to be up here without the projector¡­ Especially with how rusted the walk actually is.¡± Avery pointed out, half distracted as he fed the film Joshua was creating into the old projector. ¡°Should we fix that?¡± He wondered, taking his eyes off the projector and looking the catwalk over, namely the parts of it that were missing several steps. ¡°It¡¯ll make it less dangerous to mess with the projector?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that dangerous though?¡± Avery frowned, fiddling with a bit of machinery. ¡°Let¡¯s see you say that after falling off this thing.¡± He scoffed. The Cabaret Manager blinked. ¡°I have though? It¡¯s uh, fifty-fifty if I fall off while turning the projector on.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t see that as a reason to fix the catwalk?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°It¡¯s just a couple bumps and bruises.¡± Avery shrugged as if it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°We¡¯ve got more important things to focus on then something that¡¯ll only last a minute.¡± He gave the Dream a skeptical look before remembering, (Oh, right¡­ He¡¯s a toon, he probably can walk off a two story fall.) ¡°Still¡­ Once we get some Madness to spare I¡¯ll fix that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the boss.¡± Avery told him before standing up with a reel in his hand. ¡°I think that¡¯s the last of it.¡± ¡°So, we should be able to record my shows for replay now, right?¡± He double checked. ¡°Yep. Though, uh, I couldn¡¯t really get your recordings of your old shows.¡± The Cabaret Manager grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s something we can do but¡­ We might need a Boss to actually manage the projector for that¡­¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± He nodded, not entirely put out as he put on a grin. ¡°This just means we can make sure our grand opening has a show worthy of the event rather than our warm-up routines.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Avery grinned back. Scene Consequences -Cabaret Upgrade: Film Reels --Upon opening the Cabaret gain a passive Income based on the total number of ¡®Shows¡¯ Joshua has put on. (Each show has its own Genre/Madness type.) --- Having an extra couple of days off thanks to Thanksgiving, he decided to work on something that had been a bit of help during the whole mess a couple days prior. More specifically the part where he¡¯d had to run across the rooftops from a dragon under the GM¡¯s control. Something that had made him realize just how valuable his ability to get around on the rooftops was. (That dragon really lit a fire under your ass didn¡¯t it?) Which is why he spent most of his day running and jumping across the city rooftops. And when he began to grow bored of that, he started to add his Ink Flow into the mix. Be it simply grasping the flow and moving between rooftops, or taking a swan dive off of the roof and using his Ink Flow to catch himself before he hit the ground. Or that was what he was doing until he ran out of Ink mid jump down town and actually hit the ground¡­ after rebounding off of a brick wall¡­ with his face¡­ which he also landed on¡­ He twitched once before collapsing onto the ground. (Ouchies¡­) (You know you¡¯re really lucky you have a healing factor kid.) Gritting his teeth as his various bones popped back into place, he decided that rather than simply waiting -(in pain)- for his Ink Well to refill he¡¯d just pop a vial of Malice instead, filling his head with that sweet sweet symphony as ink began to once more flow through his veins. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s be a little smarter about this, this time around.¡± He told himself as he stood back up, cracking his neck. More on instinct than actual thought, his eyes began to roam his surroundings, mapping out a path for him to maneuver across. Taking note of a few key points here and there, namely of a crane that was working on building something in After a simple jump he ink flowed to the edge of a fire escape, before kicking off of it and grabbing a ledge of a window sill on the opposite building. At which point he flowed to the roof, and took a brief moment to reassess his path. Jumping off of the roof¡¯s ledge, he landed on a street light before flowing to a light on the opposite side of the street and then onto another rooftop. A quick climb up a ladder connected to a water tower gave him enough height that between his next jump and an ink flow he was able to land on a building next to the construction site. And while he wasn¡¯t quite able to scale the scaffolding unassisted, he was able to ink flow between several support structures as he slowly made his way up the tower until he was level with the crane cabin. With one more quick flow across a gap several hundred feet in the air, he was able to hop on top of the crane¡¯s back where he quickly walked up to its end, putting him high above everything else around him. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he twirled on the edge, before raising his arms and letting out a loud, ¡°Woo!