Kaleb watched, trying hard to maintain his concentration, as the orange glow of his Mana poured into Jar-lock¡¯s armor. A cylinder of bright orange seemed to pour power down into the Ifirt leather. Almost as fast it started the tugging sensation on his hand stopped and the orange Mana ceased flowing. The image he had held in his mind was now imprinted, in miniature, on the leather.
¡°What the hell were you concentrating on, boss?¡± Daivor asked as he looked at the image.
Kaleb stared at the design, it was several images of a man moving left to right getting smaller as he went. Kaleb shrugged after studying the image for a while. ¡°It was all I can think of. Look like it worked too.¡±
*Resizing Rune Imprinted*
Rune Image: 86%
Grade: B
Makers Mark: Yes/No?
Kaleb tapped ''yes¡¯ on the window that obscured his vision and another set of windows came up. Looking through the windows he found his mark could be his name, a pseudonym, or a created image. Choosing created image, Kaleb drew a small Cheshire grin with pointed teeth and had it appear at the bottom right of his imprinting. Saving the design he looked back up to Daivor.
¡°Well now comes the big one.¡±
Daivor just nodded before he went back to his own work. Kaleb took several deep breaths, feeling surprisingly tired. A sudden thought occurred to him and he checked his Mana Points. Sure enough, he had lost 15 Mana imprinting the Resizing Rune. So he could channel Magic for free, but Imprinting cost him Mana points. He wondered how that related to Spells, but he would worry about that later.
This time Kaleb focused on the image of armor in his mind and placed his hand over the Protection Rune. He kept his eyes open, wanting to watch the entire process. He focused his magic on his left hand and watched as a bright yellow energy gathered in his hand. At the same time a red energy almost leapt up from the Ifrit skin and tugged on his own magic. The two Magics combined created the orange cylinder of energy he had seen before. My Magic is yellow? That¡¯s weird. Kaleb thought as he maintained his focus on Protection Rune and the image of the armor in his head.
As he maintained his Mana flow Kaleb felt a sudden headache come on. Along with the headache, a sudden tiredness flowed through his body and down to his legs. He had to fight to maintain concentration as his right arm felt like it was growing heavier. Soon he noticed his legs going weak. He was almost about to collapse to his knees when he the bright flow of Mana cut off and another window popped in front of him.
*Protection Rune Imprinted*
Rune Image: 88%
Grade: B
Maker¡¯s Mark: Auto
Kaleb collapsed the windows and checked his Mana. 10/100 MP. 75 Mana?! Kaleb was incredulous as Daivor walked toward the edge of the table, getting a better look at him. The bearded gnome looked bemused as Kaleb leaned against the metal work bench with both hands. He realized that he was breathing hard, and he figured if he could sweat, he would be.
¡°Took a lot out of ya, huh?¡± Daivor asked not hiding his broad smile.
¡°Yeah, you could say that. Damn near tapped me dry.¡± Kaleb panted.
¡°Whoa! That¡¯s not good. Running out of Magic will leave you exhausted. But if you run out while imprinting then you¡¯ll get hit with magical backlash. It¡¯s the same with spell casting, going past your Mana Limit is dangerous.¡± Daivor explained, the smile gone from his face.
Kaleb looked up stared down at the leather not really seeing it. He was thinking about ways to raise his Mana Points. Other than continuous practice he couldn¡¯t think of many other options. He looked back to Daivor to see if the Gnome had any ideas.
¡°How do I raise my Mana Limit?¡±
Daivor shrugged his shoulders as he answered. ¡°It¡¯s like a muscle. You are tired right now because, Magically, you went on a 5-mile run. Training and practice that¡¯s the only way to get better. Use your magic as much as you can, not just for enchanting.¡±
Kaleb shook his head as he muttered. ¡°I haven¡¯t even picked a Domain yet.¡±
¡°So?¡± Daivor asked, making Kaleb snap his attention back to the gnome.
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Seeing Kaleb¡¯s confused face the Gnome continued. ¡°Why limit yourself? Magic is the fuel, all you have to do his decide how to use it? Why go through all the rigmarole of Domains and proper areas of study. Here, conjure a small flame or some other element.¡±
Kaleb was a little hesitant, his Mana was up to 14 MP, but he didn¡¯t want to do anything too taxing. Eventually he settled on trying to make a small flame on the tip of his finger. He raised his finger up to his eye level and concentrated. He felt and saw his magic course through his arm, building in his finger. It took a little more concentration, but soon a small flame grew from his finger.
*Evocation Domain Discovered*
Set as Domain: Yes/No?
Kaleb let his concentration slip and the flame disappear as he clicked ¡®No¡¯ on the pop-up window. Daivor was smiling wide up at him as Kaleb¡¯s mind raced.
It¡¯s so fucking obvious! Why choose a damn Domain when you already have access to Magic! Sure, learning the spells is probably simpler in a structured format, But I have Magic! Anything should be possible if I have a general idea of how it works, it¡¯s fucking Magic! With proper practice I could be able to use the most basics of Magic, maybe even more advanced stuff. I bet most players just go with what the system presents them and why not. It¡¯s the way the game is set-up, why bother looking for another way?
¡°Um, Boss? You all right? You have a creepy look on your face.¡± Daivor said looking at Kaleb worriedly.
Kaleb was about to answer when he realized another pop-up had come into being in front of him.
*Secret Archetype (Jack-Mage) Discovered*
Description: A Jack-Mage is a Jack-Of-All-Trades in magic. They are rarely well-liked by certain other magical communities for their insistence on pushing the limits of Magic. Most official Magical libraries are closed to Jack-Mages and the Magical Council does not recognize them. They cannot chose Domains and may not spend SP to raise the power of their spells. But, they can use any spell and spell-type they have discovered or created themselves. Instead, Jack-Mages hold databases, written or otherwise, of their completed or in-progress spells and must work on filling the blank spots themselves. Many a Jack-Mage has been found dead trying to increase their own power.
Set as Magical Archetype: [Yes/No]?
Kaleb smiled wide as he read through the description of the Jack-Mage. He couldn¡¯t think of a reason not to choose it. If he understood the other Archetypes, they let players spend SP on Skill Trees to raise the spells to the next level. With Jack-Mage he would fill in the Skill Tree himself, all he would have to do is find or create the next level of the spell. It all depended on his MP, the more he had the more he could practice and create.
He quickly tapped ¡®Yes¡¯ beaming as another notification window popped into being.
*Secret Archetype (Jack-Mage) chosen*
Wizard (Community) Affinity changed to Friendly
Sorcerer (Community) Affinity changed to Unfriendly
Warlock (Community) Affinity changed to Neutral
Spell Book cost raised by 20%
Magically Backlash Damage increased by 15%
Spell book Tab added to Character Page
Set a Sanctum: [Yes/No]?
Warning: You can choose Only one Sanctum at this time. Learn more about Sanctums to create more.
Kaleb dove into his Character Page as Daivor looked on worriedly. He found the Spell Book tab and glanced through it. He had the Enchantment spells he had used, along with the Fire [Tiny] spell he had used on his finger. A few pages over he found Daivor¡¯s own page, complete with grayed out level up buttons. It listed Daivor as a Level 2 Builder Gnome but, unlike Kaleb¡¯s skill list, Daivor only had a few Skills and Abilities.
Crafting 2¨CAnything from crafting with wood and stone to high-end construction. Building things is the Builder Gnomes bread and butter. Swords, armor, electronics, jewelry¡ etc. if hands can build it, then the Builder Gnomes know how.
Alarm 1¨CThe Builder Gnome can sound an unpleasant warning signal whenever his workshop and master are under attack.
Unseen 2¨CThe Builder Gnome can go unseen if it wishes and if it still has Mana left. This ability is free to use if the Gnome is in his Workshop.
Magic Dust 2¨CAllows the Builder Gnome to converse with their master or their chosen companion. Its creation is a secret held only by the races who use it.
Magical Knowledge 4¨CBuilder Gnomes are granted increased knowledge about Magical effects and spells. But only when they pertain to crafting and the materials used therein.
Banish from Workshop¨CA Builder Gnome can banish beings who wish them or their master harm from their workshop. Only works if the Builder Gnome¡¯s Mana is greater than the one being banished.
¡°Boss! Snap out of it, Damn it!¡± Daivor yelled as Kaleb felt something smack into his chest.
He looked down to see a bolt rolling around the floor and looked back up in time to see the Gnome rearing back for another throw. Kaleb quickly threw his hand up, stopping Daivor. He supposed the last thing Daivor had seen before he went through his menus was Kaleb deep in thought.
¡°Whoa! Sorry got lost in my own thoughts. Your talk about Domains and not being held to a certain outlook shook things up for me. Made me think about this whole Magic business and how I handle it.¡± Kaleb smiled as he thought about his recent choice.
Daivor looked Kaleb up and down. ¡°Still seem like the same idiot lizard. So what were you thinking so damn hard about?¡±
Another Notification window came up as Kaleb smiled a tooth-filled grin and answered his diminutive friend. ¡°The possibilities, Daivor. I was thinking of all the possibilities.¡±
*Congratulations*
You are the 10
player to unlock a Secret Archetype. The system will generate and send an award equal and related to the Archetype unlocked: Jack-Mage. The System will generate an announcement. Would you like to share your name and the Archetype discovered?
[Yes/No]?
Chapter 55 - Bones, Wands, and a Lack of Focus
Kaleb remained anonymous, but let the system mention the Jack-Mage. He figured it could serve as a hint to others. Almost immediately the system generated message displayed in front of Kaleb and, he assumed, every player logged-in.
*System Message*
Congratulations to the following players who have discovered the first 10 secret Archetypes/Jobs/Classes. All of these are available to players who buck the norm and try to push the limits of Modern Age Online. Work hard and please enjoy the game.
1. DeathGuy¨CJob: Doranok
2. Anonymous¨CClass: Not Shared
3. Anonymous¨CClass: Einherjer
4. RollnHnys¨CJob: Breaker
5. Kuzan¨CArchetype: Not Shared
6. Daengche¨CJob: Not Shared
7. Twists¨CJob: Grand Unavlor
8. Anonymous¨CArchetype: Not Shared
9. Nast1¨CClass: Not Shared.
10. Anonymous¨CArchetype: Jack-Mage
Kaleb nodded at the list before he looked down to see Daivor still staring up at him. The small Gnome shook his head and walked off. Grumbling at Kaleb¡¯s last words.
¡°Well, that¡¯s ominous as hell.¡± Daivor grumbled before he moved back to his work, shouting over his shoulder. ¡°Since you have finished with your epiphany, how about you rest your magic and complete your friends armor!¡±
Kaleb smiled, flushed with his recent discovery and his new Archetype. As he looked down at the Ifrit skin, he swore he could feel it pulse with power. It even seemed to glow, the red-orange skin bright and vibrant against his metal workbench. He could make out his two Imprintings on the bottom right of armor.
As he looked it over he realized: He only had a piece of of Enchanted Ifrit skin. He still needed a back piece, a gorget, pauldrons, and vambraces. He would use the gorget to connect the back and front piece of armor, then attach the pauldrons at the shoulders. Another question came to him and he turned to see Daivor finishing another Enchanting Glove.
¡°Will the Enchantments cover the whole armor once I add pieces to it?¡± Kaleb asked.
Daivor wiped sweat from his forehead and nodded. ¡°Sure, you have to supply it with more Mana though. It shouldn¡¯t cost more Mana than you used to Imprint though.¡±
Kaleb nodded and was about to head into the kitchen and get Daivor his small glass of water. But he stopped himself and checked his Mana. He was at around 20 MP, so instead he stuck his hand out and focused on his magic. A yellow glow shined from his palm and he heard a small clatter from his kitchen. Soon, the small purple plastic cup he had given Daivor came floating through the doorway.
Kaleb could feel himself getting tired as the cup slowly floated toward them. Kaleb mentally commanded the cup to fly faster, hoping to save MP. There was a sudden spike of pain in his head and the plastic cup smacked into his hand, sloshing a little water over the sides. He set the cup on the table as he put his cold metal hand to his forehead. It was like he had a sudden intense headache, but now the pain had dissipated.
Daivor chuckled at him as he moved over to the plastic cup and picked it up with both hands. After the Gnome had finished drinking he asked. ¡°You use too much Magic or did you alter the spell too quickly?¡±
Kaleb checked his MP before answering. 5/100 MP. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the latter. I tried speeding up the spell halfway through.¡±
Daivor nodded understandingly. ¡°Next time do a more gradual speed up. Instead of slowly increasing the Mana drain, you sapped all Mana needed all at once.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he went back to his work. He collected the cut pieces of the Ifrit skin he was working on. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t look like any of the pieces were big enough for his needs. So he went back to his living room collected a few more pieces. Once collected, he cut out a gorget and several more pieces for the pauldrons. Kaleb was about to connect and shape the pieces when Daivor stopped him.
¡°Remember to water treat it first.¡±
¡°Water treat?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Yeah. First soak it in cool or room temperature water for about 10 minutes. Next you soak it in hot water. Don¡¯t soak it in hot water for too long though or the leather will become brittle. After a few minutes in the hot water, you take it out and shape it how you want. Then let it dry for several hours, Now the leather should shrink, but the Resizing Rune should fix that.¡± Daivor explained, taking another gulp of his water.
Kaleb tried to commit the Gnome¡¯s steps to memory. ¡°What does all this do?¡±
Daivor chuckled. ¡°Hehe, it stiffens up the leather nicely. Ifrit leather is already tough on its own but the water soaking should give you a good boost.¡±
Sighing, Kaleb moved to his kitchen. He found two decent size pots and set about following Daivor¡¯s instructions. The largest pieces were the back and chest pieces; both would barely fit in the pots he had prepared, but he got them soaked. He heat-soaked the leather pieces one at a time and shaped them carefully using his own forearms and chest as a base. Once everything was fully soaked, he opened his garage door and let everything dry out in the sun. Once he had finished, he received a nice little surprise for all his work.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
*Congratulations*
Working with the skin of dead animals has granted you the Leatherworking skill. Good for you, you monster. Shoes, Sofas, Armor, or anything in between, the speed and skill in which you make things out leather shall grow to impressive heights.
Leatherworking¨CBeginner Lvl 1
You have an easier time crafting things from leather. Both speed and quality shall raise as your skill increases.
Chance for durability increase when crafting leather gear.
Leather crafting speed increased by 2%
Kaleb sighed as he watched the skin drying in his driveway. Next he had to complete something for Vivienne and Varlin. He had mentioned giving Varlin a Focus containing the heart of the Ifrit and all Vivienne needed was a wand. He moved back into his living room and found a few of the boxes labeled Bones. He was hoping he could use Ifrit bones to craft a wand and maybe wrap the handle with the skin or something else.
He grabbed the cooler that had the Ifrit¡¯s heart and moved back into his lab. As he sat the cooler down near the table, he saw Daivor stiffen before the Gnome slowly turned toward him. Kaleb stared at the Gnome for a second before he set the rest of his load down.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°What do you plan on doing with the heart?¡± Daivor asked licking his lips and looking concerned.
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I wanted to see if I can use a piece as a Focus for Varlin. The Sorcerer guy from the other day.¡±
Daivor exhaled loudly, rubbing a hand from his forehead down to his beard. ¡°Geez! Good, you had me worried you were jumping into Dark Magic or something.¡±
¡°Not today.¡± Kaleb laughed.
Daivor gave a half smile half grimace as he moved to the edge of the table and looked over at the cooler. ¡°Bring it up, I¡¯ll show you what to use. What are the bones for?¡±
¡°Vivienne¡¯s wand. I think I can magically charge a piece of leather or something and wrap it around the bone.¡± Kaleb answered as he brought the heart out of the cooler and up to the table.
He grimaced in disgust as he held the black heart. It felt slimy and wrong although it didn¡¯t feel wet from the ice in the cooler. Kaleb thought it felt like the Mad Witch Korrigan¡¯s Focus he had once held. The heart was the size of his head and had massive purple veins coming out of it. As he stared at it he thought he could make out gold writing etched around the heart. But once he turned it to the light to get a better look they disappeared.
Daivor gave a grunt. ¡°That¡¯s smart. They sapped some of the Dark Magic off with those golden runes.¡±
¡°Should we be concerned with what they are doing with that Dark Magic?¡± Kaleb asked causing Daivor to freeze for a second in thought.
Eventually the Gnome shook his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t. If they are using it for an evil purpose than that¡¯s a level of trouble you don¡¯t need.¡±
Kaleb was about to ask more but Daivor clapped his tiny hands and continued. ¡°Now! Let¡¯s get in there. Get a knife and cut a long seam down the middle of the heart. Not too deep though.¡±
Kaleb went along with Daivor¡¯s orders, finding a small pocket knife and cutting a seam in the heart. Once he had finished he turned to the Gnome.
¡°Now reach in there, you¡¯ll feel something small, but hard. Yank it out! No reason to be gentle.¡±
Kaleb swallowed loudly before he tentatively reached a finger into the heart. A few centimeters in, he felt a hard rocky circular object. Hooking his finger around it he yanked as hard as he could. The object resisted for a bit, before it gave and he yanked it free. As he did, Kaleb swore he heard an echoing scream come from somewhere in the distance.
Kaleb quickly set the rocky ore like object down on the table. The heart felt slimy but the thing he had just pulled out was wrong. He knew it on an instinctual level; it was like the primal part of his brain had woken up and just KNEW this thing was evil. The feeling went away as soon as the object left his hand but Kaleb remained shaken. Fucking Game scared the shit out of him. Kaleb thought as he shook himself. Holding that small round object had been the first time the game had legitimately scared him.
Daivor backed up from the object before he looked up at Kaleb. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Get the thing into some salt water and cover it with something silk.¡±
Kaleb didn¡¯t bother to argue as he quickly went into the kitchen and grabbed a cup of water, some salt, and a piece of his front window curtain, which he hoped was silk. Once he had everything on his workbench, he poured the salt into the water. Once done he stared at the small inch-wide object, not wanting to touch it again. He glanced up at Daivor to see the Gnome shaking his head vigorously. Sighing, Kaleb took a deep breath before quickly grabbing the thing and dropping into the cup.
He gagged as he sat the silk piece of curtain over the cup. Daivor quickly moved forward and chanted as Kaleb covered his mouth and looked on. The silk cloth tightened around the edge of the cup and Kaleb could see the water bubble slowly as Daivor chanted. Once the Gnome was done Kaleb looked a question at Daivor.
¡°We need to purify it. That is pure dark magic. There should be more of them in the heart too. They are like magical polyps that accumulate in the heart. The older the magical creature the more polyps form.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he looked at the bubbling cup of salt water. ¡°What does it do when it¡¯s purified?¡±
Daivor smiled wide. ¡°It becomes a Mana stone. They are good for holding or focusing magical power.¡±
Kaleb nodded before a thought came to him and he swallowed loudly. ¡°Do I need to grab one for Vivienne too?¡±
Daivor rubbed his chin before he nodded, smiling wickedly. ¡°You should probably get as many as you think you can. They are incredible useful and precious.¡±
Kaleb grimaced as he stared back at the heart.
5 stones, 5 cups, and several loud gagging sessions and Kaleb called it quits. He was in his kitchen trying to throw up, cursing the game mechanics for making him feel like this. Daivor was chanting his spell again on the cups Kaleb had aligned on the workbench. As he turned off his faucet Kaleb heard Daivor finish chanting.
¡°That¡¯s some awesome willpower you have there, boss. You are a stubborn one all right.¡±
Kaleb swore he could hear the smile on the little bastard''s face. He walked back into his lab and glanced at the 6 six cups lined up on the table. He shook his vision away from the cups and walked over to the box of Ifrit bones. Without looking at the Gnome or the Cups of Evil, Kaleb asked.
¡°How long till they are purified?¡±
Daivor chuckled this time. ¡°Haha! They should be good to go in an hour or two. You going to work on the lady¡¯s wand?¡±
¡°Yeah, hopefully I can shape one of these into something usable.¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t be too hard. Ifrit bones are very dense, you could probably even use the metal lathe you have there to trim it down.¡± Daivor said.
¡°Won''t that waste a lot of the bone?¡± Kaleb asked.
Daivor gave a half nod. ¡°Yeah, but are you really hurting for material right now? If you want to save the material, you¡¯ll have to crack a bone down to a manageable size then stick it in the lathe anyway.¡±
Kaleb didn¡¯t want to waste any material if he didn¡¯t have to so he took the long way. He found a long bit of bone that Daivor thought was the tibia. Luckily the Ifrit¡¯s legs had been shorter than its arms. Kaleb clamped the bone onto a nearby table and did everything in his power to break it in half. Kicking, Punching, his rail shooter, all proved useless until he finally gave up and angrily took a sledgehammer to the bone. Even then it took several hits.
Once he had the bone split, he set it in the lathe and trimmed it down further. Eventually he had a foot long bone-white wand. The trickiest part had been creating a groove in the handle where Kaleb wanted to set the Mana Stone. But Kaleb managed it he felt that his Metalworking skill had somehow helped with his fine tuning but he couldn¡¯t be sure. Kaleb turned to Daivor to see the Gnome back at work on another Enchantment glove.
Looking at the cups of salt water he saw that they were still bubbling. Assuming that meant they were still ¡®purifying¡¯ Kaleb gathered some smaller pieces of Ifrit leather and sat at on the garage floor, wrapping the handle of the wand. He sighed as he let his mind get lost in the work. Wrapping the handle didn¡¯t take long, but Kaleb found it oddly relaxing. Unfortunately, his quiet relaxation was broken by the loud shattering of glass.
Looking up sharply Kaleb saw that Daivor was frantically chanting as one of the glass cups had shattered and the black Mana Stone was bubbling and shaking harshly on the table. Kaleb jumped up and ran over as Daivor was pushed back on the table by some unseen force.
¡°What the hell is happening?!¡± Kaleb shouted.
Daivor turned toward him face scrunched in magical effort. ¡°Gragh! The damn thing is fighting back!¡±
Chapter 56 - Dark Magic and A Bullet
Kaleb watched the small gnome doing his best to fight back against the magical pressure coming from the black Mana Stone. The magical pressure in the room was almost stifling. Kaleb felt himself practically choking on the sour stench growing in the air. While he could feel the Magical energy in the room, he could do nothing to help, magically at least.
¡°Get more salt water, damn it!¡± Daivor shouted, snapping Kaleb out of his stupor.
Kaleb cleared his head and ignored the smell, heading into the kitchen he grabbed a plastic cup and filled it with water. Back in the garage he dumped the salt into the water and grabbed at the gray-black Mana Stone. Overcome with the gross and corrupt power of the stone he almost dropped back on the table. Gathering his willpower Kaleb jammed the stone down into the cup.
An inch from the cup¡¯s rim his hand jerked to a hard stop. He could feel the stone fighting against the pressure of his hand. Kaleb used his robotic arm to help, but the dark stone proved almost immobile. Glancing at Daivor, Kaleb noticed that the Gnome seemed more relaxed than he had before. He had clearly taken the burden off Daivor. But now he had to deal with a floating black spot of evil in his garage.
¡°Now what?¡± Kaleb asked still fighting against the floating stone.
¡°Push, boss. Use your magic if you can.¡± Daivor said still maintaining his own spells.
Kaleb focused hard on his own hands, willing them to be heavier. He tried to conjure an image of strength in his mind as he stood up on his toes and bared down. Kaleb saw an aura of his yellow Mana shroud both of his hands and the stone sank abruptly. The sudden shift took both Kaleb and the stone by surprise. As stone touched the surface of the salt water Kaleb thought he heard an ungodly shriek.
Daivor seemed to be the only one in control of himself as he ran forward and slid under Kaleb¡¯s outstretched arms. The Gnome quickly picked up the previous glass¡¯ silk covering and swatted Kaleb arms aside. More from surprise than the Gnome strength, Kaleb moved his arms and allowed the Gnome to cover the new cup. Daivor held on and chanted a spell as the stone feeble bounded against the silk covering.
Kaleb breathed a sigh of relief as the dark stone¡¯s struggling seemed to die down. As he watched, he realized his arms still held the weird yellow glow. His arms felt invigorated which was a strange feeling. Everything from his elbow up felt energized, he could almost feel his arms vibrating.
The stone¡¯s struggling ceased and Daivor finished his chanting. Looking up to Kaleb studying his arms the Gnome nodded at his glowing arms and asked.
¡°What¡¯s that one then?¡±
Kaleb shook his head as the glow around his hands vanished. Then he remembered his spell book in his character menu. Opening it up he scanned through the pages for any new spells. There was the telekinesis spell he had used to call Daivor¡¯s cup into the garage. Several more pages over was the spell Kaleb had just used. It was a 60 second strength-buff spell called Boost (Low).
Apparently the spell only affected the chosen limb, arms, legs, head, tail etcetera. But he couldn¡¯t use it on weapons. The spell entry was scarce, showcasing Kaleb¡¯s own lack of understanding. As he went over the other entries, he realized that the information he had was limited. He guessed he would have to study up on the spells to get the full picture of what they did.
Glancing back down at Daivor, Kaleb answered. ¡°Strength spell. Doesn¡¯t last long but it could prove useful.¡±
Daivor nodded absently as he watched the plastic cup. Kaleb eyed the cup warily for a few seconds before he went into the kitchen. Grabbing a towel he cleaned off his workbench and made sure nothing was damaged. An Enchantment Glove had gotten a little wet but Daivor assured him it would be fine.
As he cleaned Kaleb checked his current MP. He was down to 40 MP. His spell book¡¯s entry had said Boost (Low) was a 10 MP spell. Kaleb kept his eye on his Mana as he cleaned, wanting to get an idea of its recovery rate. It seemed to come back faster than his HP, almost like his stamina. Sure enough, after watching his MP he found that it came back at 5 MP a minute, the same as his stamina.
Kaleb glanced up at the clock and saw it was approaching noon. Deciding to break for lunch, he and Daivor collected the cups and entered the kitchen to eat. As they ate, rested, and kept an eye on the purifying Mana Stones, Daivor asked about their next projects.
¡°After the wand and Foci, what¡¯s next?¡±
¡°I still need something for Mass, and D34d¨CI.¡± Kaleb answered as he bit into his sandwich.
Daivor nodded. ¡°Any ideas?¡±
Kaleb chewed as he thought about the pair. ¡°Mass is easy. Maybe make leather hand wraps with bone plates on certain areas for protection. D34d¨CI will be trickier, he uses guns. I don¡¯t know what I could do for him.¡±
¡°Make him a gun?¡± Daivor asked.
¡°Out of what? All we have are claws, skin, bones, sinew, and other bits of Ifrit.¡±
Daivor shook his head. ¡°Those claws and bones are stronger than some metals. All you have to do is make the parts. That will be the real pain in the ass, But your Magic should help with the finer points.¡±
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
Kaleb mulled it over, taking another bite from his sandwich. ¡°What about bullets? Could we use the bone to cap a standard cartridge?¡±
Daivor nodded sipping at his water. ¡°Yeah, but the entire cartridge would have to be custom. You would have to increase the yield of the primer to even get the bullet out of the barrel.¡±
¡°We save that for the end of the day then. For now, it¡¯s back to work on Vivienne¡¯s wand and Varlin¡¯s Foci.¡± Kaleb said picking up his plate.
¡°Have you thought of the setting you want for the Foci? Is it going to be a necklace? An earring?¡± Daivor waggled his eyebrows. ¡°A ring?¡±
Kaleb snorted a laugh as he set the dishes in his sink. ¡°Let''s go with a necklace for now.¡±
Kaleb glanced at the 6 cups of salt water. The first couple of glasses had stopped bubbling, Kaleb wondered if that meant the Mana Stones were purified. Holding one up to the light he saw that the black stone had gone white. Almost like a crystal. Daivor must have seen him looking at the glass because the Gnome said.
¡°Looks like that one¡¯s done. Wand or Foci?¡±
Kaleb poured out the salt water and held the small stone in his hand. ¡°Let''s go with the wand first.¡±
Daivor nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea about the wand.¡±
After moving everything back into the garage Daivor looked for something on the workbench as Kaleb picked up Vivienne¡¯s wand. He quickly finished wrapping the handle and set the white Mana Stone into his prepared setting. Daivor said once Kaleb added his Mana the stone would sit more firmly in the wand.
As Kaleb moved back over to the workbench, he saw Daivor rolling the Ifrit¡¯s heart over to him. Kaleb raised an eyebrow and the Gnome just smiled. Daivor pulled out a small knife and chanted as he moved around the heart. Black lines of heart skin less than an inch wide fell to the workbench. Kaleb watched as Daivor circled the heart three times pulling three strips of heart skin from the heart.
Once done, Daivor ran a hand across his forehead and looked up at Kaleb. ¡°Wrap this heart skin around the wand. Then pour your magic into it.¡±
Seeing the Gnome¡¯s look of smug satisfaction with his idea Kaleb said. ¡°You know I had this idea a while ago.¡±
¡°Sure, Sure.¡±
Deciding not to worry about who came up with the idea first, Kaleb rolled his eyes and followed the Gnome¡¯s instructions. He carefully wrapped the three thin pieces of skin around the bone white wand. Once he finished he looked at the Gnome for any other instructions. When none were forthcoming, he placed his hand over the wand and forced his Mana down into it.
Unlike imprinting the wand didn¡¯t tug at his Mana. He felt like he was forcing something down into a drawer which was already too full. As he kept an eye on his MP, Kaleb noticed the wand shake and the strips of heart skin seemed to tighten around the surface of the wand. At about 25 MP the wand slowed its shaking and the heart skin had become embedded into the wand.
¡°I think you are done, boss.¡± Daivor said, going over the wand with a critical eye.
Kaleb rubbed his temples, exhausted. He had gotten most of his MP back over lunch, but now it was mostly gone again. He needed to Magically workout or something. As he relaxed against his worktable, he thought of ways to exercise his Magic. As he was thinking about Magical training equipment Daivor gave a whistle of pride.
¡°That¡¯s good work, boss. The stone upped the quality, but I think you lost on Mana storage capacity.¡±
Kaleb moved over to the wand and went to pick it up. As he did, the system asked him to name his creation. Kaleb smiled as he typed his name in and checked the wand¡¯s stats.
*Wand of The Ifrit*
Mana Efficacy: 92%
Mana Channeling: A
Mana Stone: Yes
Mana Capacity: 30 MP
Maker Mark: Auto
Abilities: 15% more damage on fire spells
Kaleb realized he had no frame of reference for how good the wand was. Daivor seemed impressed though, maybe Vivienne would too. The Gnome had said he had lost Mana Capacity though. Kaleb wondered if he could maintain a few stones as a back-up Mana supply. Would they have to be put into equipment first or could he carry them around?
As Kaleb was thinking things over Daivor beamed up at him. ¡°That¡¯s one down boss. I¡¯ll find a good setting for the Foci if you want to check the leather.¡±
Kaleb nodded absently before he thought to ask the Gnome his questions about the Mana Stones.
¡°It¡¯s really up to your preference. Some say it is easier to gauge Mana Capacity once they set it into equipment. You could carry them around but there¡¯s no telling how much Mana they are holding.¡± Daivor answered Kaleb¡¯s question.
Kaleb mulled that over as he checked the drying leather pieces. They were still wet here and there so he repositioned them and would check them again later. He also noted that leather was rough against his skin. He would have to soften it somehow before Jar-lock wore it. Otherwise the big Warlock would probably get scratched up by his own armor.
Kaleb went back to his lab and checked what Daivor had collected for Varlin¡¯s Foci. The Gnome had found a small 2-inch square of metal. He had somehow bent the sides in so they held the Mana Stone. It impressed Kaleb with how quick the Gnome worked. The setting was a little plain though; it was a white stone on a silver metal.
¡°Anything else we can do for the Foci?¡± Kaleb asked.
Daivor shook his head. ¡°Not really. If we had Ifrit blood that would be different. But¡¡±
*SMACK*
Daivor stopped talking as Kaleb slapped himself in the face. Kaleb darted around his Lab trying to remember where he had put the vial of Enchanted Ifirt blood. Eventually he found it on a nearby worktable next to his 3 other vials of Ifrit blood he had collected. He returned to Daivor panting and holding out the small vial of blood.
Kaleb smiled wide. ¡°We have a bunch more. We drained some blood from the Ifrit before Derana took it. I have to figure out where Roy put the rest though.¡±
Daivor sniffed at the vial in Kaleb¡¯s hand. ¡°This one¡¯s no good. Someone already enchanted it, pretty badly too. No Runes or Imprinting, he poured magic into it and hoped it held. If this wasn¡¯t a magically creature, the magic would have gone inert a long time ago.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes and grabbed another vial of Ifrit blood. Daivor took it and stared at it with a critical eye. After judging the blood satisfactory the Gnome smiled and uncapped the vial.
¡°Ok, I will pour a drop of this onto the Mana Stone while you channel your magic into it. Keep the flow of your Mana steady. I like my beard on my face.¡±
Kaleb checked his Mana and grimaced. He was only at 50 MP; he didn¡¯t want to chance something going wrong if he didn¡¯t have enough Mana. He was about to tell Daivor they would have to wait when he heard his doorbell ring. Daivor set the vial of blood down as Kaleb stuck his head out of his garage door.
Seeing his favorite Magical Trio, Kaleb grinned. ¡°Ha! You guys are just in time!¡±
Chapter 57 - Magie De Trois
¡°Damn it, Dude. We asked you not to do that. You look like a floating head.¡± Jar-lock said trying to hide a smile.
Nearby Vivienne was making a disgusted face and Varlin was pointedly looking away. Kaleb just grinned before he ducked back into his lab. He quickly walked to his workbench and brought up the interface. Took him a few seconds to find the right settings but eventually he gave the three magic users a one-day pass to his lab.
The trio which were standing outside his garage, take a step back in shock. Kaleb assumed that the black void they normally saw, had vanished. Now the three could see straight into his lab. Kaleb gave a bright smile and a big wave as his friends surveyed his garage lab. Vivienne and Varlin wore the same underwhelmed look that Roy had when he first seen the lab. But, Jar-lock was studying the space with an intense gaze.
¡°So you are running a junkyard out of your garage?¡± Varlin joked.
Kaleb grinned before turning to Daivor who was still standing on the table. ¡°That does it! Destroy his Foci.¡±
Daivor shot a wink up at Kaleb, showing he understood that Kaleb was joking. The Gnome walked off purposefully and picked a small bit of metal from the table. Varlin¡¯s eyes bulged in shock and he rushed over to the table intent on stopping the small gnome. Kaleb placed himself in Varlin¡¯s path, crossed his arms, and stared down at the Sorcerer with a mock glare.
¡°Oh¡ come on! It was a joke! No need to be hasty. I¡¡± Varlin sputtered.
Kaleb couldn¡¯t hold back his smile at his friend''s antics. ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m fucking with you, Varlin. We were just about to finish up your Foci.¡±
Varlin went through several expressions. From anger to confusion to consternation at Kaleb¡¯s joke and eventually to joy. As Varlin glanced around Kaleb, search the workbench for his new Foci, Vivienne and Jar-lock walked over to the worktable. Kaleb twisted to grab Vivienne¡¯s wand and found Daivor handing the foot-long black and white wand up to him. Kaleb grinned before turning back around and presenting the wand to Vivienne.
¡°Compliments of myself and Daivor. Made from an Ifrit bone and the skin from the beast¡¯s heart.¡± Said Kaleb as pompously as he could.
Vivienne was taken aback at the gift before she reached for the wand. Kaleb saw the telltale signs of a player menu-checking as the Wizard looked over the stats of her new wand. He was about to direct Jar-lock toward his own armor they had passed in the driveway. But, Vivienne¡¯s sudden scream of excitement interrupted his words.
¡°OH MY GOD! This is so cool!¡± Vivienne yelled before looking back up to the three men. ¡°92% Mana Efficiency, most Wands in the in-game stores only go from 50% to 85%. But what¡¯s this Mana Capacity?¡±
Kaleb felt an immense sense of pride as Vivienne gushed about his work. ¡°Just like it says: it stores 30 MP that you can use it in an emergency. That stone in the hilt is a Mana Stone we got from the Ifrit¡¯s heart.¡±
Kaleb held up one of the still purifying stones as he explained about them. He explained the process of creating the wand using his limited magic. He also told them about the damn things fighting back against his and Daivor¡¯s magic. He ended by pointing out Jar-locks and Varlin¡¯s half completed armor and Foci.
Vivienne was practically giddy as Kaleb explained how he crafted the wand with Daivor¡¯s help. When he finished, she thanked him profusely. ¡°Thank you so much. This is awesome.¡± Turning to Daivor she gave a curtsy. ¡°And thank you, Master Gnome.¡±
Daivor looked surprised and being thanked but he took in stride, smiling. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re getting a dusting later, for sure.¡±
¡°Dude!¡± Kaleb said, looking at his Gnome Companion.
¡°What?!¡± Daivor said, sounding annoyed.
Kaleb just shook his head as Varlin asked his own question. ¡°So what needs to be done with my Foci? Can I help in any way?¡±
Kaleb brought his attention back to the other two magic users in his garage. Looking down at Daivor for confirmation he asked. ¡°Can he supply the Mana for his own Foci?¡±
Daivor grumbled something under his breath before responding. ¡°It should attune the Foci better that way. But he can¡¯t use his current Foci, he has to channel without the Foci.¡±
Kaleb explained the Gnome¡¯s words and also mentioned about the Ifrit¡¯s blood. ¡°We were about to start when I heard my doorbell. So if you want to complete it, Varlin, go ahead. Careful though, Daivor intimated that the stone would explode with the Mana flow wasn¡¯t steady.¡±
Varlin nodded absently as Daivor brought the real Foci forward for them to work on. Kaleb shook his head adding. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Varlin. Only person who blows shit up in my lab is me.¡±
Varlin gave a firmer nod, but Kaleb wasn¡¯t convinced. Jar-lock placed a hand on Kaleb¡¯s shoulder and steered him toward the open garage door.
¡°Come on, Professor. Show me my armor. They don¡¯t need you being a helicopter lab assistant.¡±
Kaleb snapped his head around to the Warlock as Vivienne followed them out. ¡°I¡¯m no one¡¯s lab assistant. I didn¡¯t spend all those years at fake college to take orders from someone else.¡±
Jar-lock chuckled as he bent down to look at the pieces of leather armor. Vivienne was nearby aiming her wand left and right. The Wizard was twirling this way and that pretending to fire off spells. Kaleb briefly thought about their new Lair and if it had space for a shooting range or something. Remembering his new property made Kaleb ask his two friends.
¡°Did you guys come over to check what happened with the Lair?¡±
Jar-lock ran his hand over his armor as he answered. ¡°That was one reason, yes. But we also had a quest and a few questions for you.¡±
Kaleb sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not doing any quest until I get all this stuff built. But I can answer questions.¡±
Jar-lock nodded but before he could ask his questions Varlin sauntered out of The Pit. In the center of his chest, attached to a leather necklace, was his new red-orange Foci. While the Sorcerer seemed ok at first glance, Kaleb saw Varlin¡¯s damp collar and the sweat rolling down the side of his face. Daivor was riding on the Sorcerer¡¯s shoulder and the Gnome shouted.
¡°Don¡¯t let him fool you. His Mana Channeling without a Foci needs improvement. He was concentrating so hard, I thought he would burst a blood vessel.¡±
Kaleb hid a grin behind his hand as he asked Varlin. ¡°So how are the stats?¡±
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Varlin glanced at Daivor, hearing the Gnome speak but not knowing what he said. At Kaleb¡¯s question he gave them a wide grin. ¡°Mana Efficiency¡¯s at 95%, but I don¡¯t have a Mana Capacity stat. I guess that¡¯s because the stone itself is the Foci.¡±
Daivor nodded as he added. ¡°Yeah, you can¡¯t store magic in it, if you are using it to Focus your magic.¡±
Kaleb relayed what Daivor had said to the others. Varlin nodded his acceptance as Vivienne asked. ¡°So why do you look so happy? I mean, 95% is great but that can¡¯t be it.¡±
Varlin smiled wider. ¡°It isn¡¯t. I get 30% more damage on Fire Spells.¡±
¡°Damn!¡± Said Kaleb
¡°Wow.¡± Jar-lock said still looking at his armor.
¡°That¡¯s double mine!¡± Vivienne exclaimed.
¡°It¡¯s probably because he didn¡¯t get Mana Storage. Or because the Mana Stone is older.¡± Kaleb guessed.
¡°Older stones are more powerful.¡± Daivor interjected.
¡°Damn, I should have labeled them according to how deep I found them in the heart.¡± Kaleb complained after he explained his and Daivor¡¯s theory.
A few seconds of silence passed as they were all in deep thought. Jar-lock stood suddenly and gestured at his armor.
¡°This seems dry already. What were you going to do next?¡±
Kaleb dragged himself out of his thoughts as he went to inspect the leather armor. ¡°I planned on sanding the inside a little. Did you notice it¡¯s a little coarse to the touch? That would make wearing it uncomfortable.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s something I noticed. What¡¯s with the two weird symbols on the bottom of the chest piece?¡± Jar-lock asked.
¡°Resizing and Protection Runes.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Jar-lock asked.
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s all I could think of and I only have so much Mana.¡±
Jar-lock smiled at that and waved Kaleb back into the garage. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to teach you about Mana Sharing. Grab the armor.¡±
Kaleb twisted his head, interested in using other peoples Mana to help enchant things. It would speed the whole process up. As he picked up the pieces of armor and followed the Warlock, Vivienne asked a question.
¡°So you went with Enchanting as your Domain?¡±
Kaleb smiled wide, shaking his head. ¡°Not quite.¡±
Kaleb, Varlin, and Vivienne followed Jar-lock back into the lab. Daivor riding along on Varlin¡¯s shoulder. Kaleb could see Varlin and Vivienne were waiting for him to elaborate. When he didn¡¯t Varlin gave a grunt of annoyance.
¡°Does this have anything with you suddenly being put on the Sorcerer¡¯s General Watch List?¡±
Kaleb eye¡¯s bulged. ¡°You guys have a Watch List?!¡±
¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry though, they rate you Blue. Which means to keep an eye on you if we see you. Yellow means to report on sight, Orange means we are to apprehend you, and Red means it¡¯s open war on your ass.¡± Varlin explained.
Kaleb set Jar-lock¡¯s armor down as he looked at Jar-lock and Vivienne. ¡°What about you two? Any changes?¡±
Both shook their heads and Kaleb sighed loudly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know at least.¡±
¡°What did you do?¡± Jar-lock asked.
¡°Well¡¡± Kaleb started as he explained about the Jack-Mage.
As he went over the pros and cons of his new archetype, Kaleb rubbed a piece of sandpaper on the inside of Jar-lock¡¯s leather armor. The others listened intently, Jar-lock and Vivienne seemed interested while Varlin almost looked horrified. After he finished explaining he continued rubbing down the inside of the Ifrit armor as he waited for their responses.
¡°That¡¯s fucking nuts!¡± Varlin exclaimed.
¡°Is it?¡± Jar-lock asked. When Varlin gave him an incredulous look Jar-lock added. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s all up to him. No hand-holding, no skill trees, just whatever magic he can come up with good or bad.¡±
¡°But¡ But you make an enemy of the Magical Community.¡± Varlin complained.
Vivienne interrupted the Sorcerer. ¡°Not really, I mean here in Austin the Wizards are researchers. So his Affinity with them went up. The Warlocks are hands off anyway so they probably don¡¯t care. The only downside is the Sorcerers not liking you, and as I understand it your only problems came from that faction, anyway.¡±
Varlin sputtered as Kaleb thought of Diana Torero and his deal to sell any Magical creature corpses to her. He wondered if his decision would alter the deal with her. He shrugged his shoulders, deciding to deal with that if or when it happened. Bringing his attention back to his friends he said.
¡°Either way, that¡¯s my story. Did you guys get a prompt for Jack-Mage when I explained it?¡±
The trio nodded. ¡°Denied that shit as soon as it came up.¡± Varlin grumbled.
¡°I thought about it. But I like the skill trees.¡± Vivienne said sheepishly.
They all looked to Jar-lock who wore a pensive expression. ¡°I downsized the window. I want to think about it a little more. Having access to all Domains of Magic is nothing to sneeze at.¡±
Kaleb smiled as he tossed a vambrace to Jar-lock. ¡°That¡¯s more like it! Now put that on and tell me what you think.¡±
Jar-lock slid his forearm in the leather arm guard and twisted his arm, testing the flexibility. As he did Kaleb had a thought.
¡°Bone plates.¡± Kaleb said drawing weird looks from the others except for Daivor who seemed to catch on.
¡°You¡¯d need a strong adhesive.¡± The Gnome said, rubbing his beard.
Kaleb nodded excitedly. ¡°But it could work?¡±
Daivor nodded back. ¡°Yeah, the added defense wouldn¡¯t be anything to sneeze at.¡±
Kaleb fell into thought again as he tried to list the places he could get a proper adhesive. He wasn¡¯t sure if Nova Hardware would have something that strong. Plus, he would have to find a decent way to cut pieces off the Ifrit bones. He wondered if a hot wire cutter would work, or maybe even his laser pen cutter. Didn¡¯t heat make bones brittle?
*Clap*
A loud fleshy slap resounded by Kaleb head, snapping him out of his thoughts. Looking up, he saw Jar-lock pulling his arms back. The big Warlock had clapped his hands near Kaleb¡¯s ear to get his attention. Kaleb glanced around chagrined.
¡°Sorry.¡±
Jar-lock shook his head, amused. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Now what were you thinking about.¡±
Kaleb explained about adding bone plating to Jar-lock¡¯s armor and the problems presented. Jar-lock nodded his head as Varlin and Vivienne looked on.
¡°You really got a head for this, don¡¯t you?¡± Varlin asked.
Kaleb just shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve always liked making stuff. Though truthfully, I¡¯m not great at it IRL.¡±
¡°The joys of modern gaming.¡± Vivienne said.
¡°We should focus on one thing at a time though.¡± Jar-lock said tapping the front chest piece of his new armor.
The armor lay on the workbench where Kaleb had placed it. As Kaleb glanced at it he remembered that Jar-lock had wanted more Runes and would help Imprint them. He searched his messy worktable for the book of Runes and passed it over to the big guy.
¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry, again. Look through that and see if there¡¯s anything that jumps out at you.¡± Kaleb said.
Jar-lock quickly flicked through the book. ¡°No need, I have one in mind.¡±
The Warlock found the page he was searching for and held it out to Kaleb. He tapped a Rune with his finger. Kaleb¡¯s eyes went wide as he read the short blurb about the Rune. He took the book from Jar-lock and twisted it for Daivor to see.
¡°Would this fit?¡±
Daivor whistled. ¡°Hmmmm, Elemantas. It¡¯s gonna be a tight fit, but I think it might. It¡¯s a complicated Rune though. Can you handle it or do you want to practice it for a bit?¡±
Kaleb blew out a breath. ¡°Ahhhhh, I don¡¯t think I wanna tackle this without practice.¡±
Daivor nodded and raised his arms, silently asking for a lift. Kaleb took his tiny companion and sat him on the worktable. Kaleb put back on his Enchantment Glove and turned to his friends, beaming.
¡°This will be a crap shoot. But it should be fun.¡±
Chapter 58 Ants and Channeling
Kaleb practiced the Elemantas Rune multiple times until the Enchanting Glove eventually stopped shocking him. The Rune was far more complicated then the others he had tried. The Rune was essentially a compass with representations of the four elements at the cardinal points. Each of the images were unnecessarily ornate. At least Kaleb felt they were.
As Kaleb worked Jar-lock and Vivienne spoke quietly between themselves. But Varlin, Hovered nearby watching him intently. Kaleb had almost forgotten that Varlin was also interested in Enchanting. As the Sorcerer hovered nearby, trying to not be obtrusive, Kaleb passed over another Enchanting Glove.
¡°Take a look at that and let me know how much you think it would sell for.¡±
Varlin picked up the strange looking device and inspected it. ¡°Hmm. Not the best I¡¯ve seen in the game stores. But it is still not bad. Pretty middle of the road.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll put my foot down the middle of your road.¡± Daivor grumbled from nearby.
¡°So what do you think I could get for them?¡± Kaleb asked as he put the finishing touches on the gratuitously curly flame symbol.
¡°150, maybe 200 credits,¡± Varlin said before setting the glove down on the worktable. ¡°Also depends where you sell them.¡±
Kaleb nodded as shook out a his fingers as he said. ¡°Under-Town, they should do well there. At least I hope so.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the underground city you were talking about the other day, right?¡± Jar-lock asked.
Kaleb nodded as he worked on the next elemental symbol. Why two swirling orbs equated to Wind, he didn¡¯t know. But, he was sure he hated it. He also couldn¡¯t figure out why Earth was represented by a circle with triangle in it. Sighing internally, he added.
¡°Yeah, I got a job fixing things for a bunch of space vampires tomorrow. I figured I could sell a few of the Enchanting Gloves while I¡¯m down there. Maybe visit the Brute Clan near the Arena, too.¡±
¡°Every time I hear about all that shit you¡¯ve been doing, I think I¡¯m playing the game wrong.¡± Jar-lock said.
Kaleb smiled. ¡°Dude, I¡¯ve just been reacting. I hear a shout for help, I find Roy. I respond to your call for help in a park, and I get an Ifrit corpse. That sparked off all kinds of shit. I haven¡¯t really had to go out of my way to find Super work. What has your experience been like?¡±
Jar-lock and the others looked thoughtful as they seemed to think about it. Kaleb went back to practicing the various images of the Elemantas. Vivienne was the first to give him an answer.
¡°Well I stopped an underground Magical Creature fighting league. Someone found a way to Magically store Magical Creatures and a bunch of sick bastards were using them to fight in gladiator-style fights.¡±
The others all nodded as Jar-lock added his own experience. ¡°Yeah, I had to hunt down a bunch of cadavers some mad scientist reanimated.¡±
Kaleb grimaced. ¡°Dude, I hate zombies.¡±
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°They weren¡¯t really zombies. It was more like a squad of Frankenstein''s. They were all super strong and partially mechanical. It wasn¡¯t fun, I was hoping that Lightning Magic would put them down quickly, but it just super-charged them.¡±
¡°Neat.¡± Kaleb said looking up from his work toward Varlin.
The sorcerer seemed hesitant to mention his own adventures. But, the heavy stares from the others proved to be too much.
¡°Giant Ants.¡± Varlin said.
They all stared at him as Varlin squirmed uncomfortably.
¡°Giant¡¡± Vivienne started.
¡°Ants.¡± Varlin finished, quickly explaining. ¡°Some kid from one of the larger Houses cast an enlargement spell on a queen Ant and let it loose somewhere under her Ex-boyfriend¡¯s house. We spent hours underground exterminating ants.¡±
¡°Wow!¡± Kaleb said going back to practicing the Earth symbol. ¡°Bet that fight against the queen had to be epic.¡±
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
¡°Yeah¡ it¡uh¡probably will be.¡± Varlin said awkwardly
The garage fell silent as Varlin¡¯s words slowly sunk in for everybody. They all turned to stare at Varlin, who was nervously running a hand through his hair. Jar-lock looked horrified as Vivienne seemed at a loss for words. Kaleb couldn¡¯t blame her.
¡°So there is a Giant Ant Queen loose somewhere under Austin?¡± Kaleb asked setting his pen down and staring at Varlin.
Varlin put his hands out in a stop gesture. ¡°The HLO has notified the city and teams of Supers are searching for her.¡±
¡°You know what type of Ants they were?¡± Jar-lock asked drawing a weird look from Varlin.
¡°Does it matter?¡± Varlin asked, confused.
Jar-lock got an anger look on his face as he bellowed. ¡°Does it matter!? Some ant¡¯s are nomadic, which means the queen is probably long gone. Some can have colonies of ants in the millions! Imagine a giant-sized fire ant biting you! The Trap Jaw ant can close it¡¯s jaws at over 100 miles per hour, the damn thing can probably bite through a car if it gets big!¡±
Everyone stared a Jar-lock as the big man raved, almost hysterically about ants. Kaleb was impressed, the big guy knew his stuff when it came to the tiny insects. Finally it was Jar-lock¡¯s Handler Curtis who calmed him down.