¡± as his heart pounded in his chest. This was when a strong gust of wind knocked him off the crane. ¡°Oh shit. Oh shit! OH SHIT!!!¡± Scene Consequences -Consumed 1 Malice Vial for a bonus of 2XP. --Gained 1 Malicious Madness for maintaining Malice Chain. -Gained 3XP to Mobility and 3XP to Ink Flow, thanks to training bonus. --Currently: Mobility Lv. 4 (8/10), Ink Flow Lv. 3 (7/8) Act 44: Flowing Ink, Thanksgiving, And Toon Booms Act 44: Flowing Ink, Thanksgiving, And Toon Booms --- Joshua Durand --- After walking off his rather painful fall, he once more found himself running across the city rooftops, using his Ink Flow to manage all sorts of acrobatic feats that were normally far beyond him. The entire time feeling like he was right on the cusp of something with his powers. Some break through that he could feel slipping through his fingers like the flow of madness he kept grabbing onto. Which is why with building frustration he eventually downed a vial of Malice, hoping that the boost would be enough to give him that last little push he needed. And with that sweet sinful symphony flowing through his mind he continued to run, jump, and flow through the world around him. Before eventually some subconscious instinct convinced him to loosen his grip on the power he kept grasping to use his Ink Flow, not quite letting go but also not quite clinging to it until it slipped from his grasp. This time when he came out of the inky black he found an odd feeling clinging to his skin, almost like the same feeling he felt whenever he reached out to the flow. A sort of silky fluid feeling washing over him, like running his hand along the water¡¯s surface without actually breaking it. One that was underlined by the ink slowly rising into the air around him. After a moment of watching this, the feeling slipped through his fingers and he was back to feeling the way he always did, his body no longer producing the ink that it had been. (But there was something there¡­) Once more he reached out to the flows of madness, this time keeping in mind the fact that (You need to feel it without stopping the actual flow of things.) And once more when color returned after his dash, he could feel the flow still in his grasp. He tightened his grip on the power, the world around him flickering black like it always did whenever he flowed somewhere. Though this time the pressure of the flow became too much for him to keep his grasp on as it slipped away from him. ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯m getting it¡­¡± He nodded to himself, before experimenting a bit more and finding that as long as he kept a loose grip on it he could quickly flow twice in a row. Which, while he was technically capable of before, he could feel that the drain on his Ink was significantly less. Almost negligible for the second use of his power, even if he only had a few seconds to use it before it all slipped away from him. ¡°Still if I can learn to dash twice, then why not thrice?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grin, as he felt the flow of madness wrapping around him. Scene Consequences -Thanks to Malice Vial Gained ((d6/2+1=)2XP) to Mobility and Ink Flow. --Gained 1 Malicious Madness for continuing the Malice Chain. --*Skill Level Up* Mobility Lv. 5 (0/12) --*Power Rank Up* Ink Flow Lv. 4 (1/10) ---New Perk: Flowing Ink(I): For a short time after using Ink Flow, Joshua can use it again up to (I) time without cost. --- Chris ran a hand through the air above the oven baked pizza, checking to make sure it wasn¡¯t giving off too much heat, before giving them both a nod. ¡°Okay, and the pizza is ready.¡± ¡°Thank Madness!¡± Maddie groaned, leaning against the kitchen counter. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you already have lunch with your family?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask as Chris cut up the pizza. ¡°What? No!¡± The closest thing he had to a sister laughed. ¡°None of those bitches can cook. They¡¯re shit, tastes like literal shit. Especially when I compare it to the stuff Chris makes. Oh, speaking of!¡± Maddie turned back to Chris. ¡°Once more the only compliment I got from my mother was about the pies that you made¡­ Which I claimed to have made myself.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Of course.¡± Chris nodded, clearly having expected nothing else before snapping his fingers. ¡°Joshua, get the rest of the desserts out of the fridge.¡± ¡°Already did it.¡± He admitted as he started to cut himself a slice of chocolate mousse pie, while leaving space for his pizza pie. ¡°You know life would be so much simpler if everyone just did pizza and desserts for Thanksgiving.¡± Maddie told them, getting her own plate. ¡°None of that garbage of everyone insisting on cooking something only they like, and everyone having to get dried out turkey or pickle filled egg salad to be polite. Just actual shit everyone likes!¡± He let out an amused huff. ¡°That¡¯s not very thankful.¡± ¡°But I am very thankful that I have you two as my backup cooks.¡± Maddie assured him. ¡°And I¡¯m thankful you only got buzzed instead of outright drunk to deal with your family.