¡°Dude, calm yourself. The HLO is on it. The ant species is the Raspberry Crazy ant, okay? Farmer ants.¡±
Jar-lock seemed to calm slightly as he heard that, but he still voiced his concern. ¡°They also eat small insects and vertebrates. Which include mammals!¡±
Curtis sighed loudly through the communicator. ¡°We know. Luckily, we haven''t had any reported deaths yet. But you should know: This species of ant is known for having multiple queens. So if this goes on too long we could be looking at a mass call to all Supers.¡±
Jar-lock was still breathing rough, but the others all nodded their heads. Kaleb gave Jar-lock a curious look before he changed the subject. ¡°I¡¯ve almost got this Rune down. You want to run me through how we share Mana.¡±
Varlin watched Jar-lock for a few seconds before he answered. ¡°Uh, yeah, it¡¯s actually pretty simple. Separate Magic users channel their Magic to one person and that person can use it how they wish. Basically the group shares a Mana pool. However, outside of trusted covens, circles, or groups physical contact is a must.¡±
¡°So I let you touch me and you give me Mana? Stranger Danger much?¡± Kaleb smiled up at Varlin.
¡°Ha!¡± Jar-lock barked as Vivienne covered a snort with her hand.
Varlin for his part frowned before an evil smile formed on his face. The Sorcerer moved behind Kaleb and started rubbing his shoulders. ¡°Hey! I thought we were friends.¡± Varlin said softly into Kaleb¡¯s ear.
Kaleb shook Varlin¡¯s hands off of his shoulders chuckling. ¡°Hahaha, Sure, sure, ya creep. Let me get this Rune down so then you can share your Mana with me.¡±
¡°Haha!¡± Vivienne broke out into laughter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that still sounds dirty.¡±
Kaleb just shook his head as he took a deep breath and prepared to draw the rune on Jar-lock¡¯s armor. He focused his Mana into his hand started to draw, started with the pointlessly curly fire image. As he drew Varlin hunched over his table watching intently. He carefully recreated the image on the skin to the best of his abilities and when he was almost done Jar-lock asked a question.
¡°I thought Imprinting didn¡¯t need a rune.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t, but drawing the Rune helps newbie Enchanters focus when Imprinting.¡± Varlin explained.
¡°Plus¡¡± Kaleb said as he tried to maintain focus on his Mana control. ¡°I don¡¯t want to deal with the Mana Backlash if something goes wrong. This is a big ass Rune so the Mana involved is gonna be big too.¡±
¡°And it¡¯s better to avoid that.¡± Vivienne finished for him.
Kaleb nodded his agreement and went back to drawing the Rune. Continuing his trend of going from hardest to easiest he tackled the Water symbol in the south position. Then the Wind in the west and the Earth in the east. Once he had completed drawing them out, he sat back in his seat and gave a long sigh. After resting for a few minutes more he waved the others over and stood.
¡°Okay, lets get this Rune down.¡±
The others all nodded as Kaleb placed his hand over the rune and mentally held the image of it in his mind. After drawing the image multiple times it came far easier. He focused on the intent of the Rune as Jar-lock, Varlin, and Vivienne all placed a hand on his back. He slowly felt energy seep into his back at the three points they were touching. His weariness disappeared as he was suddenly overflowing power.
He felt like he could run a marathon and there was a little part of him that wanted to keep this power and run amok. Tamping down that side of himself, Kaleb focused his own Mana into the raging pool of power inside him. Using everything he had, Kaleb forced the energy down into the Ifrit skin. Again, the skin¡¯s red Mana came up to meet the kaleidoscope of Mana that Kaleb was forcing down into it.
Kaleb could see he own yellow Mana, as well as white, blue and green Mana also swirling around his hand. He briefly wondered whose was whose but he set that aside and refocused on image in his head. The Elemantas Rune was a tricky one because it acted as a conduit for channeling the Nature Magics. Once in place the wearer of the armor would find using the various elemental powers far easier.
Kaleb held steady over the armor as it tugged hungrily at his hand. As more Mana poured into the Rune, Kaleb realized he was nowhere near feeling tired. No signs of a headache either, he was just about to check his MP when the pull on his hand stopped and the area he was Imprinting glowed.
¡°Wow! That wasn¡¯t too bad. Just 125 MP from me.¡± Jar-lock said.
¡°100 from me.¡± Added Vivienne.
¡°100.¡± Varlin said, moving over to inspect the rune.
Kaleb glanced at his own Mana before saying quizzically. ¡°Only 25?¡±
Jar-lock looked thoughtful before he nodded. ¡°It probably took a quarter of the Mana needed from each of us. So 350 Mana total.¡±
¡°Damn! The Protection Rune only needed 75!¡± Kaleb said.
¡°Well this is a stronger Rune.¡± Varlin mentioned as he inspected the Rune. ¡°We do good work.¡±
Kaleb moved over to check then Rune before he realized something.
¡°Where¡¯s Daivor?¡±
Chapter 59 - Lair and Armor
¡°Oh! Now you notice!¡± Came a muffled voice from behind Kaleb¡¯s worktable.
Kaleb scanned the Worktable, finding the spot where Daivor had been working. Moving to the side of the workbench Kaleb had to stifle a chuckle as he found his companion. The small Gnome was between the table and the wall, holding himself by jamming his back against the wall and his legs into the table.
¡°How the hell did that happen?¡± Kaleb asked bemusedly giving Daivor a hand.
¡°With you four slinging Magic around willy-nilly. How else do you think? By the great Elf Goddess Dalvenor, Boss, warn a Gnome before you work with that much Magic. Nearly blew my beard clean off my face.¡± Daivor groused.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Daivor. I¡¯ll warn you if we try something like that again.¡± Kaleb placated still trying not to laugh.
As he looked up at the others, Kaleb saw they were all staring at him questioningly. Kaleb quickly explained what had happened. Drawing apologies from the three Magic users. Daivor just nodded and went to inspect Jar-lock¡¯s armor. Kaleb hadn¡¯t noticed at first but the skin now seemed to glow an eerie red color.
¡°What the hell is that?¡± Kaleb asked.
Jar-lock nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what we were wondering.¡±
¡°The armor has taken on some of its original qualities. This is some great work, boss. It will stop the glowing once the Mana in the skin dies down.¡± Daivor explained running a hand over the Ifrit Skin Armor. ¡°It¡¯s even hot, that should abate too¡ maybe.¡±
Kaleb gave the others a rundown of what Daivor said before he asked. ¡°Are the Rune¡¯s all nice and stable?¡±
Daivor grunted a ¡°Yep.¡± as he continued to survey different areas of the skin.
Once he got the go ahead Jar-lock was eager to try on his new armor, But Kaleb stopped him. ¡°I still have to add the other pieces and the bone plates.Once I figure out how to cut plates from the bone easily.¡± Seeing the disappointing look on the big Warlock¡¯s face Kaleb grinned.
¡°Just a few more minutes, dude. I¡¯ll get to work and you can ask your questions.¡± Kaleb said moving to grab the gorget and pauldrons.
¡°Well, my questions mostly concerned your inclusion on the Watch List and you¡¯ve answered those.¡± Varlin said.
¡°And mine were about you choosing to be a Wizard. But it looks like that¡¯s out the window now.¡± Vivienne smiled at him.
Jar-lock nodded as he watched Kaleb gather up the pieces of armor. ¡°I was more interested in the Lair and if the Council had delivered the materials yet.¡±
¡°Well, I can explain about the Lair. Seeing as I have answered most of your other questions.¡± Kaleb said as he sat down in a lawn chair next to his anvil.
Kaleb explained about his misadventures with Obadiah Nova and his tests. He thought it better not to tell them about the old man¡¯s true nature. At least for now. While he talked he carefully and slowly rivet the shaped pieces of armor together. The work was slow, and he had finished his story with the two pauldrons still left to attach.
¡°How in the fuck did he expect you to solve a military training course the government uses? That¡¯s like asking a cub scout, no offense, to complete Spec ops training.¡± Jar-lock complained.
Smiled as he used a strip of Ifrit skin to attach the pauldron to the gorget. ¡°I imagine he made it easier for me somehow. The test was challenging but not really physically demanding. I assume he wanted to figure out how I think.¡±
Jar-lock wobbled his head noncommittally. ¡°Eh, I guess that makes sense. At least you got the Lair.¡±
¡°WE got the Lair.¡± Kaleb amended. ¡°I was fully on board with forming Austin¡¯s first Super Group. Pooling our resources, working together,¡±
¡°Us funding your equipment?¡± Varlin interrupted, smirking.
¡°That too, but all for the good of the group. Come on, we have all played online games before. Some of the coolest stuff can only be done with a group.¡± Kaleb said.
The others all gave nods or mumbled in agreement. Vivienne brought up a hitch in their plan.
¡°What about the 15k registration fee for forming a Super Group?¡±
Kaleb shrugged his shoulders. ¡°We can work that out after we get settled in the new Lair. Whatever that is.¡±
Kaleb was still absorbed in his work so he missed his friends looks of shock. It was Varlin who spoke first.
¡°You haven¡¯t even seen it yet!? How do we know we¡¯ll all fit!?¡±
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Kaleb shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I figured we¡¯d work that out when we saw it. I was planning on visiting the location this weekend and I wanted to invite everyone along.¡±
¡°It¡¯s an abandoned air hangar and field just south of Imperial Valley.¡± Farrah spoke up causing Kaleb to point a finger at the others.
¡°See? Air hangar. That¡¯s plenty of space.¡±
¡°Plenty of ¡®empty'' space. Not exactly built for comfort.¡± Jar-lock said.
¡°Actually,¡± Farrah began. ¡°The air hangar has three levels: The hangar area, a floor full of rooms, and training facility/maintenance room. It¡¯s weird.¡±
¡°What is?¡± asked Vivienne.
Farrah adopted her teacher''s tone as she explained. ¡°The Streak was a solo hero, he would team up occasionally but nothing permanent. But someone designed this building with a Super Group in mind. It even has space for a large generator and water reservoirs. This place could run autonomously.¡±
¡°So he planned to start his own Super team?¡± Varlin asked.
¡°That¡¯s the weird thing: He bought it a year after he retired.¡± Farrah said sounding perplexed.
Kaleb kept his hands working as he thought about the old man. ¡°Maybe he bought it for Roy? Hoping the kid would follow in his footsteps.¡±
¡°Maybe,¡± Jar-lock said rubbing his chin. ¡°but does it really matter? It sounds like we have a decent Lair with room to upgrade. If we didn¡¯t have that quest tonight I would wanna check it out now.¡±
Varlin and Vivienne nodded in agreement as Kaleb asked. ¡°Your quest is tonight? What are you doing?¡±
¡°Protection detail for some rich businessman.¡± Varlin said.
¡°Supposedly he is a big benefactor to the Magical communities.¡± Jar-lock added.
¡°We hoped that you could handle the tech side of things.¡± mentioned Vivienne.
Kaleb stopped working as he thought about it. ¡°Is there an actual threat to his life?¡±
Jar-lock shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Kind of, he has been receiving more threats than usual lately. So they asked us to check it out. He is only in the city a few days, then he flies back to Chicago.¡±
Kaleb sighed. ¡°I would love to help. But, after this I have Mass¡¯ gloves and D34d¨CI¡¯s gun or guns to make.¡±
¡°You want to make a gun from scratch?¡± Jar-lock asked.
¡°I wanted to try.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°I was hoping maybe I could buy books or blueprints or something.¡±
Jar-lock sighed. ¡°Gun making is not exactly something you should just wing. Be careful. Why not just break down another gun?¡±
¡°First: I don¡¯t know if I could put it back together. Second: I wanted to make the frame out of the Ifrit bones.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Vivienne asked.
¡°Because it''s the only thing I have that can handle Ifrit bullets. The bones are as dense as metal so all I have to do is figure out is: what parts I need to make.¡±
¡°Hmph!¡± Varlin coughed into his hand. ¡°I can help with that.¡±
¡°Really?!¡± Kaleb and Jar-lock asked simultaneously as Vivienne groaned.
¡°My great-grandfather ran a historical gun museum when projectile guns were outlawed. It¡¯s been passed down and added to by my family. I used to help with taking the guns apart and cleaning them.¡±
¡°Plus, you have me! You damn forgetful lizard!¡± said Daivor from his spot on the table.
Kaleb turned to find the small Gnome sitting on the edge of the worktable. Smoking a pipe.
¡°Where did you get a pipe?!¡± Kaleb asked alarmed.
Daivor shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve always had a pipe.¡±
¡°But¡¡±
¡°Now it seems to me that you are going about this all wrong.¡± Daivor interrupted. ¡°You have Magic and, between the four of you, a decent-sized Mana Pool to draw from. So why not find a blueprint of the gun you want and use Shaping Magic?¡±
¡°Shaping Magic?¡± Kaleb asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring that up before?¡±
¡°Because Shaping Magic takes a ton of Magic. Frankly, even between the four of you I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you all passed out. But it can help with the constructing the separate parts out of the bones. Much more quickly than the lathe, anyway. Run it by your friends.¡± Daivor smiled and waved his pipe at the others.
Kaleb explained what Daivor had said. Jar-lock and Vivienne looked intrigued but Varlin seemed hesitant. Depleting your Mana gave people a killer headache and if they couldn¡¯t handle it, they would all pass out. It took a few minutes of back and forth arguing but eventually they convinced Varlin to at least try.
Kaleb finished Jar-lock¡¯s armor and passed it over. Once the Warlock put on the leather armor Kaleb could visibly see the leather resize to fit Jar-lock¡¯s wide chest and shoulders. The armor still had a red tinge to it that made it look almost exactly like the Ifrit it came from. Jar-lock stretched and moved in the armor before getting the far off look in his eyes as he checked its stats.
¡°God Damn! Defense of 25 plus 5 for the Protection Rune, with 50% fire resistance, and 15% increased Mana Efficiency. Now that¡¯s some fucking armor right there.¡± Jar-lock whooped.
Kaleb smiled as he moved inside to grab the biggest Ifrit bone he could find. Once he found it he brought back to The Pit and searched online for gun blueprints. But he soon discovered a problem. While there were a few blueprints here and there, they were all proprietary designs so they sold for massive amounts of money. He sighed loudly over his laptop keyboard racking his brain for an answer.
¡°Dude, don¡¯t look for energy weapons. Here, move out of the way.¡± Varlin blurted pushing Kaleb out of his chair.
Kaleb watched as Varlin looked through various websites eventually stopping on a website Kaleb had never heard of. ¡°The Historical Revolver Archive? Really, Varlin? A revolver?¡±
¡°Oh god, not again.¡± Vivienne said getting looks from both Jar-lock and Kaleb.
¡°Every game we play, he inserts his damn revolver fetish.¡± She explained.
Jar-lock nodded slowly asking. ¡°Oh¡ so you two are¡?¡±
¡°Cousin!¡± Vivienne added quickly.
¡°Oh!¡± Jar-lock said.
¡°Yeah.¡± Vivienne nodded, blushing.
Kaleb glanced between the two as they both seemed to smile at one another while trying not to look each other in the eye. He sighed loudly before clapping his hands together. ¡°Hey! No flirting in my lab. Take your awkward anime shit outside!¡±
¡°HAHAHAHA!¡± Varlin busted out into loud cackles as Jar-lock and Vivienne both went red in the face.
To his surprise, though the pair did, indeed, step outside of his garage. ¡°How long has that been going on?¡± He asked Varlin.
¡°Not long.¡± Varlin shrugged. ¡°That was just what they needed though. They are both adults, no need for all the ¡°Awkward anime shit.¡± as you called it. But there is still a stigma about dating online.¡±
Kaleb nodded before he went back to looking over the website. ¡°So tell me about your fetish for revolvers.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a fetish, damn it!¡± Varlin yelled.
Chapter 60 - Revolver and Reinforcements
Kaleb and Varlin studied different revolvers for several minutes. Everything from the tiny .22 caliber concealable revolvers to the giant .50 caliber hand-cannons. Varlin even had them go over how much powder they would need to fire the dense bone bullet.
¡°Again, you don¡¯t want to make the entire cartridge out of bone. Just the projectile, everything else we should be able to buy through the HLO.¡± Varlin said.
¡°I know that, but what kind of metal can withstand the amount of powder we could need for propulsion? We will have to Enchant the cartridge.¡± Kaleb said as he read through the information on his laptop screen.
¡°You better enchant the whole frame. Otherwise the gun will be heavy as hell. And if there is any kick-back it could break your wrist or pop back and smack you in the nose.¡± Daivor said from his spot on the table.
Kaleb nodded, remembering there was an enchantment to make things lightweight. The trio switched to looking up frame construction and different grip designs. Kaleb felt a rush of energy and how complex the project was turning out to be. It was daunting but also exciting. As they perused through a page full of different revolvers Kaleb had a thought.
¡°Why don¡¯t I buy a revolver and some cartridges? We can get a broad idea at the design and the pieces needed. And we can scale up or down as needed.¡±
Varlin nodded slowly. ¡°Makes sense and it will let us look at get a better look at the anatomy of a bullet. Buy a swing-out though, not a top-break and different sizes of bullets.¡±
Kaleb twisted the laptop closer and headed to the online HLO shop. ¡°Why not a top-break?¡±
Daivor spoke up first, cutting Varlin off. ¡°The hinge on the top-break could be a major point of weakness. The crane of the swing-out is also a concern, but I¡¯d trust the crane over the hinge personally.¡±
Varlin sat back in his chair with his arms crossed. ¡°I take it the Gnome explained?¡± When Kaleb nodded and explained Varlin sniffed. ¡°Well, he¡¯s right at least. I only wish we could all understand him.¡±
Kaleb found and purchased a swing-out revolver rated for high caliber rounds as he said. ¡°Actually, he has slotted your cousin for that honor next.¡±
¡°Probably cause she kisses his tiny ass.¡± Varlin said glaring down at the Gnome.
Daivor returned the glare and added in a middle finger for good measure. Varlin hid a smirk behind his hand before he asked. ¡°So why is he waiting? Why not dust her when she was here?¡±
Kaleb bought a box of .22 and .50 caliber rounds as he explained. ¡°Not to put too fine on a point on it, but he said it took a while to¡ uh¡ accumulate the dust. And where are they, anyway? It has been a while since they went outside.¡±
Varlin chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Man, you really get lost in this stuff, don¡¯t you? Jar-lock stuck his head in a few minutes ago and said they were going for food. You, apparently, were in your own little world.¡±
Kaleb shrugged awkwardly as he looked through the online shop once more before accepting his purchase. ¡°I get lost in my projects. I apologize for nothing.¡±
Kaleb got up from his stool and walked toward his driveway. Behind him Varlin stretched his arms before he followed. Kaleb basked in the warm sun in his driveway for a little while. The garage wasn¡¯t cold but the sun always felt good to him. Soon he heard the telltale whoosh of a speedster and opened his eyes in time to see Chip skid to a stop near his front door.
¡°Hey, Professor! Been a while.¡± Said Chip walking over with a black lock box in his hands.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
¡°Yeah, I know. Busy life of a low-ranked Super.¡± Kaleb smiled and shrugged.
Chip put in the code on the electronic lock to the lock box asking. ¡°That why you need this?¡±
Chip held the case out revealing the black metal revolver he had order and two boxes of ammo. ¡°It¡¯s more for study, really.¡± Kaleb said.
Chip shrugged his shoulders as he swayed from foot to foot. ¡°Well, I need you to pick the gun up by the handle please.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Kaleb asked as he grabbed the gun. When his hand wrapped around the wooden grip it lit up with a blue light.
¡°That,¡± Chip began ¡°is for registration. All firearms sold by the HLO are magically and electronically tied to the purchaser. It has added your name and this gun¡¯s serial number to the HLO database. Also, your new gun¡¯s handle has taken a snapshot of your fingerprints and Magically aura. It will no longer work for anyone else.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a little intense.¡± Varlin said.
¡°Those are the rules the HLO agreed to when they were given the permit to sell weapons to Supers.¡± Chip explained.
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Meh. I am just going to take it apart, anyway.¡±
He signed on the electronic pad Chip offered then waved goodbye as the speedster took off. Varlin and Kaleb returned to the workbench and set down their new gun and the bullets. Unsurprisingly, Daivor had assembled the tools they would need for disassembly. Kaleb smiled down at the Gnome as Varlin went into his kitchen.
¡°I thank you, Master Gnome.¡± Kaleb said jokingly, bowing theatrically.
¡°Yeah, yeah. No one likes a kiss-ass.¡± Daivor grumbled.
Kaleb sat down and, with the help of Daivor and what he could find online, began to take apart his new gun. As he did, he heard Varlin rooting around in his kitchen. He heard a few cabinets open and close, his fridge door opening, and glasses pinging against each other.
¡°What are you doing in there?¡± Kaleb asked as he removed what Daivor called the side-plate.
¡°Dude, you have no food. it¡¯s all left overs and water.¡± Varlin yelled from his kitchen.
¡°You realize that left overs are food, right? Just heat up the barbecue from the other day.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not feeling it. But I think you have enough for lasagna though. Just need to find a pot.¡± Varlin answered back.
Kaleb twisted his head to stare into his kitchen. ¡°Good to know you¡¯ve made yourself at home.¡±
¡°Shut up. I¡¯m cooking.¡±
Kaleb shook his head and went back to taking apart his brand new revolver. It surprised him how many little bits and pieces of metal the gun had. It was a lot of tiny springs and hinged flat pieces. He would spend a good amount of his time machining the tiny parts from the bones. As he finished taking apart the gun he stared down at the pieces, trying to picture the pieces as Ifrit bones.
¡°Now put it back together.¡± Daivor said.
¡°What?¡± Kaleb asked, curious.
¡°Put it together and then take it apart again. Keep doing that until you can find the pieces by feel alone.¡± Daivor ordered.
Kaleb was about to complain until he thought about it. If he was going to build a pair of revolvers for D34d¨CI, he would have to get as familiar with the inner workings as possible. Maybe he could make one for himself if he wanted to. Kaleb slowly nodded as he began putting the revolver back together.
Putting it together was slow going at first. All the tiny inner pieces proved a little tricky to get back in. As he worked the smell of pasta sauce wafted in from his kitchen. As the metal pieces got bigger, Kaleb¡¯s job grew easier, and the smell of food got more distracting. He put the revolver together, then took it apart, then back together again. All under the watchful eye of his Gnome Companion. Kaleb was about to call for a break when he got a pop-up notification.
*Weaponsmithing Skill level up*
Chance to create a higher grade weapon increased to 3%
Chance to increase durability increased to 3%
Kaleb leaned back on his stool and stretched his arms above his head. He stretched out his neck and went into the kitchen. He found Varlin staring into the oven, hovering over his cooking lasagna. He shook his head at the Sorcerer and grabbed a drink before heading back to the garage. He felt that a couple more times taking the revolver apart and putting together and he would have it down.
He sighed as he looked down at the revolver. Daivor stood nearby tapping his foot impatiently. Kaleb smiled at his companion and pour some of his water into the Gnome¡¯s cup. Daivor did his best to look grumpy, but he eventually gave up and took a large gulp of water. Kaleb sat back down on his stool when a sudden noise behind him caught his attention.
¡°Need help, Doc?¡± Roy asked, standing in the open garage door.
Kaleb sighed as he looked at his Assistant. ¡°You really need to stop skipping school.¡±
Roy smirked and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°They don¡¯t care at this point, Doc.¡±
Kaleb just grunted as Roy moved over to see what he was working on.
¡°Guns, huh? Where can I help?¡± Roy asked.
Chapter 61 - Shaping and Ow
¡°Hopefully not much.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°We will use Shaping magic once my two batteries come back from their couple''s retreat.¡±
¡°Batteries?¡± Roy asked.
But Kaleb waved him off, waving a hand at the pieces of Ifirt skin laying about the place. ¡°Although, you could get a start on Mass¡¯ cestus.¡±
Roy looked even more confused. ¡°What¡¯s a cestus?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Leather boxing glove with metal plates or spikes on it. Although in our case we will use Ifirt bone.¡±
¡°How big should I make them? I have seen his hands. They aren¡¯t small.¡±
¡°You are right. They aren¡¯t. Just eyeball the size for now the Resizing Rune should take care of the rest.¡± Kaleb explained.
Roy looked like he wanted to ask about the Resizing Rune. But the young man just shook his head and took out some Ifirt skin to work with. Kaleb went back to assembling and disassembling his new revolver. After a few more cycles he felt like he knew the gun inside and out. He leaned back on his stool and not for the first time, decided to buy a chair with a back.
Daivor walked over and stared up at Kaleb¡¯s face. ¡°You got it? Is it all saved in that big head of yours? Because when your batteries get back you will have to Shape one of these. So the clearer the image is in your head, the easier it will be.¡±
Kaleb nodded his understanding. Mentally he went over the different pieces of the gun as he absently watched Roy work. The young Nova was cutting strips from the Ifrit skin and layering them over a large tube of metal. The metal tube served as a stand-in for Mass¡¯ massive fist. As he stared Kaleb had an errant thought.
¡°Daivor, do you know how to cut or shave pieces off the Ifirt bone? So we can have plates for Mass¡¯ cestus. Even Jar-lock¡¯s armor needs the plates attached.¡±
Daivor nodded quickly and then jerked his head upwards toward Kaleb¡¯s pocket. ¡°That little pen cutter you got should do the trick just fine. I was waiting for you to ask. You have to get into the habit of asking these things when you think of them.¡±
Kaleb just sighed and shook his head. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the heat makes the bones brittle?¡±
¡°HA! These are the bones of a Greater Ifirt from the FIRE realm. Any piddly amount of flame in this realm wouldn¡¯t even scorch those bones. If anything, they might get tougher when they are heated.¡± Daivor chortled.
Shaking his head and his Gnome friend¡¯s amusement, Kaleb grabbed one of the smaller Ifirt bones. He set the length of his cutter to just wider than the bone and made the laser as thin as possible. Placing the bone vertical to the floor Kaleb shaved downward along the length of the bone. It took a few seconds for the red hot laser to cut through the bone once he completed the cut there was an odd blue flash.
Kaleb shot a curious look at Daivor, who nodded knowingly. ¡°That¡¯s normal. Magical discharge from whatever left over magic is in the bones.¡±
Kaleb shrugged and went back to shaving plates off of the bone. It was easy, considering how hard the bones were. He stopped when he had several bones plates off different sizes and lengths. He still had over half the bone left over and he wasn¡¯t sure he would need that much honestly. He was thinking about Imprinting Protection Runes on the plates when Varlin stuck his head in.
¡°Food¡¯s ready.¡±
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Kaleb scooped up Daivor and walked into the kitchen followed by Roy. The lasagna was just as tasty as anything else he had eaten since logging into the game. Kaleb tried not to think about how he was being fed by a nutrient solution in real life. The pod was an amazing device but some things could be off-putting for people. The nutrient solutions and shocks to keep your muscles from atrophying were the top of most people¡¯s list.
Half-way through their meal Jar-lock and Vivienne showed back up. The pair didn¡¯t look different, but there was an obvious air around the two. Something in the deliberateness of how they stood or the way they way they wouldn¡¯t meet his eye. Kaleb shrugged it off, they were back and that meant one thing: Shaping Magic time.
Daivor also seemed to have the same idea as he wiped his beard and stood on the kitchen table. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see if this works.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he told the others. Varlin still seemed hesitant, but he followed Kaleb and the others into The Pit. Roy came along, interests obvious in his eyes. Kaleb set Daivor down on the workbench where the Gnome gathered up several wires. Kaleb, meanwhile, grabbed another Ifrit bone and set it down in front of him. If he had to guess, Kaleb thought it was a finger bone. It was just big enough for his needs.
Kaleb rubbed his hands. ¡°So how do I do this?¡±
Daivor tightened the wires around himself and the table clamp before he answered. ¡°It works like imprinting, except you have to visualize the change happening. So picture the bone as it is and then slowly transform it into the pieces of the gun. DO NOT form the gun whole.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he felt the others lay their hands on his back. Breathing deeply, he asked. ¡°We all ready?¡±
A chorus of affirmation came from behind him so Kaleb dug deep and poured their combined Mana into the bone. He held the image of the bone transforming in his head. He let that image replay over and over until he felt a sudden a sharp pain between his eyes. Ignoring the pain he let the image again as the pain grew and grew until it was almost unbearable. Then Kaleb felt himself slip into unconsciousness.
¡°Professor!¡±
The next thing Kaleb knew he was staring up at the ceiling of his garage. His friends were hovering nearby with Daivor looking on from the workbench. The headache from the Mana withdrawal was still present and accounted for. His temples seemed to pulse angrily at him. As he went to stand Roy and Jar-lock gave him an arm up. As he stood he got a notification.
*Enchanting Skill Level up*
5 SP granted
Mana increased by 10
Kaleb smiled wide as he stood and asked. ¡°Did it work?¡±
Daivor sighed loudly. ¡°Yeah it worked. But you and your friends are in rough shape.¡±
Kaleb looked around to see the others all touching or rubbing their heads. He would have to pay them back somehow. They didn¡¯t have to help him and now they probably had the same mother of all headaches he did. Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face because Jar-lock shook his head.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, dude. We were ready for this, it comes with the territory. But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be doing this again soon.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s understandable.¡± Kaleb nodded wincing at the pain.
Roy looked between the four worried before Kaleb waved him off. ¡°It¡¯s a Magic thing, Roy. Use too much and it feels like your heads in a vise. Just get back to forming those leather cestus. I will have to Rune those up later too.¡±
Roy nodded as he glanced between everyone. Kaleb was feeling a little better as he looked at the bone white revolver pieces laid out on the table. Daivor was already going over them looking at the pieces critically.
¡°Not bad, Boss. Looks like everything is here, all you have to do now is put it all together.¡±
¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t think I am ready to do that again. I guess I¡¯m stuck with the lathe for now.¡± Kaleb said rubbing his forehead.
¡°Sorry, boss. If I was stronger, I¡¯d be able to replicate something like this.¡± Daivor said sadly.
Kaleb nodded absently. ¡°That¡¯s o¡ Wait, what?!¡±
Daivor gave Kaleb a weird look. ¡°Yeah, Replication Magic is the specialty of Builder Gnomes. Allows us to help those we serve by replicating small little bits. Screws, nails, small springs, things like that. But my granddad could replicate great big things, they said he was so powerful that the God of the Gnomes came down and blessed him with a wish. Of course, then he spent that wish on an eternal supply of sausage and beer. Dumbass.¡±
Kaleb stared wide-eyed at Daivor before turning to Vivienne and, pointing at the Gnome, asking. ¡°WHAT?!¡±
Vivienne looked taken aback by the forcefulness of his question. ¡°What?¡±
Kaleb just shook his head and gulped down a lungful of air before asking Daivor. ¡°How do you get stronger?¡±
¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s just a matter of experience, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll get there someday, with time.¡± Daivor said confused.
¡°Gah!¡± Kaleb grumbled before turning back to Vivienne, making the poor wizard jump in surprise. ¡°How do you level up a Familiar!?¡±
Chapter 62 - Pet Care and Assembly
¡°Proper food, keeping it happy, and XP.¡± Jar-lock said, speaking up for Vivienne. ¡°Each familiar gains XP differently. Some through combat others by studying with them. Now, Explain!¡±
Kaleb rubbed his chin as he thought. Daivor was a Builder Gnome. So the Gnome would level up by crafting things. And Daivor had eaten every meal with him ever since they formed the contract. Kaleb wondered about the gnomes level progression briefly before a sharp painful sensation bloomed on his cheek and he heard something hit the floor.
Looking down, he saw a small clear cube sliding on his garage floor. He looked up in time to see Jar-lock preparing to throw another ice cube.
¡°What?!¡± Kaleb asked.
Jar-lock sighed and lowered his arm. ¡°How about you clue the rest of us in, you jackass? You¡¯ve been muttering to yourself long enough.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his cheek and explained briefly about Daivor¡¯s ability to replicate things.
¡°So with his help I could mass produce bullets or some of my other completed projects.¡± Kaleb finished.
¡°Yeah, but does it need a base material or can he literally make something from nothing?¡± Varlin asked.
Kaleb glanced at Daivor who only shrugged. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that and it seems Daivor doesn¡¯t know.¡±
¡°Then how about you leave it for later? It¡¯s not something you have to worry or think about right now.¡± Varlin stated.
¡°And it¡¯s not something you should yell at your friends about.¡± Jar-lock added placing a hand on Vivienne¡¯s shoulder.
Kaleb sighed and walked closer to the pair before stopping in front of Vivienne. ¡°I am sorry I yelled at you. I got over-excited.¡± Kaleb said sincerely before adding. ¡°And you are so lucky to have a big strong Warlock speak up for you. Oh! How I wish I had someone brave enough to defend my honor.¡±
Kaleb quickly back-pedaled as Vivienne went pink and Jar-lock pelted him with ice cubes again. He turned his back to the pair and let his upgraded lab coat take a few more ice cubes before he said.
¡°You two are picking those damn things up, eventually. If I slip in a puddle later, I¡¯m not building you two anything ever again.¡±
The ice cube¡¯s stopped pelting his back and Kaleb thought he had won. But soon he felt a small cube tip over the lip of his lab coat and shirt before it glided down his spine. Kaleb went rigid as the small square of ice touched his back. He spun around, staring daggers at the pair to see Jar-lock covering his mouth and pointing at Vivienne. The Wizard looked unapologetic and smug as she laughed and waved her hands in the air triumphantly.
¡°Yes! 15 points!¡± Vivienne cheered as Kaleb felt the ice cube fall out of his shirt.
Kaleb glanced over at Jar-lock who put his hands out. Silently saying: it has nothing to do with me. Kaleb returned his glare to Vivienne.
¡°You get one, Missy.¡±
¡°Call me Missy again and I¡¯ll use a fireball next time.¡± Vivienne said creating a tiny red ball of flame on the end of her new wand.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Kaleb pointed a finger at Vivienne while staring at Jar-lock. ¡°Violent. Your new girlfriend is violent.¡±
Vivienne went pink again as Jar-lock just grinned. ¡°Yes, she is. I¡¯m ok with that.¡±
Kaleb sighed as he turned back to his worktable. Daivor was standing near the newly shaped pieces of revolver holding something small in his hands. As Kaleb focused on what the Gnome was holding he realized it was a tiny, spring made of bone. Daivor glanced up at him and pointed down at a few more similar springs.
¡°Next time, leave out the springs. Bone springs don¡¯t exactly bend.¡± Daivor said.
Kaleb nodded as he turned to Roy who had been silently working away. ¡°Which bin has the springs.¡±
Roy fell into thought before he pointed at one of the shelving units. ¡°Far right, third shelf from the bottom.¡±
Going to the shelf Kaleb came back with a large green bin full of bits of metal and springs. Setting the bin down on the floor Kaleb dug through the springs. Using the bone replicas as a base he quickly found what he was looking for. Kaleb cleaned the springs as best he could before he placed them with other pieces of the revolver. With Daivor¡¯s help, Kaleb began assembling the bone gun.
Nearby he could hear Jar-lock and Vivienne picking up the scattered bits of ice cubes on his garage floor. Varlin had gone into the kitchen and was cleaning the mess he had made for their lunch. Kaleb found assembling the gun fairly quick and easy. Soon enough he had the heavy gun put together and was staring down the sights. As he did Daivor pointed up at the gun barrel and said.
¡°Problem boss.¡±
Kaleb twisted the gun and looked down the barrel. Finding a smooth bone white tube. He took a bit to realize the problem: rifling.
¡°Shit. How do we fix that?¡± Kaleb asked the small Gnome.
Daivor just smiled and waved his hand toward the barrel. As Kaleb watched, small lines etched into the walls of the barrel in the spiral pattern. Kaleb stared, mouth agape, at what Daivor had done.
¡°Seriously? Could you have shaped the whole gun yourself?!¡± Kaleb asked.
Daivor chuckled. ¡°Ha! Hell no! But shaping a little rifling is easy enough.¡±
Kaleb blew out a breath and shook his head. ¡°Damn. that could have made my life that much easier.¡±
¡°Yeah and mine more of a pain in the ass.¡± Daivor grumbled before smiling up at Kaleb.
Kaleb returned the smile before he gave the bone gun a brief run-through. He checked the rotation on the cylinder, the sights, and he gave it a few dry fires. As the gun clicked empty several times Kaleb tested the weight of the gun. It was far heavier than its size indicated. After he was satisfied with the completed gun Kaleb set it down and prepared to enchant the gun.
He decided to use a simple Strengthening Rune on the barrel for now. He would ask D34d¨CI if he wanted any specific enchantments later. He took a few sheets of paper and began his now standard pattern of drawing the rune repeatedly. As he went over the rune, Jar-lock and Vivienne had helped Varlin clean his kitchen and were now standing nearby.
¡°Uh, anything we can do to help?¡± Varlin asked.
Kaleb thought about for a few seconds as his hands worked. Eventually he shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything right now. I¡¯m just gonna strengthen the barrel and test fire a few rounds. I want to know what caliber of bullet this gun can handle.¡±
¡°You want to test it in the field?¡± Jar-lock asked, lowering his wrist communicator and looking at everyone.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Vivienne asked.
¡°The guy we are protecting tonight was just attacked at the airport.¡±
¡°He wasn¡¯t supposed to land until later tonight.¡± said Varlin, angrily.
Jar-lock nodded. ¡°Yeah, they lied about his arrival time to avoid exactly this from happening.¡±
¡°Does that mean there¡¯s a traitor in his entourage?¡± Vivienne asked
¡°Maybe.¡± Jar-lock shrugged.
¡°Damn I was hoping to test this new wand. This is probably an investigation quest or something. Find the traitor and his cohorts.¡± Vivienne grumbled.
¡°Not necessarily.¡± Kaleb interjected. ¡°And either way, you¡¯ll get to test out the wand at least a little.¡±
Vivienne nodded sullenly as she stared at her wand. ¡°I guess.¡±
Kaleb shook his head and turned to look at Jar-lock. ¡°Blood-thirsty. Your new girlfriend is blood-thirsty.¡±
Jar-lock just shook his head and laughed. ¡°Hehehe. So are you coming with us or not?¡±
Kaleb turned back to his work and grimaced. He wanted to stay in the lab a little more, raise his crafting skills and such. But the offer was tempting. Something interrupted his thoughts when he felt something soft and cold collided with the back of his head. White flakes covered his desk as he snapped his head around.
¡°Damn it, Vivienne I¨CGAH!¡± Kaleb was cut-off as another snow ball smacked him in the face.
¡°I¡¯ll show you, blood-thirsty.¡± Vivienne muttered conjuring another snowball.
Chapter 63 - Decisions and Blood
After a brief indoor snowball fight, which he easily lost, Kaleb got around to answering Jar-lock¡¯s question.
¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be joining you for this one. I wanna knuckle down and finish some crafting ideas. But contact me if you run into anything you think I can help with.¡±
Jar-lock and the others were all smiles and accepted his answer. After a short goodbye, the three magic users left his neighborhood. Left alone with his two in-game companions, Kaleb set about Imprinting the Strengthening Rune to the bone gun. It wasn¡¯t as draining as the protection Rune but it still used a good chunk of his Mana.
As he worked, Roy finished the leather cestus gloves and Daivor took apart a bullet nearby. The three worked in silence until Kaleb prepared to Imprint the Resizing Rune on the cestus. Only then did Roy ask.
¡°How were we going to attach the bone plates? Epoxy.¡±
Kaleb smacked himself in the face as he turned to Daivor. ¡°That¡¯s what I forgot to buy. An adhesive for the bone plates.¡±
Daivor nodded as he added. ¡°Your friend also left without you completing his armor. But it was an emergency and you haven¡¯t cut the bones into the correct shapes yet, anyway.¡±
Kaleb sighed at having forgotten so much and walked to his computer. Thanks to the HLO and speedster¡¯s like Chip, the things he needed were never far away. He perused the online shop for a little while until he found a high-grade glue. It was good for leather and said to hold both chemically and magically. It was a little pricey though. Biting his lip he asked.
¡°Anything else we need before I submit this order?¡±
Roy and Daivor both tilted their heads in thought. Daivor was the first to bring up a point. ¡°You need different bullets. This gun is a .38 caliber, all you bought were .22 and .50 caliber bullets. So unless you plan on Imprinting Resizing Runes on all your duck friend¡¯s bullets, buy some .38 rounds.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t I put a Resizing Rune on the cylinder?¡± Kaleb asked.
Daivor shook his head. ¡°You would have to put two of those Runes on the gun. One on the cylinder and the other on the barrel and that¡¯s just inefficient. There are only some many Runes an item can hold and to waste two on the same Rune isn¡¯t worth it.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he added a box of .38 long colt rounds to his order. He spared a glance toward Roy who had set his own project down and was looking at the bone gun.
¡°Are you going to build another gun? Because if you are, I would look for things that would help with that.¡± Roy stated.
¡°Yeah that makes sense, but the only thing I can think of is a CNC machine or something like that. But those are expensive as hell and I doubt we could fit one in here. So I¡¯m stuck using the lathe, it¡¯s far slower but I think we can make it work.¡±
Roy shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I honestly, can¡¯t think of anything else then. Besides it¡¯s not like the store is going anywhere.¡±
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
Kaleb sighed. ¡°I know, I hate making Chip run back and forth because I forgot something, though.¡±
Roy barked a laugh. ¡°Ha! He probably enjoys it. Couriers sit in a room until they get an order from their area. Ever watch a speedster try to sit still? I don¡¯t think they can do it. For some of them staying still means a kinetic energy build-up which can be very dangerous.¡±
Kaleb absently sent his order through as he asked. ¡°How do you know so much about speedsters?¡±
¡°Hey, I¡¯ve wanted to be a Super ever since I knew what one was. I studied everything about the HLO and its subsidiaries.¡±
¡°Subsidiaries?¡± Kaleb asked as Daivor went back to his work and he and Roy walked out to meet Chip.
Roy nodded. ¡°Yeah, Y¡¯know, like their Super Recovery Service, Homeless shelters, Monster Retrieval, Education services, and the gun dismantling services. All of those are handled by separate companies under the HLO umbrella.¡±
¡°Wow, I did not know that. The HLO is everywhere, huh?¡± Kaleb asked as Chip arrived with his order.
After a brief chat with the speedster Roy and Kaleb went back inside. Roy picked up the conversation. ¡°They are into everything. Some people don¡¯t like it, for whatever reason.¡±
¡°When you have one company in charge of everything it¡¯s bound to make people nervous.¡± Kaleb said dropping the box of .38 rounds down next to Daivor.
¡°But it¡¯s the HLO! They handle Supers.¡± Roy said.
Kaleb nodded as he gathered up a few of the bone plates and his new glue. ¡°So some of the most powerful people on the planet and this company tells them what to do?¡±
Roy shot him a weird look. ¡°Sure, if you say it that way it sounds a little sketchy. But the HLO works for the government.¡±
¡°Yeah, but you can understand why some people would be skeptical of the one company that all supers HAVE to work for.¡±
¡°I guess. But you don¡¯t have to work with the HLO. There is the Bounty Post and the Hunters Association. But they are not government certified.¡± Roy explained.
Kaleb set about attaching the bone plates to Mass¡¯ cestus gloves. ¡°What are those? I¡¯ve never even heard of them.¡±
Farrah spoke up from his wrist. ¡°Earlier versions of the game had three companies you could sign up with. The Bounty Post was for PVP and would let you hunt other players for higher standing in the BP. The Hunters Association was all about hunting magical creatures. But once Ozarious took over the HLO the other two companies kind of faded into the background.¡±
¡°Huh, that¡¯s weird. But, it is an ever-changing game world.¡± Kaleb said as he finished one glove and moved on the second.
As he did, he noticed Roy standing nearby looking lost after Farrah¡¯s explanation. ¡°What¡¯s up, kid?¡±
Roy shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I was just wondering if you had anymore projects for me?¡±
Kaleb thought about it before he shook his head. ¡°Not really. Once Daivor and I figure out how to make bullets from the Ifrit bones, we will probably need your help. But until then you are free to complete your own projects.¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Roy cheered. ¡°Thanks, Doc. I think I know just what to work on. Can I use some Ifrit materials?¡±
Kaleb smiled wide and nodded as his assistant ran off into his house. Daivor¡¯s gruff voice said what Kaleb was thinking. ¡°He¡¯s a good lad, a little excitable, but a good lad.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡± Kaleb said smiling and finished his work.
Looking over the two orange leather gloves the bone white plates stuck out horribly. He also couldn¡¯t think of any Runes that the big guy would want. He would definitely have to contact the pair and see what they wanted. As he looked around, he saw Daivor chipping away at an Ifirt bone with a small knife. Nearby was one of the vials of Ifrit blood he and Roy had collected. Seeing the blood sparked an idea in his mind.
¡°Hey, Daivor. What would happen if I focus my magic through the Ifrit blood while I¡¯m Imprinting?¡±
Daivor looked up in surprise and glanced over to where Kaleb was looking. As the Gnome turned back, he had a large smile on his face. Daivor stood and walked over to the vial of Ifrit blood.
¡°It SHOULD make the Imprinting way easier and quicker. But you will have to drench your hands in the stuff. The blood will call to the skin and the pull on your magic will be that much stronger. But the whole process will be quicker.¡± Daivor explained.
Kaleb scratched his chin before nodding slowly. ¡°All right. I will try it. If the change is insignificant, then we will have to find another use for all that blood.¡±
Daivor nodded as Roy returned carrying a box of materials and asking, worriedly.
¡°Whose blood?!¡±
Chapter 64 - Test Fire
Kaleb Explained about his plan and asked where Roy had stashed the rest of the Ifrit blood. Leaving the garage and moving to the side of his house Kaleb found the large Ice freezer he had purchased. Inside was some Ifirt meat they hadn¡¯t given to Derana along with two large bins full of Ifrit blood.
Moving a bin inside Kaleb had to kick aside a few things, but he managed to set the bin close enough to his worktable. Opening the bin revealed a pool of the orange-tinged blood which Kaleb skimmed his hand over. Surprised at how warm the blood still was Kaleb raised his hand quickly and let the excess blood drip back into the bin.
Once done he swiveled his hand back over to the cestus gloves. Kaleb focused his mind on the Resizing Rune and channeled his magic. This was the first time he was jumping straight to Imprinting without drawing the Rune first. But he hoped that the simpleness of the Resize Rune combined with his familiarity with it would make things easier. He pictured the rune in his mind and forced the Mana down through his blood-drenched hand.
He felt the pull on his Mana from the Ifrit skin, but there was also a strong tug from his own hand. His hand seemed to want flow down with his Magic. His hand was heating from the flow of Mana and he had to exert a moderate amount of strength just to keep his hand steady. He could feel the blood quickly dry on his hand and he was sure something had sucked the blood into the Mana stream.
As quick as the flow of Mana started, it ended. Kaleb quickly checked his hand and sure enough, the blood had been evaporated or absorbed into the skin of the gloves. Daivor spoke up, drawing Kaleb¡¯s eyes back down to the gloves he had been working on.
¡°Boss, the skin.¡±
Kaleb looked down and gasped in surprised. The glove he had been working on had changed color. The skin, which was a more orange-tan color originally, was now a deeper red color. It almost looked like it came right off an alive Ifrit. He picked up the cestus and gave it a once over, but aside from the new Imprinted Rune and color it seemed to be fine.
He glanced at his Mana before he set the first glove down and moved to the second. He wanted to get the second done as quickly as possible. He followed the same steps as he did the first and met with similar results. The blood seemed to seep down through the combined Mana and once it hit the skin; it spread like fire. Red color spread throughout the glove from the Imprinted Rune.
¡°Got the first one of these done.¡± Daivor said holding up a bullet case with an Ifrit bone cap.
Kaleb turned his attention to the Gnome and carefully picked up the bullet. ¡°Thanks, Daivor. Now I have to give it a test fire.¡±
Farrah spoke up. ¡°And WHERE exactly do you plan to do that?¡±
¡°Hmmm, maybe out back?¡± Kaleb wondered out loud picking up the bone gun and setting Daivor on his shoulder.
¡°Wait, no. You can¡¯t do that!¡± Farrah yelled.
¡°Why not it¡¯s property?¡± Kaleb said heading into his house. ¡°Roy, I¡¯m going out back to test-fire the gun.¡±
¡°Sure thing, Doc.¡± Roy said, absently. The boy was sitting on the garage floor studying something in his lap.
¡°Go to the proper facility to test your weapons or do it inside your own lab.¡± Farrah explained.
¡°The backyard is part of my home. It will only be one bullet¡ maybe. Just let the cops know in case any neighbors complain.¡± Kaleb said moving through his house to the backyard.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
¡°Why would they complain?¡± Daivor asked.
¡°I¡¯m not doing that. You have to at least do this officially.¡± Farrah said.
¡°Because of the noise.¡± Kaleb answered Daivor, ignoring he Handler completely.
¡°I can handle that.¡± Daivor said, waving his hand at the bone gun.
Kaleb loaded the round in the gun as whatever magic Daivor cast seeped into the weapon. ¡°See, Farrah? Gnome¡¯s got it handled.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand him!¡± Farrah complained as Kaleb aimed the gun at a spot in the distance and fired.
Kaleb saw the dirt kick up off in the distance where he had aimed and he was pretty sure the muzzle flashed. But there had been no sound. No click of the trigger, no hammer dropping onto the cartridge, and no loud clap from the bullet firing. Kaleb twisted his head to look amazed at Daivor.
¡°Gnome Magic.¡± Daivor said grinning wide.
¡°I give up.¡± Farrah said. ¡°I am logging off, my AI clone can handle your crazy for today.¡±
¡°Bye Farrah, we love you.¡± Kaleb said sarcastically.
¡°Bite me, lizard.¡±
Kaleb chuckled as he looked back to his Gnome companion. ¡°So how long does that spell last?¡±
¡°A few minutes, why?¡±
¡°It¡¯s better than a silencer, dude. Can I learn it?¡± Kaleb asked as he walked to where the bullet hit the ground.
Daivor shook his head. ¡°Nope. Gnome¡¯s only. But there is a Silencing Rune, it is almost as good.¡±
Kaleb dug through the ground looking for pieces of the bone bullet. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just for voices?¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s the Muffling Rune.¡±
¡°Huh, good to kn-OW!¡± Kaleb screamed as his hand found something burning hot.
Looking down Kaleb saw the still intact round softly glowing red against the brown dirt. It had been hot to touch and even looked like it was still steaming. It surprised him that the round was still whole too, usually a bullet would either shatter or deform somehow. But he guessed the toughness of the Ifrit¡¯s bones had to account for something. It took a few minutes for the bullet to cool enough for him to pick it up but once it did Kaleb inspected it while asking Daivor.
¡°Do you think we can use this again? It seems fine.¡±
¡°Maybe.¡± Daivor said. ¡°But you would need a new casing, new powder, and a new primer.¡±
¡°Might as well buy a new bullet. The heat is interesting though. Could we increase the heat? Would make for good penetrating power if the bullets could melt their way through things.¡± Kaleb pondered as they made their way back inside.
Daivor rubbed his beard. ¡°Maybe a Fire Rune on the barrel or the bullet. Either way, you are looking at a lot of Enchanting. But the bones should be able to withstand a ton a heat.¡±
¡°One hell of a hotshot, huh?¡± Kaleb joked as they entered his lab.
*click* *snikt*
The sound of a blade sliding out of something metal filled the lab just as Kaleb walked in. Turning, he saw Roy standing with both arms extended to his sides. Roy was wearing thin metal frames covered in strips of Ifrit skin on each of his forearms. Out of the metal frames, two shaved down black Ifrit claws extended past his hands. Essentially Roy had given himself four claws.
¡°Nice.¡± Kaleb said moving to inspect the forearm bracers.