¡± Chris sighed, gently nudging his best friend out of the kitchen. ¡°Yep, nothing beats liquid patience!¡± Maddie happily agreed, before flopping on the couch and taking the whole space up. Both Chris and Joshua gave her a light glare, before the elder of the two rolled his eyes and lifted Maddie¡¯s legs making room for them to sit. Joshua, being more petty, flopped on top of her instead. ¡°Alright, what¡¯re we watching?¡± Chris asked, grabbing the remote and flipping on a streaming service. ¡°Eh, something animated.¡± He decided. ¡°Comedy or horror! Ooh, horror comedy!¡± Maddie called. ¡°Right.¡± Chris nodded. ¡°Invader Zim it is.¡± Scene Consequences -Grown a bit closer to Chris and Maddie. --- ¡°Uh, Boss, shouldn¡¯t we be more focused on the Cabaret?¡± Avery frowned as they stood in the small basement space not absolutely flooded in ink. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re so close to being able to reopen things again.¡± ¡°We should.¡± He nodded in agreement, ¡°But at the same time I¡¯ve also got maybe a week before I have to put on another show, and I¡¯d rather have enough space that if I have to cut out half way through a heist I can still keep some of my loot.¡± He was still a bit peeved that he¡¯d lost everything back in the museum. ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Avery shrugged. ¡°I am, and I am also curious about if certain Madness might speed this whole clean up process a bit more.¡± He added, as he began to pull on some Liberating Madness, briefly enjoying the way it filled him with a sense of freedom, before pushing it towards the floor. Like the last time they¡¯d done this the floor began to glow where it and the ink met, before slowly pushing the ink back like a receding tide. And while this didn¡¯t make a whole lot of space, it did make enough that both he and Avery could both stand on the actual floor and walk around the crate. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s still going.¡± He noted as he hopped down to the floor proper. ¡°So I guess the Liberating Madness did work a bit better.¡± ¡°Yeah, though I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s worth it given how little of it we have.¡± The cabaret manager admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°True.¡± Joshua agreed, before noticing a door had formed next to the stairs with a bunch of faded and ink stained posters on it. ¡°What¡¯s in here?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m not sure?¡± Avery admitted, with a curious frown. ¡°We had all sorts of storage stuff in the basement, and it¡¯s been years since I was down here.¡± ¡°Well let¡¯s find out.¡± He grinned, making his way over and throwing open the door to find, ¡°The light isn¡¯t reaching in here, it¡¯s too dark to see anything.¡± ¡°Uh, hold on, I''ll see if the kitchen has some matches or something.¡± Avery told him, before making his way up stairs. While the Cabaret Manager took care of that he stepped into the closet, clearly able to see that there was a lot of stuff in here even if he couldn¡¯t make out any actual details about anything. Running his hands over some things, he found a bunch of crates, barrels, and what felt like some smooth spheres. ¡°What is this a bowling ball?¡± ¡°Okay, there weren¡¯t any matches in the kitchen but Fishy Friend had some for his cigars.¡± Avery told him when he came back, struggling to light one of said matches. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think he got some of those water only matches, or something¡­¡± The moment Avery stepped into the closet the match in his hand ignited, revealing the room¡¯s contents. Namely the boxes and barrels of TNT, bombs, and other explosives. ¡°Oh, shit! Out, out, out!¡± He yelled, rushing to shove the cabaret manager out of the closet because he knew this gag. Without any debate they both ran out and slammed the door closed behind them, before slowly sliding to the ground on the other side. ¡°Why is there so many explosives in there?!¡± ¡°Toon shenanigans use a lot of explosives!¡± Avery answered as if that explained everything. ¡°Like the old boss used them to make entrances when he¡¯d rob banks or gang hideouts and stuff!¡± ¡°Okay¡­ okay, that makes sense¡­¡± He slowly nodded, before hearing a sort of hissing sound. ¡°Do-do you hear that?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ what is that?¡± Avery frowned, looking around before both of their eyes fell on the bowling ball still in Joshua¡¯s hands. The bowling ball with a burning fuse sticking out of it, a very short burning fuse. As one they both said, ¡°So close¡­¡± before the explosion washed over them. Scene Consequences -Pushed back Ink. --Thanks to Liberating Madness pushed back 1 additional space. (??? Number Left) --Hammer Space increases by 2, making the cap 5 Items. --Rolling treasure die¡­ Gained: ---Toon TNT: Joshua can now spend 1 Madness to create a Toon explosive, that only deals slight damage to living beings and massive damage to inanimate objects. (May cause temporary dismemberment in Toons.)