He¡¯s voice seemed to startle Roy who appeared to get embarrassed. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just something I¡¯ve been working on. They are kinda heavy though and I was thinking of adding or replacing the claws with the Ifrit bones.¡±
Kaleb nodded as Daivor tilted his head in thought. ¡°Once the leather hardens his arms will have a good defense but does he intend to kill everyone he fights.¡±
Kaleb brought up Daivor¡¯s concern and Roy agreed saying. ¡°No, these are the lethal variants. I was thinking of having different blades for different situations.¡±
¡°Then you will have to switch them out on the fly. You must do it quickly too, bad guys aren¡¯t gonna wait around for you to load a new weapon.¡± Kaleb said.
In response, Roy tapped something the left side of the frame on his right forearm. A hatch opened and Roy stuck in his finger in, pressing on something inside. The right side of the bracer popped open as it pushed one blade out and onto the garage floor. Kaleb understood, if Roy carried similar shaped blades or batons he could swap them out by sliding the new one into the bracer.
¡°Not bad but if you carry around a bunch of blades and such, anyway. Why use the bracers?¡± Kaleb asked.
Roy got a surprised look on his face before he seemed to think about it.
¡°Damn it!¡±
Chapter 65 - Monotony and Pride
Roy was a little downcast after Kaleb pointed out the obvious problem with his chosen weapon. But the young Nova bounced back, immediately returning to his work. Kaleb smiled at the look of determination on Roy¡¯s face. He almost chuckled remembering how adverse his Assistant had been about learning to build his own equipment.
He walked back to his Workbench and set down the bone gun and still warm bullet. He was dreading making a second gun. The lathe work would probably take all day. He lightly slapped his cheek, dismissing such thoughts and set about tearing the Bone gun apart. He would need the parts so he could measure then cut out the pieces he would need.
As he worked Daivor stood on the table. ¡°Should I make more bullets?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Kaleb said stopping his hands and shrugging. ¡°What do you think would be the best use of our time? More bone bullets or Enchanting the normal ones?¡±
The Gnome seemed surprised at being asked his opinion but he rallied quickly. ¡°Hmmmm, I would say you should make the second gun and we can worry about Enchanting the normal bullets later. The bone bullets are a good idea but we need more experimentation. Does your friend use any other weapon? Maybe we can make him something simple to go with the heavy-ass guns.¡±
Kaleb thought about D34d¨CI as his hands went back to work. ¡°A collapsible machete and a rifle. I think that¡¯s it.¡±
¡°A one trick duck, huh?¡± Daivor grumbled.
¡°I guess.¡± Kaleb said
¡°Why not make him armor like your Warlock buddy?¡± Daivor said as he cleaned the worktable.
Kaleb made a grunt of agreement as he took the measurements of the other gun. Luckily he realized that the bone gun was the exact shape of his new 38 revolver. And he easily found the measurements for the gun online. He double-checked what he found with what he had but it was virtually the same. After he finished, he grabbed a new Ifrit bone and settled in with the lathe to machine the parts.
The loud whirring of the machine drowned out most everything else happening in the garage. Kaleb maintained a vigil over the machine as it slowly cut the bone into shape. He noticed a huge problem early on as the bone heated fairly quickly. He had to stop for a few minutes so he could get a large bucket of water to keep the bone cool as it spun.
This lead to an increased rate of stopping and starting as he watched the bone. Daivor spared his sanity once the Gnome finished his little cleaning project and glanced over.
¡°Just use a Heat Dispersion Rune on the bone. You won¡¯t have to Imprint it so you should be able to save Magic by just drawing the Rune.¡±
Daivor had to yell to be heard and Kaleb had to stop the lathe and ask the Gnome to repeat himself. Once he did Kaleb dipped his hand in the bucket of water and touched his neck and face.
¡°That¡¯s¡ a good idea. I¡¯ve been thinking though. For runes, do I have to draw them myself? Couldn¡¯t I use a stamp or something similar?¡±
Daivor nodded. ¡°Sure. But you need to get the stamp right. A shitty stamp or branding iron will just leave a shitty Rune. But once you have a Rune you are happy with, it''s a piece of cake. You only have to channel the magic through the stamp or whatever you are using though.¡±
Kaleb nodded slowly before he shook the idea off. ¡°Something for later. For now, I need the Heat Dispersion Rune.¡±
Kaleb walked to his worktable and picked up his book of Runes. Once he found the Rune he needed, he settled in to practice. The Rune wasn¡¯t hard, a few squiggly lines and triangle and he had it done. His new Enchanting Glove shocked him a little, so he kept at it until he was happy. As he was drawing the Rune onto the bone, he got a notification that almost broke his concentration.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
*Your Companion, Roy Nova has learned the Electrician skill*
The notice surprised Kaleb, but he kept his focus and finished drawing the Rune. Once he finished, he quickly turned around to see Roy messing with his left bracer. Roy had apparently gutted the internal mechanisms, and he was wiring a power source to the inside his large arm guard. Kaleb thought he could just make out a yellow crystal in the housing of the power source.
He smiled at his assistant again as he turned back to his work. Daivor had just finished checking over his design and gave him a silent thumbs up. Kaleb nodded and went back to machining the parts for D34d¨CI second revolver. As he started up the lathe again he sighed, silently promising that his next big lab purchase would be a CNC machine.
Time passed and the light outside dimmed as Kaleb and Roy worked to the loud whirring of the lathe. The Heat Dispersion Rune Helped immensely as Kaleb bored the holes into a new cylinder. As he worked he noticed that Daivor had clambered his way across the wall and over to Kaleb and the lathe. Once there, the Gnome chanted a spell. Kaleb couldn¡¯t hear what kind of spell it was, but he was happy the Gnome was helping.
It took longer than he would have liked, but it was still quick. Kaleb soon had the parts needed for a second revolver. Except for the springs. As he realized that oversight he almost broke out into loud swears. But Daivor got his attention and pointed at the Worktable. Kaleb smiled, at some point Daivor must have dove back into the bin full of springs. Because now, the springs he needed were laid out and ready for him.
¡°Don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you.¡± Kaleb joked to Daivor.
¡°Honestly, I am surprised that all you are missing is one arm.¡± Daivor snapped back.
¡°Ha!¡± Kaleb laughed reveling in the return of actual sound.
He swore his head was still vibrating from the loud hum of the lathe. As he shuffled the parts over to his worktable, he spared a glance at Roy. The boy had gotten a pair of earbuds from somewhere and was working on a blunt baton of some kind. Kaleb almost laughed, Roy had created a little nest for himself in the right half of the garage. He was surrounded by all kinds of wiring and bits of metal junk.
As long as he cleans up after himself. Kaleb thought as he put the two Bone Guns back together. He breathed an audible sigh of relief as everything fit together easily. He smiled down at Daivor, ready to thank the Gnome for whatever magical contribution he had provided. But the Gnome looked just as relieved as he did.
¡°What spell were you using while the lathe was going?¡± Kaleb asked.
Daivor smiled and put a finger next to his nose. ¡°A special Gnomish spell. Want me to teach it to you?¡±
¡°Does it work?¡±
¡°Yeah, about fifty percent of the time.¡±
Kaleb thought about it before he nodded at Daivor. ¡°Sure, if I can learn it. Teach me.¡±
Daivor clasped both his hands in front of his chest. ¡°First: You put your hands together. Second: You say ¡°Don¡¯t fuck it up.¡± repeatedly until the job is complete.¡±
Kaleb glared at the Gnome as Daivor laughed to himself. Kaleb sighed and shook his head as he couldn¡¯t pretend to be angry at the Gnome. The entire process of building the second gun had been almost as draining as using his friends magic to Shape the first. He was honestly just happy to be finished with the whole project.
As he looked down at the two completed bone guns, he briefly wondered what kind of Enchantments D34d¨CI would choose. He supposed he could give the Duck and his friend a call. He glanced down at his communicator and cleared his throat.
¡°Ahem. Farrah, can you get in touch with D34d¨CI¡¯s Handler and let them know I want to talk to their Super?¡±
¡°Can do.¡± AI Farrah said happily.
Kaleb stood from his chair and stretched out his back. As he waited for Farrah, he tried to figure out what his young assistant was working on. He didn¡¯t want to get to close and distract the boy but his own curiosity was burning. It looked like Roy had increased the size of his metal forearm bracers and added an electric element to his left arm but Kaleb couldn¡¯t tell anything else.
¡°D34d¨CI is not on-duty yet. Should I leave a message with his Handler?¡± Farrah said from Kaleb¡¯s wrist.
¡°Sure. Just let them know I need help with the finishing touches on their Ifrit equipment. If they can stop by my lab ASAP that would be great, thanks.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°Got it. I will relay the message.¡± Farrah answered before going quiet again.
Kaleb was about to go over what else he wanted to do with the rest of his day when Roy spoke up behind him.
¡°Hey, Doc. Can I get your help with this?¡±
Chapter 66 - Magic Gun
After helping Roy with a little electrical problem, Kaleb went back to his workbench. He had plenty of bones, skin, and sinew left. He needed to work out how he wanted to use the stuff. He was sure he wanted to add a lining of Ifrit skin to his lab coat and maybe his armor. But did his weapons need an upgrade?
He stared down at the workbench, finding the pieces of the revolver he bought. He hadn¡¯t put it back together after making his second bone gun. He also still had the bone bullets laying out on the table. Kaleb felt the wheels in his mind whirring as he thought about his brand new gun and ammo.
¡°What you thinking, boss?¡± Daivor asked, following Kaleb¡¯s eyes.
¡°I was thinking about putting different Runes on some bullets and seeing how they react. Like, would an Ice Rune freeze targets? Maybe an Electric Rune to stun people.¡± Kaleb explained.
Daivor waggled his head noncommittally. ¡°Eh, it might work. But you are still shooting someone with a bullet. Making their wound cold wouldn¡¯t change much.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he sewed Ifrit skin into his lab coat. He didn¡¯t need the Ifrit skin to be stiff, so he skipped soaking the skin. As he worked, he asked Daivor.
¡°You have any ideas?¡±
¡°Maybe. Can I use a Mana stone and the glowing stuff from the other day?¡± Daivor asked.
Kaleb tilted his head. ¡°Glowing stuff?¡±
¡°The blue vial I amped up the other day.¡± Daivor said.
Kaleb¡¯s eyes widened as he remembered the vial of blue liquid he had gotten from the Jellyfish monster. ¡°Oh yeah, what did you do to that thing, anyway?¡±
¡°I gave it a little jump to get the Magic going. The creature you got that from must have been a huge bastard. Its blood can hold a large amount of Magic.¡±
Kaleb had to get up and search around for the vial but he eventually found it. When he did, he studied the liquid. It still felt warm to the touch and almost seemed to bubble with power. He compared it to the large bin of Ifrit blood. While he could sense power in the blue vial the orange Ifrit blood seemed almost mundane.
¡°How is this different from the Ifrit blood?¡± Kaleb asked, shaking the blue vial as he handed it to Daivor.
Daivor froze in thought for a few seconds before responding. ¡°This stuff is Magical, the Ifrit¡¯s blood can merely channel Magic.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t that make it Magical.¡± Kaleb asked sitting down and going back to his work.
¡°Not really.¡± Daivor said, seeming to struggle to find the right words. ¡°Whatever you got this vial from was a Creature of Magic. The Ifrit was a creature from a Magical realm. Make sense?¡±
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡°Not really.¡± Kaleb replied honestly.
Daivor grumbled. ¡°They¡¯re just different! This stuff can hold and channel magic better than the Ifrit blood.¡±
Kaleb finished one side of his lab coat and checked his work. ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you say so before? Do your thing, master Gnome. Besides you don¡¯t have to ask, build what you want, when you want to. Just let me know what you are using so I know what I need to replace.¡±
Kaleb started on the other side of his lab coat as he had a second thought. ¡°Uh, you don¡¯t need that whole vial, do you?¡±
Daivor didn¡¯t answer so Kaleb glanced up seeing the Gnome looking at him strangely. Before Kaleb could snap him out of it though the Gnome seemed to gather himself.
¡°Ahem. No, I¡ I won¡¯t need all of it. Just a small amount.¡± Daivor said, somewhat awkwardly.
Kaleb titled his head curiously at the Gnome before he decided not to ask. He continued to sew as he listened to both Roy and Daivor working on their separate projects. Kaleb¡¯s mind fell into a kind of fugue state as his hands worked. The skin was soft enough for a needle and his hands quickly got into a rhythm. He occasionally would see Daivor walking across the table to get something, but he tried not to bother the small Gnome.
Kaleb had finished his lab coat and was working on his armor when Daivor spoke up.
¡°What do you think, Boss?¡±
Kaleb glanced up to see Daivor holding up the black revolver. The Gnome had removed the cylinder and replaced it with a strange frame contraption that held a horizontal hourglass. Inside the hourglass Kaleb could see a small amount of the blue liquid from the jellyfish. Daivor had also created a rudimentary setting for a Mana Stone in the gun''s grip.
¡°Well, it looks¡ different. But what¡¯s it for?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°It¡¯s for you. A proper Magic user needs something to channel their Magic. This will not only allow you to do that, but it will also increase the¡ potency of your Magic. Once you get used to it.¡± Daivor explained.
¡°Get used to it?¡±
Daivor nodded. ¡°Yeah, normally with wands or Foci you channel your magic through the object. But with this you have to channel your Magic up through the blood of our little friend here and then out the barrel. It will take practice to get the Mana flow right.¡±
Kaleb picked up the revolver and looked it over. ¡°So it will kind of act like another training tool. Helping me get better control of my Magic.¡±
¡°Yeah, I guess it could work that way. And with the Mana stone, you can store a little magic away for emergencies.¡±
Kaleb smiled at the revolver until he noticed the obvious. ¡°Isn¡¯t the hourglass thing too exposed? What happens if it breaks?¡±
¡°Then the Magical Amp won¡¯t work and you must replace the liquid. But I recommend creating a strong shell for this frame from the Ifrit bones and Imprinting the best protection rune you can find. Both on the gun itself and the Magical Amp.¡± Daivor said.
Kaleb nodded as he went to work, forgetting all about his half-finished armor. The gun was a neat creation and, in Kaleb¡¯s opinion, way cooler than a wand or necklace. He had to rework another piece of bone with his lathe but eventually he got two flat pieces to cover where the cylinder used to go. But as he lined them up on the gun¡¯s frame Daivor stopped him.
¡°I forgot to mention. That hourglass part needs room to spin horizontally. Once you pour your Magic into it that things going to come alive.¡±
Kaleb sighed and went back to the drawing board. He eventually came up with a hollow cylinder that could attach to the crane and still had enough room inside for the Magical Amp to spin. It took some careful measuring, but he got the bone cylinder in place. In the end the gun didn¡¯t look too different from what it originally looked like. Except now it had a bone white smooth cylinder.
¡°What about the hammer is that going to be a problem?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°It shouldn¡¯t. You don¡¯t even really have to pull a trigger. Just point, channel your magic, and release. But, if you want, we can jam the hammer somehow.¡±
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°No need, I don¡¯t think it would be the same without the hammer.¡±
Kaleb sat his new Magic gun down before he smiled at Daivor. ¡°Thanks for this Daivor. It¡¯s really cool.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you going to test it out?¡± Daivor asked.
Kaleb looked out his garage door to the evening sky. It was slowly growing darker outside. Farrah had warned him about test firing outside, But Daivor¡¯s Magic made the noise a non-issue. But someone would probably report seeing fire and ice spells flying outside their windows. Kaleb tossed the idea around in his head a few times before he looked down at Daivor¡¯s creation.
¡°Fuck it, lets give it a go.¡± Kaleb said grabbing the gun and the Gnome and heading to his backyard.
Chapter 67 - Random PVP
Kaleb walked out to his backyard with Daivor riding on his shoulder. As he did Daivor had him hastily draw a Protection Rune on the barrel of his gun. The Rune would help the barrel withstand the magic he would channel through it. He would Imprint the Rune later after he gave it a few practice shots.
He sat Daivor down on a nearby table and looked around for a decent target. The ground had worked for a standard bullet but he didn¡¯t want to freeze or burn the grass in his backyard. Also, the Magic would be amplified, so he didn¡¯t want the Magic to go out of control somehow. He was looking up at the darkening sky, wondering about just firing his gun into the air when he heard a loud scream.
¡°Somebody, help us!¡±
Kaleb glanced down at Daivor who was looking back up at him. The scream had been clearly audible and seemed to come from the street behind Kaleb¡¯s house. Daivor had a worried look on his face as another cry for help echoed. Kaleb just sighed and jogged toward the noise.
¡°I¡¯ll go look. It¡¯s probably just some random mugger. I guess my new Magic gun will see action without proper testing. You go back inside.¡±
Daivor shouted after him. ¡°Just be careful, boss. The gun will take a few seconds to fire.¡±
Kaleb raised his hand in acknowledgment as he kept jogging toward the screams. He was guessing it was another small incident like the one after his trip to Galveston. The petty criminals were still out in full force. Kaleb wondered how long it would be until the big villains would come out of the woodwork.
As he jogged around the house opposite his own, he took stock of his weapons. He had his lab coat, his new gun, and his every present rail launcher and Shocky 2.0 in his metal arm. It wasn¡¯t too bad of a selection, but if anything went bad, he would have to rely on his Hand-to-Hand skills. Maybe I need a utility belt or maybe I should sew a bunch of pockets into my lab coat. Kaleb thought as he entered the glow of a nearby street lamp.
Once he made it to the sidewalk finding the people in need of help was relatively easy. It was a young couple across the street and about four houses over. They were huddled underneath a streetlight as what looked like a hairy shirtless man accosted them. As Kaleb jogged closer, he thought he could hear growling. The couple seemed to be ok although the young woman was using her purse as a weapon to keep the small hairy man at bay while her date had wrapped himself around the streetlight, terrified.
¡°Ow! Listen you stupid NPC just hand over the purse and I won¡¯t use my claws to rip you and your boyfriend apart.¡± Kaleb heard the smaller man say as he easily avoided a swing from the frightened woman.
Oh, great his a player. Kaleb thought as he approached the whole scene. As he got closer the woman looked up to see him approaching. But apparently the sight of a six-foot lizard man wasn¡¯t as comforting as Kaleb would have hoped. The woman screamed louder and swung her purse around erratically. The woman¡¯s reaction made the hairy man turn to face Kaleb who almost recoiled in shock.
The small shirtless man looked like a werewolf that had stopped transforming halfway through. His arms were elongated and his hands were large with sharp claws, and he had the hair. But his nose was halfway between a snout and a regular human nose. Plus the hair was patchy and thinned out in some areas. Kaleb saw the shorter man¡¯s eyes bulge at seeing him, but the short player steeled himself and barked out.
¡°Back off, asshat! These two are mine! This game is already hard enough for a solo villain without some other jag-off trying to take what¡¯s mine.¡±
Kaleb approached slowly and tried to placate the obviously angry player. ¡°Ha! Been a rough start for you, huh?¡±
The werewolf-man snorted through its deformed nose. ¡°You don¡¯t even know the half of it. My mutation sucks, equipment prices are sky high, and joining one of the bigger villain factions is like applying for a corporate job.¡±
¡°Why not start your own group?¡± Kaleb asked idly as he got closer to the werewolf player and his victims.
¡°Ha! You know anyone who''s looking for a half-werewolf? Besides finding other villains is a pain in the ass. It was easy after the Tutorial Event but since then, it¡¯s been a bitch.¡±
Kaleb nodded solemnly as he rubbed his chin. He now stood in front of the smaller player. ¡°Yeah, I see your point. Have you tried Under-Town?¡±
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Kaleb saw the players left pointed ear twitch.
¡°What¡¯s Under-Town?¡±
¡°Ha! Oh my friend, it¡¯s the land of milk and honey for people like you and me.¡± Kaleb said as he drifted around trying to place himself between the mini-werewolf and the couple.
As he moved though the werewolf caught sight of the couple which seemed to remind him of what he had been doing. The werewolf swept forward, surprising Kaleb with how fast he could move. Kaleb stuck his arm out in the werewolf''s path bringing him up short. As the werewolf player turned to snarl something at Kaleb, his beady black eyes caught on the metal communicator Kaleb was wearing.
The villain player¡¯s eyes seemed to turn yellow as he yelled a question at Kaleb. ¡°You¡¯re a damn HERO?!¡±
Kaleb gave a toothy grin down at the small werewolf as he turned to the couple. The man and woman seemed just as shocked as the werewolf. Kaleb raised his new gun as he yelled at the stupefied couple.
¡°You should run!¡±
Kaleb¡¯s gun was only halfway up when he felt the other player shove him hard with both hands. It knocked the air from his lungs as he was thrown into the middle of the street. He quickly rolled and tried to locate the player finding him chasing after the couple and easily getting ahead of them. Kaleb jumped up and aimed his Magic gun.
He maintained the image of a fire bullet as he channeled his magic through the amplifier Daivor had made. He stayed still as he focused the Magic out of the Magic Amp and through the barrel of his gun. The barrel glowed for a few seconds before a burst of fire Magic flew from the gun. The Magical bullet collided with the player¡¯s shoulder just as he was about to attack the couple.
The player gave a dog-like yelp and fell to the ground as Kaleb rushed forward. As he did, he tried to channel his magic into the gun again. But he found that moving and channeling was a little difficult at the moment. So instead he lowered the gun and slowed to a fast walk whistling condescendingly.
¡°Here boy. Come here. Come get your ass whoopin.¡±
The werewolf player snarled as he rolled to his feet cradling his burned shoulder. ¡°Ha! Ha! That¡¯s funny. You damn bastard, I¡¯m gonna gut you like a damn fish.¡±
The player jumped to his feet and ignoring the couple charged straight at Kaleb. Kaleb had mixed feelings as he saw the snarling hairy torpedo charging at him. The werewolf was far faster than he was and Kaleb thought he could see the burn wound healing slowly already. He twisted to the side as the werewolf player lunged towards his midsection. The player¡¯s clawed hands just barely missing as he sailed past.
As the player spun to reorient himself for another attack, Kaleb fired a spike down toward the werewolf¡¯s thigh. There was a meaty thunk as the spike punched through the other players thigh muscle and smacked into the street. Kaleb jumped back as the werewolf sent a blind swipe toward him.
¡°OW! Fuck dude! What the hell was that!?¡±
Kaleb grinned as he held up his robot arm. ¡°Just some modifications I made to my arm. Now be a good, bad guy and wait quietly until the SPPD come to get you.¡±
¡°No way, dude. I¡¯ve heard about players going to the in-game prison. It sounds boring as hell. I¡¯d rather you kill me, dealing with that weird death world is a lot easier than prison.¡±
Kaleb was curious about the words ¡®death world¡¯ but he could also see the wound on the werewolf player¡¯s leg healing fast. So instead he aimed his spike launcher at the players other leg and prepared to fire. Unfortunately, the werewolf was faster, and he made a short one-legged hop, barreling into Kaleb¡¯s stomach and sending them both to the ground.
Kaleb deployed his shield and threw his metal arm up as his opponent mounted him and tried to claw at his face. The other player clawed at him as Kaleb pointed his gun into the werewolf side and tried to channel his Mana. As he channeled, he mentally activated Shocky 2.0 to buy himself some time. The werewolf mutant yelped in pain as the electric shock went through him. Kaleb focused another fire bullet through the barrel of his gun and into the side of the other player.
The player gave another yelp then slumped forward, breathing hard. Kaleb was surprised he hadn¡¯t killed the werewolf, but he hadn¡¯t channeled this shot as long as the first. He slid out from under the werewolf player as he heard sirens approaching in the distance. The werewolf player groaned at spat up a little blood.
¡°Ugh! Damn it. This sucks.¡±
Kaleb grinned down at the other player. ¡°You¡¯re a resilient bastard, aren¡¯t you?¡±
The player coughed loudly again. ¡°One perk of being lycanthrope, even if I can¡¯t get the transformation down fully.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯d work on that. You¡¯re already a pain in the ass; I¡¯d hate to see you at full wolf.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll have plenty of time to figure it out in prison, I guess.¡±
Kaleb sighed as he looked over his clawed up metal arm. ¡°Maybe you can start a prison gang.¡± Kaleb said jokingly.
Kaleb had expected the other player to laugh but instead when he looked down he found the guy smiling.
¡°Now that¡¯s an idea. Maybe this prison thing won¡¯t be so bad at all. It¡¯s probably an easier way to meet other villain players.¡± said the werewolf.
¡°If you say so.¡± Kaleb said shaking his head as the SPPD van drove up.
After a brief rundown of the fight and a description of the victims, they allowed Kaleb to return home. As the officers loaded the player, named Shaggy, into their van Kaleb thought he could see the other player grinning happily. Kaleb sighed as he walked back home looking over his damaged arm. The werewolf had clawed into both it and Shocky. He thought about adding the Ifrit skin to his arm and shield as he entered his home.
Chapter 68 - A Long Day
Kaleb drew a curious stare from Roy as he walked back into his garage and Daivor immediately asked.
¡°What happened?¡±
Kaleb smiled at his two companions as he detached his metal arm and set it on the workbench. As he described his encounter werewolf he took off several of clawed up plates. It surprised him how much damage Shaggy had done with just his claws. He hadn¡¯t broken the frame, but Shaggy had clawed through several sheets of metal. When he finished his story, he was looking over the thin metal sheets he had used in his arm and he found something.
¡°Is this blood?¡± Kaleb asked as he brought the metal sheet closer to his eyes.
Daivor crept closer as he looked at the piece of metal in Kaleb¡¯s hand. ¡°Yeah, looks like you got hair in there too. The damn wolf must have been cut himself.¡±
¡°Ew, you probably want to clean that off, Doc.¡± Roy said looking over Kaleb¡¯s shoulder.
Kaleb nodded slowly before he had a better thought. Walking over to his shelf full of bins, he searched for a decent-sized vial. He eventually found what he wanted and did his best to gather the werewolf hairs and blood into two separate glass tubes. Daivor¡¯s nose curled in disgust as he watched Kaleb work.
¡°What in the 6 Hells are you doing?¡± The Gnome asked.
Kaleb studied the blood. ¡°This guy had an impressive regenerative ability. He was a mutant so maybe I can isolate the errant genome that evolved to give him those powers. Maybe replicate them in myself or give my regeneration a boost.¡±
Daivor shook his head. ¡°Whatever you say. That medical crap is beyond me. But this...¡± he said pointing at Kaleb¡¯s metal arm. ¡°This is something I can work with.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Yeah, whatever you can think of, let me know.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you have the genetic research from that Rat King guy?¡± Roy asked as he went back to his little nest of equipment.
¡°Yeah I did, it¡¯s on my laptop. Wait¡ how do you know about that?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°I was using your laptop to look up some stuff. It was just sitting there on your desktop, labeled research.¡± Roy explained as he went back to work on his bracers.
Kaleb shrugged his shoulders as he thought about Dr. Kane¡¯s research. He should probably protect that better. He set the vials of hair and blood down on the workbench and opened his laptop. Sure enough, Dr. Kane¡¯s work was on a folder on his desktop. He remembered reading through work before gaining a whole level in Genetics. He password protected the folder and closed his laptop as he thought about his Genetics skill.
As he thought about using genetics to give himself powers, he looked around his tiny garage. He had nowhere near the equipment he needed, let alone the space to fit it all in his garage. He sighed, deciding to let the matter wait until he moved to his new lair this weekend. He would save the blood and hair until he could gain access to what he needed. Kaleb also made a mental note to collect more samples from other mutants and aliens. Once he had a full genetics lab up a running, he would have a good base to start from.
Setting those thoughts aside, Kaleb glanced downward to see Daivor removing the few rail spikes from his arm. The Gnome had a small pile of the spikes lined up near where Kaleb was standing. Once he saw Kaleb watching him, Daivor barked orders.
¡°Done with your daydreams? Good. Time to get back to work. You need to Imprint these with Protection Runes. I will sort out that mess you got going on inside that arm.¡±
Kaleb wanted to say something but he really couldn¡¯t think of anything else he could do with one arm. So he set about Imprinting the rail spikes as Daivor dove into the inner workings of his arm. Kaleb tried to think about what he wanted to get done tonight. He needed to line his armor with the Ifrit skin, add some hardened leather to Shocky 2.0, rebuild his Taser Egg, and Rune his new Magic Gun. Side-note: come up with a better name for Magic Gun. Kaleb thought as his hands worked at Imprinting whenever he felt a headache coming on he would stop and wait for his Mana to recover.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
He finished his task far faster than Daivor, so Kaleb set about practicing different Runes on the slim rail spikes. He put a Fire Rune, an Ice Rune, and Sickness Rune on some spikes. He wanted to place a Gravity Rune on one of them but the complexity of the Rune, along with his instincts screaming that it was a bad idea stopped him. He didn¡¯t know what would happen if he tried to shove a complex Rune into something that wouldn¡¯t hold it, but he didn¡¯t want to find out.
He saw Daivor clamber his way back out of his arm and asked. ¡°Everything good to go in there?¡±
¡°Huh? Oh yeah, you should be good. I replaced some parts and strengthened the pneumatics. Also cleaned the gunk out of the thing. You really need to do daily maintenance on that thing.¡±
Kaleb nodded absently as he reloaded and reattached his metal arm. He gave his arm a few rotations before he grinned at Daivor.
¡°Well, it¡¯s time to get back to it.¡±
Daivor just nodded as Kaleb set about replacing the plates on his arm. Once he had new sheets of metal in place, he lined Shocky 2.0 with strips of Ifrit skin bolting the bits of skin in place. As he worked, and the night grew long, Kaleb¡¯s stomach rumbled in hunger. He ignored it until he had finished adding the skin to his armor. He would imprint the various Runes on his equipment at a later date. The day was growing to a close, and he had the job with the Quinica in the morning.
He turned to let Roy know he should wrap things up and was surprised by his young assistant. Roy had covered his bracers in hardened Ifrit skin making them look like dark-orange rectangles attached to his forearms. Roy seemed to have finished with his little experiment and was now smiling down at his bracers.
¡°So¡ what do they do?¡± Kaleb asked, drawing Daivor¡¯s attention from the workbench.
Roy glanced up at him pensively before he jerked his left wrist. As he did, there was an audible mechanical click in the garage and Roy was suddenly holding a foot-long metal baton. The baton sparked with electricity as Roy gave it a few swings. Then the young Nova made the same jerking motion, and the baton vanished. Kaleb tried to follow the cylindrical piece of metal with his eyes but the baton seemed to jump up into Roy¡¯s bracer.
Kaleb gave a short whistle, impressed. ¡°Cool, so how did you do it?¡±
¡°I stored three collapsible batons in the bottom of my left bracer. When I tilt my wrist, it drops the baton into my hand. To put it back, I twist the wrist again and a tiny arm grabs it and puts it back in the bracer.¡± Roy explained.
Kaleb nodded slowly as he thought about the amount of trial-and-error Roy had to go through. As he looked over the left bracer, he thought about the right one. Roy seemed to catch his look as he made the same twisting motion with his right wrist this time. This mechanism was a little slower and when it finished Roy was holding a sharpened spike. Kaleb nodded as he understood, the left bracer was the non-lethal option while the right was the lethal one.
Roy collapsed the sharp spike himself and placed it in a small compartment in his right bracer. ¡°I haven¡¯t got the mechanism done for the right bracer yet.¡±
¡°So what was the yellow crystal for?¡± Kaleb asked.
Roy took off his left bracer and opened a hinge on the top. Inside sitting on top of the three collapsible batons Roy had made was the power housing. Roy had wired the crystal into the sockets that held the batons. The crystal was charging the baton as they were cradled in the bracer. Inside Kaleb saw a gratuitous amount of epoxy and a thin layer of Ifrit skin lined the inside of the bulky bracer. Roy answered his unasked question.
¡°I had to insulate the hell out of the inside.¡±
¡°Good call.¡± Daivor said. ¡°While Magically conductive, the stuff won¡¯t conduct electricity that well.¡±
Kaleb nodded as closed up the bracer. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good work, Roy. But we will have to call it a day. I have to go to Under-Town in the morning. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be helping down there, but Daivor can let you in to finish up your work if I am out all day.¡±
Roy nodded and cleaned up his workspace as Kaleb moved to his workbench and did the same. After the three had finished cleaning up, Kaleb had the others help him finish the lasagna Varlin had made them. After the food finished reheating, the three sat at Kaleb kitchen table and discussed their plans for future builds until Daivor asked
¡°So what are you doing in the Under-Town, boss?¡±
¡°Helping a vendor resell K-tech¡¯s broken equipment. I fix it up, they sell it, and I get the odd bit of equipment.¡± Kaleb explained.
¡°Well, shouldn¡¯t I come along? Maybe I can help you spot some of the rarer stuff?¡± Roy said excitedly.
¡°Me too, Boss. Gnomes have a nose for this stuff.¡± Daivor said.
Kaleb shook his head at the two. ¡°YOU have school.¡± Kaleb said pointing at Roy. ¡°And I didn¡¯t know if you wanted to leave your new home so soon, Daivor.¡±
Daivor shrugged. ¡°This sounds more interesting than waiting around here.¡±
Roy waited until Daivor stopped talking before he added his own two cents. ¡°They will not fail me for missing a day. Especially the day before the last day, they almost expect seniors to stop coming to school.¡±
Kaleb put a bite of lasagna in his mouth and chewed as he thought, eventually shrugging. ¡°Fuck it! I am not your parents. If you are here in the morning before we go, you can go with us.¡±
¡°Fuck yeah!¡± Roy shouted.
Kaleb chuckled to himself as he finished his plate and got up to put it in the sink. He watched Roy and Daivor pantomiming stealing each other''s food and he smiled. He hoped he wasn¡¯t making a giant mistake allowing the two to come with him. But, he figured the Quinica would welcome two more sets of hands.
Soon after they finished eating, Roy rushed home and Kaleb locked down his house. He closed up his garage and got everything set away before he went to his room. Turning on his heat lamps, Kaleb curled up on his bed on yawned, thinking: That was a fucking long day.
Chapter 69 - A Veritable Smorgasbord
¡°Holy Shit!¡± Roy said as he stared out at the underground cavern that housed Under-Town. ¡°How long has this been here? And why wasn¡¯t I told about it?¡±
Kaleb smiled and shrugged his shoulders, nearly dislodging Daivor. ¡°I don¡¯t know on either count. Now close your mouth before someone mistakes you for a tourist. Let¡¯s go and make sure you watch your wallet.¡±
Kaleb yawned as he waded his way through the main street of Under-Town. He had wanted to get here early, hoping the streets would be less crowded. But he got a rude awakening when he and Roy had slid down the entrance tunnel. The streets were almost just as packed as last time he was here. Although the noise and excitement from the arena was far more muted than the last time.
Kaleb adjusted his armor as he squeezed himself between the crowds. His armor was noticeable warmer after he added the Ifrit skin lining. He briefly wondered if there was a Rune for comfort or something to moderate his temperature. Even a lizard can get too hot. Kaleb thought as he continued down the street.
¡°Watch it, Human.¡± a gravelly voice said from behind Kaleb.
Turning, Kaleb saw that there was a stocky red pig-man staring down at Roy angrily. Roy was glaring back at the taller alien and rubbing his shoulder. Kaleb sighed as he walked back to diffuse the situation. Roy had brought his bracers but Kaleb wasn¡¯t too keen on starting a fight in the middle of the street.
¡°How about you watch it, pig!¡± Roy snapped back.
Damn it. Kaleb thought as he moved behind the red bipedal pig-man. Roy had missed the pig guy¡¯s two friends moving behind him. When Roy had insulted the first pig-man his two, likewise porcine, friends reached for Roy. Kaleb coughed loudly as he threw his metal shoulder into the center of the bipedal pig¡¯s back. Luckily Roy caught his rather obvious cough and dodged to the side causing the red pig-man tumbling into his two friends. Kaleb clamped his hand down around Roy¡¯s shoulder and fast-walked him deeper into the crowds.
Kaleb could hear the porcine squeals of the three red pig-men as he weaved through the crowds. Roy seemed to catch on and followed along with little fuss. As they got to a part of the street lined with kiosks Kaleb ducked between two, dragging Roy with him.
Kaleb set his back against a stall as he scanned the crowd. Roy stood opposite him and crossed his arms.
¡°I could have handled that.¡± Roy said.
¡°And gotten into a brawl in the middle of the street. Because¡ what? A pig guy was rude?¡± Kaleb said sarcastically.
¡°They were Famerions.¡± Farrah supplied.
¡°They?¡± Roy asked.
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Yeah, you missed the first guys two friends. They were either going to pick your pockets or knock you out and drag you to a nearby dark corner where they can strip you of anything of value.¡±
Roy shifted uncomfortably, so Kaleb patted his shoulder. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s no big thing. You live and you learn. Best to ignore guys like that and keep moving. If they won¡¯t let you, then it¡¯s safe to assume that something is up.¡±
¡°And then I should fight?¡± Roy asked.
¡°No. you should distract and get away. I still don¡¯t understand the hierarchy down here. For all I know those aliens work for some crime lord. Then again, maybe not. Best to keep our heads down until we know who we can piss off and to what extant.¡± Kaleb explained.
¡°Shouldn¡¯t you tell the kid, NOT to piss people off at all?¡± Daivor whispered from Kaleb¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Ha! Of course not. But he should do so responsibly.¡±
Roy scanned the crowd once more before he said. ¡°I think we are clear. How much further until the Quinica¡¯s stall.¡±
Kaleb shrugged, unsure. After making sure the coast was clear he and Roy rejoined the flow of people. Kaleb continued down the street keeping an ear on the various vendors selling their wares. The street seemed more subdued than the last time he was here. But Kaleb chalked it up to the time of the day. A familiar scent wafted past Kaleb¡¯s nose as he walked, making Kaleb grin wide. Just like last time, Kaleb stood before an orange and yellow reptile selling his rat stew and burgers.
¡°Hrck!¡± a tiny voice came from Kaleb¡¯s shoulder as he paid 40 credits for two burgers.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Roy asked from nearby obviously not wanting to get too close.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°Food for reptiles. Lets just leave it at that, yeah?¡±
Roy nodded and covered his nose. Kaleb chewed slowly as he delighted in the rat-burger. He kept his eyes open, remembering that the Quinica stall hadn¡¯t been far from the burger seller. Sure enough, Kaleb spotted the same bald, pale, pointy-eared vendor from last time. Except this time the stall was sparse, only having a few bits of equipment on its large white table. As Kaleb approached, he spotted Herr Blutschl?ger.
¡°Herr Blutschl?ger! Good to see you this morning.¡± Kaleb said walking over and waving.
The slim pale man tensed for a second before he saw Kaleb. Blutschl?ger straightened the vest of his three piece suit before he returned Kaleb¡¯s greeting in his gravely accented English.
¡°Ah, the good Professor. I wasn¡¯t sure if you would be returning.¡±
¡°I always keep my word.¡± Kaleb said before he turned to introduce his two companions. ¡°And I brought you some extra hands. Allow me to introduce my assistants: Roy Nova and Builder Gnome Daivor.¡±
Blutschl?ger¡¯s eyes grew large as he stared between Roy and Daivor. ¡°Professor, I wasn¡¯t aware that you kept such illustrious company. A member of the Nova clan AND a member of the Realm of Fairy. But as we agreed before, you work for me and I let you keep the occasionally trinket. Your friends do not have such a deal.¡±
Kaleb blinked rapidly at Blutschl?ger¡¯s newfound eloquence. He still spoke in accented English but he was far more well spoken now. Shaking off his surprise Kaleb made his case for his two friends.
¡°I know, however they are just as skilled as I am and can help get the¡ merchandise into tip-top shape. Not to mention Daivor here can also spot the more rare pieces. For the low price of a few bits of equipment you get three skilled workers that can increase your profits.¡± Kaleb pitched.
Blutschl?ger scratched his chin as nearby the Quinica manning the stall was bringing a few bits and bobs from behind his kiosk. Eventually Blutschl?ger nodded slowly.
¡°It¡¯s a fair exchange. But I get a say in what you can take home as pay. If I feel that the equipment taken is worth more than the work you have done then I will keep it. Gut?¡± Blutschl?ger asked grinned toothily.
¡°Gut.¡± Kaleb responded smiling in kind.
After the two shook on their new deal Kaleb followed Blutschl?ger behind his standing kiosk and between an alleyway leading to an adjacent street. Roy kept silent as he followed behind but Kaleb thought he saw the young man tense up whenever the stall vendor got close. Once they were in the street Blutschl?ger held out his hand.
¡°I will need your little communicator, Professor Rat.¡±
Kaleb stepped back placing a hand possessively on his communicator. ¡°Why is that?¡±
Blutschl?ger laughed. ¡°Hahaha. Nothing nefarious, I assure you. It is just that we are lucky you arrived this early. You can go out with the next group to collect the¡ merchandise.¡±
¡°And that means I have to give up my means of communicating with the outside world?¡±
¡°No, no. You have to leave your handheld Geosync Device. The location we work from is a kind of trade secret and while I like you. I am not sure if I trust you yet. You and your associates will also have to be blindfolded.¡± Blutschl?ger explained.
Kaleb weighed his options as a large green and white garbage truck hovered its way slowly toward them. Really, he didn¡¯t think it was that dangerous, Blutschl?ger seemed more like a businessman than a gangster. But he wasn¡¯t sure. Just when he was about to ask for assurances, Farrah spoke up.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, Professor. If you disappear for too long, I¡¯ll call in the cavalry.¡±
Blutschl?ger didn¡¯t react to Farrah¡¯s obvious suspicions about foul play, still holding his hand out. Kaleb sighed loudly before he removed the device and handed it over. He still had an ace in the hole with his headband. He couldn¡¯t communicate but the crystal would record their whereabouts. Blutschl?ger took the device carefully in his hands as the garbage truck whirred over on its hover repulsors.
Two Quinica jumped out from the cab and opened the wide mouth back of the truck while the vendor moved into the driver¡¯s seat. Kaleb hesitated for a few seconds before he and Roy squished into the cab. The driver held out three long black strips of cloth meant to be blindfolds. After helping Daivor with his blindfold, Kaleb slipped his own under his headband and tightened it tight.
¡°I shall keep you communicator safe, Professor. Do not worry. Now, go bring me a lot of pretty trinkets to sell today.¡± Blutschl?ger said from somewhere outside the humming garbage truck.
Kaleb gave a noncommittal nod before he felt a pit in his stomach and heard the garbage truck¡¯s repulsors hum louder. After the hover garbage truck leveled out, Kaleb thought he felt the driver spin the truck. Probably trying to confuse their senses even more. After a few more spins the garbage truck started on a leisurely pace winding up and down.
What followed was a long dull car ride through the dark. Periodically Kaleb felt the truck dip and raise, but he thought, ultimately, they were heading upward. 10 minutes into the trip Kaleb heard the loud snores of Daivor blasting right by his ear. He wasn¡¯t sure how Roy was faring but he could feel the boy¡¯s arm next to his. The young Nova seemed to be tensing his muscles every few minutes. 30 to 40 minutes later Kaleb felt the truck slowing.
Soon the truck came to a complete stop but before Kaleb could reach up to remove his blindfold their Quinica driver, stop him.
¡°Nein.¡± said the rough voice.
Kaleb stopped himself as he heard the driver having a muffled conversation out of the window. Soon afterward the truck resumed its journey. Kaleb felt the truck wind its way slowly for another few minutes before stopping again. This time the rough voice gave him the ok.
¡°Is okay now. We have time.¡±
Kaleb whipped off his blindfold briefly noticing Roy do the same. As Kaleb tried to wake his dozing Gnome, he heard Roy give a gasp of surprise. After Daivor cursed himself awake, Kaleb turned to look out the front window and he had to agree with his assistant. Sprawled in front of the three was what they could call an alien planet.
Towers of junk and trash stretched out as far as he could see. Kaleb stumbled out of the truck still taking in the smell of smoke and metal. Kaleb could see and feel the warm glow of fires burning but he couldn¡¯t see where it was coming from. The Quinica went to work as Kaleb glanced around in awe.
*SCREEEEECH*
A loud metal noise resounded from above them drawing Kaleb¡¯s attention. Looking up, he realized that they were still underground. And hundreds of stories above Kaleb could make out the bottom of a building that was opening and dumping trash down on their location. Kaleb stood there in shock as bits of metal and equipment rained down on him. As he watched he realized the bigger pieces were being drug through the air toward something off to his left. Kaleb felt a hard pat on his shoulder when their driver tapped his shoulder.
¡°Work. Only have minutes before I time is up.¡± Their driver said.
Kaleb nodded absently as Roy joined him. ¡°Yeah.¡± Kaleb said before he shook himself out of his stupor and continued excitedly. ¡°All right boys, lets go to work!¡±
Chapter 70 - Arms and Cat-Ladies
Kaleb dove through piles of scrapped circuit boards, half-broken sets of tools, and random bits of garbage and metal. He found many interesting types of metal and a few repairable circuit boards, but no weapons. He glanced over at Roy who seemed to have the same luck that Kaleb had while Daivor had disappeared once Kaleb set him down.
After a few minutes of searching through the same pile Kaleb and Roy split up and headed deeper into the massive garbage site. Kaleb kept an eye trained upward on the giant metal portal that occasionally opened and dumped more garbage. Whatever was pulling the larger pieces of equipment made sure he wasn¡¯t hit with any large debris, but he didn¡¯t want to take any chances.
As he made his way toward another pile Kaleb heard a low humming noise from over his shoulder. The noise sounded similar to the hum the garbage truck repulsors made. Turning to find the source of the noise, Kaleb almost burst into laughter. Daivor was hovering in mid-air, seated on what Kaleb could only describe as a metal chariot. The Gnome had taken a repulsor and somehow rigged up a mini-control console to it.
The repulsor Daivor had used sputtered and his hovering chariot dipped a little as he flew closer. Daivor frantically pulled miniature levers and knobs before the chariot seemed to right itself.
¡°Power distribution on this thing is shit. I will have to rewire the thing when we get home.¡± Daivor said as he floated close.
¡°Nice find.¡± Kaleb said around a grin.
¡°I can¡¯t have you escorting me around the workshop all the time. What happens if I have an idea in the middle of the night? Plus, if I can divert enough power from the repulsor and find a barrel I can teach the rats in the lab a lesson they won¡¯t soon forget.¡±
Kaleb smiled and laughed before he remembered Dr. Kane. Trying to keep a straight face he asked.
¡°There are rats in the lab?¡±
¡°A few, and now I think about it, I have seen none since my first day in the garage.¡± Daivor said as the power draw on his chariot lapsed again.
Kaleb thought about Daivor¡¯s words. If he was assuming correctly, Dr. Rafelos Kane had his lab under surveillance. Or at least he had his rats watching the lab, but then why would they back off? Kaleb glanced at his Gnome, who was rerouting power in his hovering chariot. The Gnome could probably easily deal with the rats, so did Dr. Kane know about the Gnome and call off his pet rats? Or was Kaleb being paranoid?
¡°Let me know if you see anymore rats around the garage.¡± Kaleb said seriously.
Daivor got his chariot under control and nodded at Kaleb¡¯s words. ¡°Sure thing, boss.¡±
¡°Find anything interesting?¡± Kaleb asked shaking off his paranoia and smiling at his companion.
¡°Yeah, I did actually. Two mounds that way.¡± Daivor said pointing and squinting suspiciously at Kaleb¡¯s sudden change in mood.
As they walked, Kaleb filled the Gnome in on his suspicions. Kaleb stepped around several pieces of assembly line armatures as he described his misadventures with the Deckart family in the underground tunnels. Daivor floated along, listening quietly until they arrived at the location he had indicated.
¡°It¡¯s right here, boss. And if you are that worried about little furry spies then we can both ward up the garage. Matter of fact you should also ward the hell out of your home. You never can be too careful, break-ins happen.¡±
¡°Ahem, yeah¡ uh they do.¡± Kaleb agreed awkwardly before he changed the subject. ¡°So what¡¯s¡¡±
Kaleb words caught in his throat as he looked down at the small mound of metal Daivor had led them to. There were several incomplete and broken cybernetic arms piled up in front of him. He briefly wondered why they were all in one spot before he one arm distracted him. It was missing its hand, but otherwise the arm was in good shape. It was also comprised almost completely of Synth-Muscle which, from his online browsing, Kaleb knew meant that it was a high-end cybernetic arm.
The electronics in Synth-Muscles allowed for faster response times and the fabricated corded muscles could make him five to ten times stronger. Kaleb fell to his knees and looked over the matte black arm. The corded Synth-Muscle was loose and cut in some areas and something froze the joint at the elbow. But the biggest problem came when Kaleb inspected the socket at the shoulder. The arm used a square multi-lock joint, which was a far cry from Kaleb¡¯s circular ball and socket joint.
¡°Damn.¡± Kaleb swore as he looked around at the other arms.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Daivor asked. The Gnome had landed his chariot and was working on its console.
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°This is a great arm, but I would have to convert the joint and probably replace some of this Synth-Muscle.¡±
Daivor nodded as he looked up from his work. ¡°That¡¯s assuming the pointy-eared fellow will let you keep the arm.¡±
If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Kaleb nodded absently as he looked over the arms. A few were like his, low-end models that were missing various gears or wiring. There were a couple that looked alien and human that frankly gave Kaleb the heebie-jeebies. All the arms were missing hands or other important internals. Kaleb sighed.
He could use these arms, but Daivor was right. There was no guarantee that Blutschl?ger would let him keep any of the arms. Maybe he could get one of the lower-end ones, but he would have to repair blaster pistols and other tech for months before he did enough work to earn the Synth-Muscle arm.
¡°Something to look for when we come back ourselves.¡± Kaleb said in a low tone to Daivor.
¡°Come back?¡± the Gnome asked.
Kaleb tapped his headband and gathered a few of the low-end arms. Daivor stared at Kaleb curiously for a few seconds before he seemed to catch on. Kaleb picked up the arms and a few more bits before he headed back to the garbage truck. As he approached, he saw that Roy leaned up against the truck, waiting.
¡°Hey Doc. Good haul?¡± Roy asked as Kaleb dumped the metal arms into the back of the truck.
¡°I did okay. You?¡±
Roy nodded absently as he stared off into the distance. ¡°Fine.¡± He said distractedly. The young Nova fidgeted for a few seconds before he continued. ¡°Hey, Doc. Didn¡¯t that guy say we only had a few minutes?¡±
Kaleb nodded as he scanned the area for their driver.
¡°And I haven¡¯t seen the other two Quinica who rode on the back of the truck.¡± Roy continued.
Kaleb turned to his assistant, a question clear on his face. Roy shuffled on his feet and jerked his head to the right.
¡°And I swear I heard voices off that way a few moments ago.¡±
Kaleb twisted his head curiously before he pointed the direction Roy had nodded too. When Roy confirmed that was the correct way, Kaleb put a metal finger to his lips and moved off to the right. Roy began to follow but Kaleb silently indicated for his assistant and Daivor to wait with the truck. Neither looked too pleased with the idea but the both nodded their heads reluctantly.
Kaleb maneuvered around several mounds of metal junk as he listened for voices. His attempts were offset by the sounds of trash being dumped and the occasional mound of junk shifting. But as he walked, he made out what sounded like a female¡¯s voice. Kaleb crouched and slowly made his way closer, listening as the voice grew louder and clearer.
¡°All scavengers must pay to enter any K-Tech dumping site. Then they are only allowed access to the non-lethal areas only.¡± said a gruff female voice off to Kaleb¡¯s left.
¡°We pay.¡± responded a voice Kaleb was sure was their driver.
Kaleb shifted around a few more piles before he got a clear view on the situation. Six people were standing in a small clearing. A tall and muscular woman with feline features and two more men in combat uniforms had cornered the three Quinica. The woman didn¡¯t have any weapons, but the men held rifles with the barrels pointed down. Kaleb thought he saw the cat-lady¡¯s black ears and tail twitch before she spoke again.
¡°We have no records of your party paying for or entering this dump site at all. Which means you are here illegally and that we, as K-Tech security, are within our rights to shoot you.¡±
Kaleb could see the other Quinica tense as the driver put his hands up soothingly. Kaleb was behind a mound of junk staring at the situation from the side. He could see the hands of the security goons tightening around their rifles and he was sure the cat lady was grinning.
¡°No trouble. We make right.¡± Said their driver as he pulled a credit stick from his front pocket.
Kaleb was sure he saw the woman¡¯s grin grow wider, and he felt a shiver run down his spine. Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure why but he was sure he didn¡¯t want to mess with the muscular cat-woman. He was also sure the lady wasn¡¯t the type to take a bribe. The Quinica were in for a world of hurt if he didn¡¯t do something. He needed a distraction.
He began quietly digging through the nearby junk pile as he heard the lady snicker.
¡°Bribing a security officers is also grounds for arrest. I suggest you fine gentlemen come with us. We will charge you with trespassing and attempted bribery.¡± Said the female feline.
Kaleb glanced around the junk mound again as his hands continued sifting through the junk. The three Quinica men were standing tensed and ready to fight their way out. Meanwhile, the security team had their weapons trained and ready to fire. Both sides seemed ready and willing to make a fight of things.
Kaleb looked down at his small collection of junk. He had a few wires, three repulsors, a few bits of metal, and several broken circuit boards. Kaleb wracked his brain for something when a sudden thought flashed through his brain. Repulsors create a large flash when they explode. How do I know that? Kaleb thought idly as he tied the three repulsors together with wire. He peeked around the junk mound again to check the situation.
The Quinica were still cornered but now they were bearing their fangs and hissing menacingly. The Cat-lady was barking orders while her men were shouting for the Quinica to surrender. Kaleb sighed as he drew his Sun Gun and set it to maximum. Bouncing the tied together repulsors in his hand once, Kaleb set his feet and threw. He aimed for the middle of standoff, his aim was slightly off the mark curving just behind the cat lady.
Kaleb exhaled and shouted. ¡°Run!¡± as he fired at the falling repulsors.
His first shot missed but the second one hit and the repulsors exploded right behind the cat-lady in a bright flash of white light. Kaleb felt a whoosh of air and turned to see the three Quinica blurring as they ran through the garbage mounds. Kaleb followed as he heard an angry yowl come from behind him. He wasn¡¯t nearly as fast as the Quinica but he kept them in sight as he followed behind.
They ran through the maze of garbage, making their way back to the truck. Kaleb saw the Quinica ahead of him turn to check on him. Kaleb kept running and gave a silent wave as he hopped over some random piece of equipment. Suddenly there was a loud growl, a flash of black, and the Quinica male who had turned to check on him was gone.
Shit! Kaleb mentally swore as he pivoted around a garbage mound and continued toward the garbage truck. The cat-lady had come from nowhere and pounced on the poor man, he didn¡¯t even have time to scream. Kaleb swallowed as he turned another corner and the garbage truck came into view. Kaleb could see Daivor and Roy shouting at their driver as the Quinica got into the cab and started the truck.
¡°Get in the truck! Get in the truck!! Get in the truck!!!¡± Kaleb shouted as he got closer and slid around to the passenger side door.
He heard and felt Daivor and Roy follow him as the truck pulled away. Kaleb looked at the passenger side mirror to see the other Quinica male hanging off the side of the truck, looking relieved. The hover truck took to the air and Kaleb watched as the cat-lady suddenly appeared beside and plucked the poor man off his perch. There was a brief struggle before the cat-lady had the man pinned beneath her foot.
¡°Who the fuck was that?!¡± Roy asked as he began to stick his head out the window and look back.
¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Kaleb yelled as he reached for his assistant and drug him back into the cab.
He wasn¡¯t sure if the security team had any cameras in the junk yard but he would not let the crazy cat-lady identify Roy. Kaleb figured she had already seen him, but deemed him less of a threat than the Quinica. That¡¯s why she had picked them off first. Kaleb was probably just another down-on-his-luck lizard from Under-Town.
As Kaleb exhaled loudly, he heard a quiet chuckle coming from their driver.
¡°Hehe. We do good this time out. We only lose 2.¡±
Kaleb gave the driver a strained smile as he thought of all the swear words he would share with Herr Blutschl?ger.
Chapter 71 - Plans and Radios
¡°What the fuck, Blutschl?ger?!¡± Were Kaleb¡¯s first words after he tore the blindfold off and jumped out of the garbage truck.
Blutschl?ger scanned the garbage truck before he responded. ¡°Since Otto and Finn are not with you I assume things went poorly.¡±
¡°Yeah, you could say that!¡± Kaleb said as he stomped over to the well-suited man.
Blutschl?ger tensed up and hissed quietly as Kaleb hovered over him. ¡°I¡ apologize if things did not go well. But I lost two of my employees.¡±
¡°And if I knew of the presence of security, I could have prepared properly.¡±
Blutschl?ger smirked, shaking his head condescendingly. ¡°It is a government-protected dump site for one of the biggest tech companies in the world. Why WOULDN¡¯T there be security?¡±
Kaleb was about to retort angrily when he noticed a shadow fall across him and Blutschl?ger. Turning he saw their driver standing there, not menacingly. But he shuffled and coughed wanting to make his presence known. Blutschl?ger saw his returning vendor and visually relaxed, pointing to Kaleb¡¯s communicator on a nearby table Blutschl?ger went to talk to his man.
¡°Deiter, what happened?¡±
¡°It was Lesendi, sir. She arrested others. If not for lizard¡¡± Deiter trailed off as Kaleb put his communicator back on and rejoined the conversation.
¡°Ahh, K-Tech Security. Not a frequent occurrence, but it happens.¡± Blutschl?ger said to Kaleb.
¡°Yeah, well, I can¡¯t speak for the others but I didn¡¯t gather much.¡± Kaleb sighed loudly as Roy and Daivor stood and hovered nearby.
Daivor tapped his chariot fondly while Roy gave a noncommittal shrug in response to Kaleb¡¯s unasked question. Blutschl?ger didn¡¯t seem bothered by their lack of success, he merely instructed Deiter to unload the garbage truck. He returned his attention to Kaleb and pointed to a nearby alleyway.
¡°The teams from the other sites may have had more luck. Now if you three will follow me, I have a worktable and some tools for you to use.¡± Blutschl?ger said leading the way toward the alley.
Kaleb begrudgingly fell in line followed by a floating Daivor and Roy. When he entered the alley Kaleb stopped a sigh. The opposite end of the alleyway had been sealed off, and they had transformed the narrow area between into a shoddy work area. Several large lamps lit the area and a wooden stool sat before a metal worktable. He noted briefly that it was like the one he used at home.
On the table and leaned against the alley walls were several power tools and a small generator. What depressed him is that the set-up was not that far from his lab. The narrow alley was just big enough to fit him and Roy side-by-side. As Kaleb and his two companions looked over the workspace, Deiter brought in their meager haul. Blutschl?ger gave Kaleb a curt nod and walked away talking into his wrist.
Kaleb looked over the bits and pieces of equipment. There were several bits of different colored metal and circuit boards, the arms he had grabbed, and six black and silver boxes with antennae. When Kaleb held it up for Roy to see, His assistant smiled.
¡°I found those in a one of the garbage mounds. They looked like they all contain transceivers, speakers, and channel displays. So I assumed they were two-way radios.¡± Roy explained.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Kaleb nodded at his assistant. ¡°Nice pull, it will give us something to work on at least. Though I don¡¯t know how well, they¡¯ll sell.¡±
¡°They should sell fine. Remember: Players that don¡¯t join the HLO don¡¯t get a wrist-mounted communicator.¡± Farrah spoke up from Kaleb¡¯s wrist.
Kaleb nodded as he sat the six radios on the table. He looked over their meager winnings sighing loudly. The sigh caused Daivor to float over and ask.
¡°Do you think we should have brought the Enchantment Gloves.?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, I was hoping to hold off on that and work out a better deal with Blutschl?ger.¡± Kaleb answered as he used a screwdriver to remove the back of a radio.
¡°Yeah, instead, you got in a shouting match. It may be better to hold off until later.¡± Roy smirked.
Kaleb looked over the inner workings of the radio as he nodded at Roy. ¡°Yeah, well I wasn¡¯t expecting to get jumped by creepy cat-lady.¡±
Farrah snorted. ¡°What did you expect? You weren¡¯t exactly engaged in honest work.¡±
¡°Yeah, but she said there was a legal way to go dumpster diving on their property. Are you aware of such a way, Farrah?¡±
There was the sound of furious tapping as Kaleb worked on the radios with Daivor and Roy¡¯s help. He figured he could probably repair three or four. As he took a busted piece of circuit board and replaced it with one from another radio, he exhaled deeply. Working with his hands almost seemed to put him in a trancelike state.
¡°I can¡¯t find anything on dumpster diving on K-Tech property.¡± Farrah said after her typing had stopped.
¡°So cat-lady was lying?¡± Roy asked.
¡°Or she was talking about an off-the-books deal.¡± Farrah said.
Kaleb connected the wires from a battery pack to the motherboard completing his first radio. ¡°So K-Tech security is taking bribes under the table allowing scavengers to access their dump sites. But for whatever reason Blutschl?ger¡¯s people didn¡¯t pay up.¡±
Roy removed a transceiver from one of the faulty circuit boards and passed it over. ¡°So we can¡¯t go back unless we bribe someone or sneak in.¡±
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°No, we pass the information on to the HLO then investigate the different dump sites. All I have to do is upload the video from my headband and we have proof that at least one of K-Tech¡¯s security teams is taking bribes.¡±
¡°That¡ is surprisingly well thought out.¡± Farrah said surprised.
Kaleb completed the second radio and picked up the third. ¡°Yeah, well, those dump sites are a hell of a resource. So if I can get in them in any way I want to.¡±
¡°And taking down a criminal element in the city is good for the whole community.¡± Farrah said.
¡°Yeah, that too.¡± Kaleb said replacing an antenna.
¡°Boss.¡± Daivor spoke up, drawing Kaleb¡¯s attention to the alleyway.
Blutschl?ger was at the end of the alleyway flanked by three other Quinica. Two males and a female and they were all holding armfuls of junk. Blutschl?ger adjusted the cuffs of his expensive suit and asked in a quiet voice.
¡°Planning something?¡±
Kaleb glanced at Blutschl?ger and his associates before he went back to work. ¡°Nothing that will affect your business. But will probably prove very lucrative for me.¡±
Blutschl?ger strode forward and squeezed his way next to Kaleb. Once he was beside Kaleb, Blutschl?ger picked up one of the new radios. After inspecting the radio Blutschl?ger turned to Kaleb and gave him a pointy-toothed grin.
¡°I thought I heard you mention K-Tech.¡± Blutschl?ger said.
Kaleb shrugged, trying to act natural, and handing Blutschl?ger the third completed radio. ¡°Of course, we did just rob them. I was wondering about how one went about visiting those dump sites.¡±
¡°It is a long process. And they only accept the most¡ prestigious organizations.¡± Blutschl?ger said gathering the last radio and moving back to the alleyway entrance.
¡°and you just happened to miss paying your¡ membership dues?¡± Kaleb asked as he lifted one of the metal arms he had collected.
Blutschl?ger laughed. ¡°HAHAHA! You could say that.¡± He turned to leave as his employees dumped off their hoard in the alley. Blutschl?ger paused for a second before saying. ¡°Leave K-Tech alone. They are too big to be trifled with.¡±
Kaleb smiled wide as he dug through the new tech the Quinica had brought. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m used to biting off more than I can chew.¡±
Blutschl?ger laughed again as he walked away. His laugh echoing throughout the dark alley.
Chapter 72 - Equipment and Brutes
Kaleb worked in silence with Roy and Daivor as two more scavenger teams came and dropped off salvage. There wasn¡¯t much to repair however, a few stun batons, half a riot shield that reminded him of Shocky, and a tiny box with a handle. Whoever built the tiny box meant someone to hold it, with the leather grip and a trigger. But Kaleb couldn¡¯t tell what it did.
He repaired the batons, and the broken riot shield before he turned his attention to the box. Daivor and Roy were arranging the left over circuit boards and metal bits. Kaleb listed the different parts he could make out from the elongated box. It had a small screen on one side, the handle, the trigger, two knobs on the left-hand side of the box. Once Kaleb had wracked his brain for a few minutes, he gave up and asked Farrah.
¡°Any idea what this is, Farrah?¡±
¡°One second.¡± She responded. After a few seconds of typing she continued. ¡°It looks like it is K-Tech¡¯s handheld MassSpec Version 2.¡±
¡°This thing is a Mass Spectrometer?!¡± Kaleb asked, surprised.
¡°it doesn¡¯t look like it has a power source and who knows what else is wrong with it but, yeah.¡± Farrah said.
Kaleb whistled as he turned the device over in his hand. He found a few screws on the back plate probably covering the power housing. As he set about opening it he asked Roy and Daivor.
¡°You two find anything else interesting?¡±
Daivor hovered over the small pile of junk as Roy crouched down near the same. Looking back at Kaleb Daivor shook his head, but Roy picked up a piece of metal and held it up.
¡°This metal seems to be a weird alloy and I think there¡¯s something in it.¡± Roy said.
¡°Really? Let me see.¡± Kaleb said.
Roy gathered a few more pieces of the metal before he stood and brought them to Kaleb. Kaleb set the handheld MassSpec down and studied the bits of metal Roy brought over. The metal had a blue tinge to it showing that someone had blued the metal. But other than that, the metal felt strange in his hand. It was soft and Kaleb thought it felt wet too. Like Roy had said Kaleb also thought he could see some shiny microfibers in the metal as he stared close.
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°That is weird. Does it feel wet to you too?¡±
¡°Yeah, that was the first thing I noticed. Look here though.¡± Roy said bringing Kaleb¡¯s attention to the twenty pieces of metal he had brought over.
¡°They are all the same size and they all feel different.¡± Roy explained, fanning the metal bits out on the table.
¡°Samples?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Or maybe they are throwaways from a failed experiment.¡± Roy said.
Daivor floated over and told Kaleb. ¡°Maybe I can identify what they used to make the metal.¡±
Kaleb looked down at the MassSpec. ¡°If this worked, then we could find out exactly what they put into the metal.¡±
Daivor shrugged, ¡°My magic can also figure it out with an Identify spell.¡±
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
¡°Then hit it up, Master Gnome. The stuff may be useful.¡±
Daivor grinned as he floated his chariot down to the table. Once he was down he got out of his chariot and focused his gaze on the pile of metal. Kaleb felt the magic in the area spike for a second before the metal bits on the table caught fire.
¡°Oh, shit!¡± Roy screamed as he hurried to put out the fire.
Kaleb did his best to put out the fire, but his focus was on what had happened to Daivor. Something had flung the tiny Gnome backward. Kaleb assumed it had been magical backlash. As Roy finished putting the fire out, Kaleb picked up Daivor and tapped the Gnome¡¯s cheek. After a couple of pokes the Gnome shook himself and came to.
¡°Argh! That did not tickle.¡± Daivor said rolling off Kaleb¡¯s hand.
¡°What happened?¡± Kaleb asked as he looked over the scorched bits of metal.
¡°It¡¯s anti-magic metal. Although I¡¯ve never seen it react so explosively.¡± Daivor explained.
Roy held up several pieces of metal looking confused. ¡°Why did they all catch fire? It was like the fire on some pieces ignited the others.¡±
¡°No idea.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°You want to take a few of the none scorched ones as your pay?¡±
Roy nodded as Daivor wobbled over to his chariot. Kaleb and the others cleaned up their area and left the alley to find Blutschl?ger. Kaleb was keeping the MassSpec while Roy had a handful of the anti-magic metal. As the group moved around the back alley toward the back of the Quinica¡¯s kiosk, Farrah asked.
¡°You¡¯re not going to take anything from those metal arms?¡±
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°I would have if I hadn¡¯t found the handheld MassSpec. But this could be too useful to pass up. More so than a bunch of spare parts for my arm.¡±
Finding Blutschl?ger in the alleyway before they got to main street. Kaleb lifted the broken MassSpec and pointed toward Roy¡¯s bits of metal. ¡°We will take these as our payment. Any problems?¡±
Blutschl?ger glanced at Roy¡¯s metal before he held out his hand for Kaleb¡¯s device. ¡°And this is?¡±
¡°Broken without a power source. Not to mention I don¡¯t know what else is wrong with it.¡± Kaleb responded curtly.
¡°HAHA! And yet you want it.¡± Blutschl?ger laughed waving the MassSpec at Kaleb.
Kaleb was about to say something else when Blutschl?ger casually tossed the MassSpec at him. Kaleb frantically caught it as Blutschl?ger said. ¡°Go ahead, I know how to take care of my employees. Take your little trinket and your bits of metal. Anything else?¡±
Kaleb put the MassSpec in his lab coat pocket before he shook his head. ¡°Not really. But we are done for the day. We have repaired everything that can be and what¡¯s left are all either beyond repair or worth more in pieces.¡±
Blutschl?ger got a dirty look on his face as Kaleb explained. ¡°Normally I don¡¯t let my employees tell me when their shift is over.¡±
Kaleb sighed loudly. ¡°I¡¯m not your employee. You could call me an independent contractor. The repair work is done, and we have agreed on payment for this week. I will be back next Friday to help again, but I don¡¯t think I will go on anymore scavenging missions.¡±
Blutschl?ger had a severe look on his face as he moved to study Kaleb¡¯s face. After a few seconds Blutschl?ger smiled a pointy-toothed smile and patted Kaleb shoulder. ¡°Fine. You are an independent contractor. If that is how you want it, then that is how it will be.¡±
Kaleb exhaled loudly. ¡°Yes, that is how it is. But, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back next week.¡±
¡°Oh, I have no worries professors. We shall do good work together, I just know it.¡± Blutschl?ger said moving out of the alleyway into Under-Town¡¯s main street.
Kaleb shook hands with Blutschl?ger before he and the others left. After waving to Deiter who was manning the kiosk, Kaleb put his hand on Roy¡¯s shoulder and turned him toward the metal arena.
¡°Where are we going?¡± Roy asked.
¡°I figured since we are down here, I should introduce you to the Brute Clan.¡± Kaleb explained as he weaved around a large hairy humanoid.
¡°Really?!¡± Roy asked sounding excited.
¡°Sure, why not? They are good people, they just got the short end of the stick. Besides, they took in a son of a bitch like me. So I could at least introduce them to my friends.¡± Kaleb said.
The trio moved through the tightly packed main street without incident. Kaleb noted that the arena was now in full swing as waves of noise reverberated down main street. As they got closer, Kaleb could see that there was a line sticking out from the arena entrance and down main street. They drew dirty looks as they went around the line and moved to out to the side. Kaleb had just made out the Brute Clan encampment when he heard someone call out to him.
¡°Lab Lizard!¡± A throaty female voice called.
Kaleb turned to see Aqwen rushing toward him from the practice yards behind the arena. He started to wave when he noticed the look on her face. Something had her scared.
¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong, Aqwen?¡±
¡°They have taken Wulkun!¡± Aqwen shouted almost accusingly.
Chapter 73 - The Faceless
¡°Aqwen, calm down. Who took Wulkun?¡± Kaleb asked as the female lizard stomped up to him.
Aqwen swung her arms around angrily as she explained. ¡°The Faceless, one of the criminal gangs that run this area of Under-Town. After your fight with the Ciliaton they claimed that the Brute Clan was responsible for the damage caused to the practice area.¡±
¡°Damage?¡± Kaleb asked trying to remember his fight with Rokka.
¡°There was no damage. Or at least nothing noticeable, so Wulkun told them to stuff it. We thought they had given up but apparently not.¡±
Kaleb sighed as he rubbed a hand over his face. If he had to guess Kaleb would bet the game AI had created a random event based on his past actions. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing just badly timed. He had wanted to focus on crafting, but now he had a quest that would probably affect his affinity with the Brute Clan. He had to handle it somehow.
¡°Do you know where they took him?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Sure, the gangs don¡¯t exactly hide down here. They have a place in the north, but that¡¯s their territory so marching in there is a bad idea.¡± Aqwen said pointing off to the north behind the arena.
Kaleb nodded before he glanced at Daivor and Roy. ¡°But I should be able to sneak in. Can I ask the clan to watch over these two for me?¡±
¡°What¡¡± Aqwen began.
¡°But¡¡± Roy started.
Kaleb interrupted them both before they could argue. ¡°Look, a single lizard will have an easier time getting in then a group of armed lizards. And Roy I am not risking your life when you are a Super it will be a different story but right now that is final.¡±
Aqwen looked annoyed, but she nodded. ¡°That kind of makes sense, but how do you plan on getting out?¡±
¡°Well, that is where the Brute Clan can help. After I sneak in, I¡¯ll send up the signal and you lot can come marching in. Wulkun and I will escape in the confusion.¡± Kaleb described his plan.
Aqwen nodded again, but Roy spoke up annoyed. ¡°I can help!¡±
¡°No one said you couldn¡¯t but I¡¯m not taking the chance, Roy. I can sneak in easier alone.¡± And I can respawn and you can¡¯t. Kaleb thought as he looked a question at Aqwen.
¡°We will watch the hatchling and Gnome. Meanwhile, I shall gather our warriors and prepare to march on the Faceless.¡± Aqwen said angrily shaking her fist.
Kaleb exhaled loudly before he turned his gaze to Roy, who was looking defiant. ¡°Roy, stay here.¡±
Roy shuffled his feet and looked ready to continue arguing, But Kaleb patted his shoulder with his metal hand. ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities to risk your life starting next week.¡±
Finally, Roy gave a halfhearted nod and Kaleb patted his shoulder a finally time before nodding at Aqwen and jogging off. As he moved past the arena practice area, he took stock of his current weapons. He had his Cybar Pistol and Sun Gun in newly made holsters on his waist, his Magic Gun was in a lab coat pocket along with three Taser Eggs, Shocky 2.0, and his rail spike launcher. All together, he was loaded for bear.
¡°So how do you plan to sneak in?¡± Farrah asked from his wrist.
¡°Oh, Farrah, you should know me better by now.¡± Kaleb whispered as he jogged further north.
¡°You don¡¯t plan on hiding at all, do you?¡± Farrah sighed.
Kaleb merely laughed as he continued to jog. As he ran the streets grew empty and the nearby building appeared more residential. Squat square buildings lined either side of the road and the buildings looked more and more run down. As Kaleb ran the nearby residents, both human and alien, seemed to watch him with interest. Kaleb continued to jog down the street until the nearby buildings grew dark and the only signs of life came from a large mansion three blocks ahead of him.
¡°This¡¡± Farrah began followed by a loud burst of static. ¡°Not¡ idea.¡±
¡°Great. They have a communication jamming equipment because why not?¡± Kaleb mumbled as he slowed down to a walk and continued toward the mansion.
As Kaleb got closer, he saw a few doors ahead of him open and four people walked out onto the street. Kaleb noted that while all the people were casually dressed and different sizes and races, they all wore the same faceless mask. Faceless. Kaleb thought as he approached the group, smilingly wide. He briefly wondered how many more of the gang hid in the nearby houses before he returned his focus to the biggest member of the group ahead of him.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
It was obviously a red pig alien that he and Roy had run into just this morning. Although Kaleb couldn¡¯t tell if it was the same one from this morning or not. Is that racist? That feels racist. Kaleb thought as he moved to stand toe to toe with the masked pig-man.
¡°Business?¡± The masked pig-man grunted.
Kaleb continued to smile as he said. ¡°Ah yes, well, you see I was in the market for a grouchy, old, Brute Clan lizard, and I heard that I might locate him in that fancy mansion up ahead. Would that be correct?¡±
The pig-man seemed to snort in surprise before he reached forward and grasped Kaleb¡¯s collar. Kaleb went limp, letting his hand drop to his side and his feet drag as the porcine brute snarled angrily at him.
¡°Listen here, that old lizard owes us. So until we get what they owe us he will remain a guest in the master¡¯s house of pain. You got that little lizard.¡±
So he IS in the house. Kaleb thought as he drew his Cybar and Sun pistols, cranking the Sun Gun to maximum he gave the pig-man both barrels to the chest. As the grip around his neck loosened Kaleb took several steps back continuing to fire. He shot two more of the Faceless before the third seemed to disappear in a puff of smoke.
Kaleb kept both of his guns up waiting for the fourth Faceless to reappear. He wasn¡¯t sure if the Faceless had teleported or sped away; he hoped he was dealing with a teleported because he really didn¡¯t want to deal with a speedster.
*BAM!*
Something solid collided with Kaleb¡¯s back sending him sprawling onto the dirt street. Speedster. Kaleb mentally cursed as he picked himself up and ran for the nearest building. He hoped that the small square building would make the speedster easier to deal with. The speedster jabbed him two more times in the ribs before Kaleb made it into the building, using his metal arm to shoulder-barge through the door landing on his side.
Maybe I should have tried sneaking. Kaleb thought as he picked himself up and put his back to the nearest wall. He momentarily heard a whoosh of air come from the door and he had just enough time to put his guard up before the speedster struck him again with another punch. It kind of surprised him how weak the speedster was, but he figured that was the trade-off for this brand of speedster.
Putting his back into the corner of the room, Kaleb deployed Shocky and waited. Really need to find a better way to deal with speedsters. Kaleb thought as he mentally switched on Shocky 2.0¡¯s stun function. There was an electrical snap and a high-pitched voice screamed in pain. Kaleb dropped his shield and quickly fired both his pistols into the Faceless frozen in front of him.
Kaleb sighed as he watched the orange-skinned Faceless drop to the floor. He vented his Cybar as he checked the charge on his Sun Gun, luckily he hadn¡¯t used it much so it had stored a good deal of power. Before Kaleb could catch his breath, though a large gray arm reached through the wood and metal wall and pulled Kaleb bodily through.
Kaleb yelped in pain as jagged metal edges tore at his skin and clothes. As someone lifted him up, he fired his Sun Gun blindly toward the source of the arm that was holding him. But in the alleyway¡®s darkness he could see the yellow energy of his pistol seem to dissipate over the large figure holding him aloft. A gravelly chuckle emanated from behind the white Faceless mask before the large gray arm threw Kaleb into the middle of the street.
Yep, definitely should have tried sneaking first. Kaleb thought as his back slammed into the street. He had dropped his Sun Gun mid-flight, and he momentarily searched for it. But, the nine-foot tall gray monstrosity that had flung him over ten feet was stomping its way closer. Thinking quickly, Kaleb reached for his Magic Gun and turned onto his back as the large humanoid stood above him.
Lashing out with his leg Kaleb kicked up into the thing¡¯s crotch, hoping it was male. But instead of connecting with the things dangly bits, Kaleb¡¯s shin connected with a what felt like a brick wall.
¡°Fuck!¡± Kaleb swore as pain flared in his leg.
The nine-foot asshole chuckled again as Kaleb drew his Magic Gun and focused his Mana. Mentally picturing an icicle attack he had seen Jar-lock throw around, Kaleb aimed at the laughing behemoth¡¯s chest. The Faceless must have thought Kaleb was using a regular gun cause it squared its chest and seemed to dare Kaleb to shoot. Kaleb mimed pulling the trigger as he released his built up Mana.
There was no sound as a spear of ice shot from his gun and pierced straight through the thing¡¯s chest. Kaleb sighed in relief before he realized the behemoth was tilting forward dangerously. Thinking quickly Kaleb rolled away as the large humanoid fell face forward into the dirt street. Okay five down, how many more people can an underground gang have? Kaleb wondered as he got up and searched for his Sun Gun finding it nearby in the street none the worse for wear.
*Cli-clack*
The sound of several metal doors opening and closing resounded in the street as Kaleb straightened up. His leg still throbbed in pain as he turned to see more and more Faceless pouring out of several houses. Pocketing his Magic Gun, Kaleb did his best to shake the pain off and smiled widely at the oncoming mass of Faceless.
¡°I don¡¯t suppose you all are here to give yourselves up, are you?¡±
The mob of Faceless gang members seemed chuckle before they charged as one at Kaleb. Kaleb quickly turned and ran down a nearby alley, firing his guns blindly behind him.
¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t think so.¡± Kaleb muttered to himself as he ran through the dark alleys.
He could hear the thundering footsteps of mob chasing after him. Luckily the alleyways were small enough that few of the Faceless could chase after him. Little weird this gang members don¡¯t have guns though. Kaleb thought before three spears of metal slammed into a wall just in front of him. But they can throw metal spears, okay then. Making a quick decision Kaleb used the metal spears to climb up onto the small metal house.
Once on the roof Kaleb found it easy to jump from roof to roof. Spotting the mansion off in the distance, Kaleb fired a few more pistol blast into the horde coming up behind him before he ran for it. As he got closer to the mansion Kaleb saw that a brick fence that was a little higher than the nearby houses surrounded it. Deciding to just jump for it, Kaleb poured every ounce of his stamina into his legs and made a leap for the top of the fence, using his momentum to swing himself up and over.
As he cleared the fence into the mansions yard, Kaleb felt a tingling sensation travel up and down his spine. Alarm ward? Kaleb wondered as he landed on his feet and caught his balance. He could still hear the mass of Faceless on the other side of the stone fence. So he quickly moved away toward the main building and looked for a door.
Okay, the plans going well so far. Just need to keep doing what I have been doing and nothing can go wrong. Kaleb tempted fate as he moved around the large mansion searching for a proper door.
Chapter 74 - Damn It, Kid!
¡°So how did you think that would work out?¡± Asked Kaleb¡¯s masked jailer.
Apparently when Kaleb had jumped the mansions fence a delayed Paralysis Spell had been placed on him. As soon as he found an unlocked kitchen window and crawled through his body had locked up. When he woke up they had placed him into a dark cell with an electronic device placed on his metal arm and his arms and legs tied. They put him in a kneeling position and his new best friend worked him over a bit before he asked questions.
Kaleb shook off the latest in a series of kicks to his head, answering. ¡°You know, it surprised me that I made it as far as I did. Maybe you need a better class of Thug.¡±
Kaleb heard his faceless jailer sigh loudly from behind his mask before another kicked slammed hard into the side of Kaleb¡¯s head. Kaleb grunted in pain as he momentarily tested his bonds. With one arm, getting loose would be tricky. It also surprised Kaleb that his faceless jailer seemed impervious to his brand of smart-assery.
¡°Do you know any other dances besides the Can-Can, Princess? Waltz? Tango? Time-warp?¡± Kaleb asked after spitting blood from a cut in his mouth.
After delivering another kick to the other side of Kaleb¡¯s face the Faceless jailer asked. ¡°How many more are coming?¡±
Kaleb righted himself before answering. ¡°How many? Christ, Twinkle-toes, do I really seem like the vanguard to a massive attack? One lizard? I know you gangs don¡¯t know shit about tactics but come on, be smarter than that.¡±
¡°That may be true. But, maybe you convinced them you could open a hole in our defenses. You Supers are always arrogant bastards. Plus, you weren¡¯t exactly unarmed.¡±
¡°Yeah. About that. Where is my stuff anyway?¡± Kaleb asked. After waking up, he realized that they had taken his weapons and his communicator from him. He wasn¡¯t sure about his rail launcher, but that seemed to be frozen with the rest of his metal arm. So that was a moot point.
Faceless shrugged noncommittally. ¡°Not your concern. Once we dispose of you, we will be redistribute them through the ranks. A few of the guys have been eyeing your guns. Makes for good incentives.¡±
¡°Oh, so they are still in the house? Good. I will need those when I escape.¡± Kaleb smiled up at his jailer.
His faceless jailer didn¡¯t respond, he just lashed out with his leg again, striking Kaleb in the temple. Kaleb grunted in pain and checked his stats page. 85 Hit points remaining wasn¡¯t too bad. Especially since Kaleb didn¡¯t have his defensive clothing on. Although Kaleb¡¯s jailer could not be showing his true strength.
Before they could continue their little back and forth, there was a commotion from down the hall.
¡°Terrance! The master wants to talk to you. Now.¡± said a voice.
Kaleb glanced up in time to see his jailer, Terrance, stiffen in fear before responding. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡±
Kaleb couldn¡¯t resist a final jab. ¡°Yeah, run along like a good dog, Terry. The Master is calling.¡±
Terrance aimed a final kick a Kaleb¡¯s face but Kaleb was ready for it, leaning back and away. Terrance spun awkwardly in place before he caught himself and stomped angrily from Kaleb¡¯s cell. Kaleb watched him go bemusedly until Terry was out of sight then he struggled, one-armed, against his bonds. His frozen metal arm was no help at all as he tried to wriggle free.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
A tail would probable come in handy right about now. Kaleb thought as he thrashed around. Eventually he heard footsteps approaching his cell. Sitting back up he stopped struggling and pretended to look bored. As he watched a short humanoid male came into view in front of his cell and stared in at him. Kaleb smiled and winked at the Faceless guard as the short humanoid continued to walk down the hallway.
Once he was sure the guard had passed Kaleb struggled again. Except soon he heard a new sound, it was the sharp *snikt* of metal on metal followed by a muffled grunt. As he listened, he heard the guard¡¯s footsteps coming back, so he stopped struggling. This time when the guard appeared slightly shorter, and he walked right to Kaleb¡¯s cell door. As the humanoid moved to his restraints Kaleb swore loudly guessing at his saviors identity.
¡°Damn it, Roy! What the hell are you doing?¡± Kaleb hissed as the ropes around his chest and arm fell away.
Roy shifted the Faceless mask away from his face smiling. ¡°Sorry, Doc. But it was too easy. Everyone was so focused on you that all I had to do was grab a mask. It¡¯s not like they have a list of known gang members.¡±
¡°I told you to stay with the Brute Clan!¡± Kaleb gripped as he stood up and shook feeling back into his arms and legs.
Roy shrugged, still smiling. ¡°Yeah, but then I thought: What would you do?¡±
Kaleb struggled to detach the small disc like object on his arm that was locking his arm up. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I¡¯m a bad influence?¡±
¡°Yes, Yes you are.¡± Roy answered before helping Kaleb wretch the small electronic device off his shoulder.
Once they got it off Kaleb had Roy stand guard while Kaleb studied the small device. It was a powerful electromagnet that jammed up the pistons in his arm. He briefly considered options to circumvent such devices before he pocketed the device and put it from his mind. Moving up to the door next to Roy, Kaleb asked.
¡°So any idea where my stuff is?¡±
Roy nodded down the way the first guard had come from. ¡°That way, but you know that guard I took out? Well, his buddy is waiting at a desk by the door.¡±
¡°What did you do to him?¡± Kaleb asked a little worried he just precipitated in Roy¡¯s first kill.
¡°I zapped him unconscious and put him in the cell I was hiding in.¡± Roy answered.
Kaleb gave a sigh of relief before he had a thought. ¡°Wait, you were already down here?¡±
¡°Yeah, I figured you would end up here, eventually.¡± Roy shrugged.
¡°Porvath?¡± Shouted a voice from down the hall on their left.
¡°Wait. You assumed they would capture me?¡± Kaleb asked not a little offended.
Roy smiled at him as the second guard¡¯s footsteps got closer. ¡°Was I wrong?¡±
¡°Asshole!¡± Kaleb growled slamming his metal palm into Roy¡¯s back.
The blow sent Roy tumbling onto his knees into the hallway. The second guard gave a surprised shout and moved to help his fallen comrade. Kaleb waited until the guard got close enough before he shoulder barged out of his cell. He collided with the guard and they both slammed into the opposite cell bars. Kaleb quickly punched the back of the guard¡¯s head further into the bars, when the guy groaned in pain, Kaleb punched again and again until the guy went limp.
Kaleb sighed and flipped the guy to check on him. The gray ogre looking guy was fine, but he now had a black bruise growing on his forehead. Kaleb figured the guy was fine and quickly patted him down finding a truncheon and a set of keys. Once Kaleb finished he slid the unconscious guard into his old cell. All while Roy shot him dirty looks.
¡°What?!¡± Kaleb asked.
Roy huffed angrily. ¡°Did you just use me as bait?¡±
Kaleb hid a grin and walked toward the exit. ¡°Technically, you were a distraction. Besides, you wanted to help.¡±
¡°Jackass.¡± Roy grumbled as he followed behind Kaleb.
¡°Ahh, the joys of partnership.¡± Kaleb smiled at Roy as he walked around a desk where the guards sat.
On the other side he found a large metal safe. As he tested the guard¡¯s keys Kaleb had Roy watch the exit. The boy seemed to be happy that Kaleb referred to him as a partner and happily guarded the door. Truthfully, Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure how he felt, he would have preferred Roy level up a little more before he went into the field. But, the truth of the matter was he was here now and Kaleb could use the help.
Once Kaleb found the right key, he opened the safe and took out his equipment. It appeared like he was the Faceless¡¯ only prisoner, since all he found was his own equipment. He put on his armor, strapped on his guns, put his Taser Eggs back in his pockets, and reloaded his rail spikes into his arm. Once Kaleb equipped his weapons, he finally put on his lab coat, headband and communicator, sighing in relief.
¡°Okay, so here¡¯s the plan¡¡± Kaleb began before Roy cut him off.
¡°Yeah, No. Your first plan got you put in here. How about I tell you the plan?¡±
Kaleb was a little taken aback, but he figured: What the hell? ¡°Okay then, kid. It¡¯s your show. Tell me how this will go down.¡±
Chapter 75 - Kick A Lizard
Kaleb stared at the opposite wall as he waited and listened. Roy¡¯s plan was for the young Nova to recon the mansion. With the mask he almost had free run of the mansion. Once Roy understood the basic layout of the mansion, then they would look for Wulkun. Kaleb agreed with the plan, somewhat but it required him to stay put for a few minutes.
Once Roy left Kaleb immediately worried about the different things that could go wrong. If they caught Roy somewhere he wasn¡¯t supposed to be in the mansion, then things would get loud quick. So Kaleb sat near the door, staring at the wall, and listening for any sounds of commotion. But the house remained quiet and Kaleb stared at the wall.
Kaleb sighed loudly as he stretched out one leg then another. He was getting antsy. He was about to explore the cellar area he was in when he heard footsteps approach the door. Kaleb stood and placed his back next to the door and waited. As the footsteps drew closer Kaleb pulled his Sun Gun and pointed it around chest height of the door.
Someone pushed the door open slowly and Kaleb heard a familiar but unfriendly voice.
¡°Porvath, Jakarl! The Master wants to see the priso¡¡± Said Kaleb¡¯s kick-happy Jailer.
Kaleb didn¡¯t hesitate, he pulled the trigger twice sending two blasts of yellow energy into the Faceless jailer¡¯s chest. The energy hit full force sending the tall jailer into the door. But, to Kaleb¡¯s surprise, the guy seemed to shrug off the blast sent a powerful kick at Kaleb¡¯s gun hand.
Kaleb held tight to his gun as the Faceless Jailer tried to kick it aside, jerking his arm harshly. His jailer followed up his kick with a flying knee that slammed into Kaleb¡¯s side and sent them both into the guard¡¯s desk. Kaleb tried to bring his gun back up, but the Jailer grabbed hold of his wrist and kept the gun away. As he maintained gun control with one hand, the Faceless jailer sent an elbow into Kaleb¡¯s face.
The elbow slammed into the side of his face and bent Kaleb over the desk sideways. Kaleb decided that he needed to gain ground so he broke the jailer¡¯s hold on his wrist and jumped the desk, shoulder-rolling and coming up with his gun aimed at where the guy was.
¡°Was it¡ something¡ I said?¡± Kaleb panted out as he shuffled backward further into the narrow hallway.
His Faceless jailer stalked forward expressionless mask staring at Kaleb. ¡°How did you get free?¡±
Kaleb inhaled deeply before he responded. ¡°Well, you know, I am wily.¡±
Kaleb thought he could hear the Jailer sigh behind his mask. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, the Master commands your presence.¡±
Kaleb was about the throw out another quip but his Jailer leaped forward closing the gap between them. Kaleb got off a shot into the Jailer¡¯s shoulder, but it did little more than piss the guy off. Kaleb used Shocky to deflect the Faceless¡¯ flying punch before jabbing forward with the barrel of his gun. Kaleb had been aiming for the guy¡¯s throat but hit his shoulder again as the Jailer dodge.
Deciding that the Jailer was far more skilled than him in Hand-to-Hand combat, Kaleb went for a tried-and-true plan. He let the Jailer pummel him for a while until he was in close then aimed his Rail Launcher. Once he was sure the guy was too close to dodge Kaleb fired a rail spike straight at the Jailer¡¯s chest. And for the second time, the Faceless Jailer surprised the shit out of Kaleb.
The man¡¯s hand seemed to glow blue and as he bent backward away from the spike, his hand reached out and grabbed it from the air. Kaleb stared in shock for a while before he sent a blind punch and jumped back to get away. But the Jailer followed, throwing the spike aside and jumping in with a straight kick. Kaleb saw another blue glow wrap around the jailer¡¯s leg before it collided with his stomach, sending him flying down the hallway between the cells.
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Fuuuuuck.¡± Kaleb groaned as he picked himself up.
The kick felt like getting hit by a damn truck. He could hear the Faceless Jailer approaching again as he tried to think of something. The guy was increasing his speed and strength somehow. Kaleb wracked his brain for a way to counter that when the Jailer spoke, sounding smug.
¡°Just give it up, lizard. You are out of your league.¡±
Kaleb smiled as an idea came to him, He crouched down and put his hands on the floor. ¡°Jokes on you, jackass. I¡¯m always out of my league.¡±
Kaleb focused hard as the Jailer¡¯s steps grew closer. He pictured a frozen floor the entire length of the hallway. Kaleb held that image as he poured his yellow Mana down into the floor. Soon he felt a headache start at the sides of his head. When the steps grew louder, and the headache made his eyes hurt, Kaleb released his Mana.
A cold wind blew as ice cracked the stone floor. Unfortunately Kaleb didn¡¯t have enough Mana for the entire hallway. But he iced over 30 feet. The Jailer had been around 10 feet from Kaleb when the magic took effect and immediately he lost his footing. Kaleb backed up and watched as he rubbed his temples.
The spell he had cast had cost him 75 Mana to freeze the ground. The headache that came with it wasn¡¯t exactly fun. Kaleb glared at the Jailer that was still trying to get his legs under him. Eventually he gripped the nearby bars of a cell and glared at Kaleb angrily. Kaleb just smiled and reached into his pocket grabbing a Taser Egg.
Still smiling he lobbed the egg into the iron bars the Jailer was holding onto to help him stand. The plastic egg broke against the metal bars and the wires sprung free snapping with electricity. Kaleb was a little disappointing he couldn¡¯t see the look on the Jailer¡¯s face. But he settled for watching the Faceless man writhe around before collapsing in a heap on the icy floor.
Kaleb quickly holstered his Sun Gun and slid over on the ice. He was sure the guy wasn¡¯t dead, so he needed to hurry and end things before the Stun wore off. Careful not to touch the still electric bars, Kaleb crouched down near his Jailer and removed his mask. Behind the mask was the face of what Kaleb would call a typical High-Fantasy Elf.
The man had blond hair, pointy ears, and dark piercing blue eyes that were staring up at Kaleb in hatred. Every few seconds a jolt would go through the Jailer, tensing all of his muscles in his body. Kaleb was trying to decide what to do when he noticed the man¡¯s arms glowing blue and drifting upward. Kaleb gawped in surprise for a second, the guy was forcing himself out of the Stun state he was in. Feeling like he had no other choice Kaleb aimed his Rail Launcher at the man¡¯s face a fired.
Blood sprayed upward briefly as the spike jammed itself into the elf man¡¯s forehead. Kaleb sighed and tried to think if he could have done something else. In the middle of a fight was one thing, but this felt dirty. Kaleb shook it off as several notifications popped up all at once and he smiled.
*Conditioning Skill Level Up*
Health increased by 11%
Stamina increased by 11%
Incoming physical damage decreased by 6%
*Hand-To-Hand Combat Skill Level Up*
Hand-to-Hand Damage increased by 8
*Gadget Mastery Skill Level up*
Current Gadget Failure Rate decreased by 2%
Current Blueprint Drop Rate Increased by 4%
Blueprints. Kaleb thought as he stared down at the Elf he had killed. Those hate-filled blue eyes still stared up at Kaleb. He wondered what kind of blueprint he could get from a guy like this. Plus, it had the added benefit of getting rid of the body. Shrugging his shoulders he reached out and placed a hand on the man¡¯s chest, trying to start a loot drop.
There was the standard flash of light and the body disappeared. In its place was a silver necklace with a weird symbol Kaleb didn¡¯t recognize and a folded piece of paper. Oh, look at that. Got one. Kaleb thought as he took his loot and stood up carefully. The bars had lost their charge so Kaleb used them to slide along the frozen ground. After he collected his ever-useful Taser Egg.
He was about to look at his new blueprint when he heard the far door open again. Sighing, he hid in a nearby cell and waited. He heard the door close and a voice call out softly.
¡°Doc?¡±
Kaleb sighed again and moved out of the cell to see Roy standing at the end of the hallway. Roy seemed to sigh in relief as Kaleb walked over to him. Kaleb smiled and waved, but before he could say anything Roy asked.
¡°What happened?¡± The boy¡¯s eyes were firmly fixed on the patch of ice Kaleb had created.
Kaleb scratched his head. ¡°Uhh, Hallway fight?¡±
Roy gave him a weird look but shook it off. ¡°Well, whatever. Something is going on upstairs. A few minutes ago some people ran in and out of the mansion.¡±
¡°What about Wulkun?¡±
¡°There¡¯s a locked door on the second floor to the left of the main stairs. They have a guard on it and they restrict entry to a few people. So I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s it.¡± Roy explained.
Kaleb nodded with the assessment before he asked. ¡°So what¡¯s the next part of the plan, Boy Wonder.¡±
Roy put on a disapproving look before he smiled wickedly. ¡°Next I escort a prisoner.¡±
Chapter 76 - The Master
Kaleb kept his head down and tried to look beaten as Roy dragged him through the mansion. They had found some rope and tied his hands behind his back. Roy kept a firm hand on his arm and pretended to lead him around forcefully. Unfortunately, they had to put the electromagnet back on his arm to keep the lie believable.
Roy had been right, dozens of Faceless were running around the mansion. They rarely spared Roy and Kaleb a glance as they moved from the cellar, through the kitchen, and down another hallway. What creeped Kaleb out was that all the Faceless running around were being eerily quiet. No one was shouting orders, and no one was asking questions. They were all running around as if they already knew what was going on and where they needed to be.
Roy jerked on his bound arms again as they entered the foyer. Two ornate staircases led straight up to the second floor, with the third floor visible from the entryway they stood in. Kaleb heard the front door open and close several times before as people entered and exited the mansion. The pair climbed the stairs with Roy leading Kaleb off to the left. Roy had said the room was off the hall to the left with only one guard.
They weaved around several fast-walking Faceless and turned into a dimly lit hallway. Halfway down the hallway was a Faceless guard sitting in a wooden chair. Kaleb kind of hoped the guy was asleep but as they moved closer, he saw that wasn¡¯t the case. The guard stood as the approached and tilted his head curiously at Kaleb.
¡°The Master wants the two lizard prisoners brought to him together.¡± Roy¡¯s muffled voice said from behind the Faceless mask he wore.
The guard continued to stare at the both before he, without speaking, moved to open the room door. Kaleb exhaled a silent breath he hadn¡¯t been aware he was holding. There was an audible click as the guard unlocked the door and stood aside to let them both in. Roy nodded at the guard and shoved Kaleb forward into the room.
Inside was a rather plain bedroom with a few dressers, a couple of cabinets, and a plain bed. Setting at a dresser looking not a little pissed, was Wulkun. The old lizard was sitting facing the door, holding a makeshift weapon and when Kaleb and Roy entered Wulkun stood, ready to fight. Kaleb smirked as he studied the old lizard¡¯s choice of a weapon, it looked like Wulkun had pulled the leg from a table and was ready to use it as a club.
¡°I might not have use of my left arm, but I think I can take you.¡± Kaleb grinned at Wulkun.
Wulkun looked surprised for a moment before he smiled back. ¡°You¡¯re about 20 years too early to have a go at me, hatchling.¡±
¡°Quiet!¡± Roy barked, remaining in character. ¡°The Master wants to see¡¡±
The door behind them slamming shut cut Roy off, and the loud click of the lock seemed to echo through the room. Kaleb and Roy shared a look before Roy took his Faceless mask off and swore.
¡°Shit, what the hell happened?¡±
Kaleb wiggled free of his bindings and pried the electromagnet off his Arm. ¡°No idea, how did he realize you weren¡¯t one of them?¡±
Wulkun swept his gaze over Roy and Kaleb before he sighed loudly. ¡°The Mask. Ever since they went on lock-down, they have been using the Masks to communicate with each other. When you didn¡¯t, the guard must have gotten suspicious.¡±
Roy flipped the mask around in his hands. ¡°It can do that?!¡±
¡°They are not just for decoration.¡± Wulkun said.
Kaleb and Roy stared into the back of the plain white mask. Other than the eye holes though it looked plain. It wasn¡¯t until Kaleb ran his hand over the different parts of the mask that he found any semblance of electronics. But it was ultra-thin and almost seemed baked into the mask.
¡°How did a street gang get a hold of something like this?¡± Kaleb asked in wonder.
Wulkun sighed and sat back down. ¡°The Master. He can create low grade electronic constructs. But only so many that¡¯s why The Faceless aren¡¯t a bigger gang. He uses those mask to coordinate the rest of the Faceless while he rules from this mansion.¡±
Roy nodded as he asked. ¡°So what all can they do?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure. Some say he uses them to control the other members of the gang. Others say he can transfer some of his skills between the mask. It¡¯s all very spooky and mystical.¡± Wulkun said sarcastically.
¡°Well either way, what¡¯s the plan now, Roy?¡± Kaleb asked his assistant.
But Roy just shook his head. ¡°I don¡®t know. My whole plan was contingent on them not knowing I am here. I do not think we can sneak out of here.¡±
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Kaleb nodded in agreement before looking to Wulkun.
¡°Don¡¯t look at me. They¡¯ve been holding me for a while, hoping to get some kind of payment from the Brute Clan. But we are a stubborn Clan and not ones to pay a gang for protection. I honestly expected them to kill me long before now.¡± Wulkun explained.
¡°Why didn¡¯t they?¡± Kaleb wondered. ¡°I mean they have to have known that the Brute Clan would not pay a ransom or anything.¡±
Wulkun sighed. ¡°When they realized they weren¡¯t getting any money from us, The Master turned his sights to recruiting us. Same as the Elders of our race, he thinks of us as good cannon fodder. But my Brute Clan are not criminals and we will never join a petty cause such as his.¡±
¡°So The Master wants more front-line soldiers for his gang?¡± Kaleb pondered aloud. ¡°So, what? He has been trying to recruit you?¡±
Wulkun gave a toothy smile. ¡°I have been humoring him, hoping some young ones of the Clan would come up with a plan to get me out of here.¡±
Kaleb took out his Sun Gun and passed it to Wulkun, who took it carefully. ¡°Well, we are here. So let¡¯s get going.¡±
¡°You have a plan?¡± Roy asked sounding surprised.
Kaleb shrugged, moving to the door and testing the handle. ¡°Same as when I started out, really. We punch our way outside and signal the rest of the Clan.¡±
Wulkun¡¯s eyes seemed to bulge from his head. ¡°You know that is not really a plan?¡±
Kaleb nodded. True it wasn¡¯t the best idea, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything else. He would have to watch over both Wulkun and Roy as they made their escape. I hate escort missions. Kaleb thought as he drew his Magic Gun and aimed it at the door. He really hoped they could make it outside.
Kaleb was focusing his Mana into a large fireball and pictured it exploding from his gun when the door opened suddenly. Kaleb kept focusing as Wulkun stood ready to move and Roy deployed a stun baton from his bracer. A masked man, taller than Kaleb, glided into the room. He wore a mask like the rest of the Faceless. But someone had emblazoned this one with a large purple M.
Well, that¡¯s sort of obvious. Kaleb thought as he adjusted his aim while the masked man seemed to study them.
Eventually The Master raised his arms theatrically and spoke in a booming voice. ¡°I AM THE MASTER!¡±
Kaleb smiled and released his Magic. ¡°Bye, Master.¡±
A giant red-orange fireball burst forth from his Magic gun, causing a massive spike of pain to slam into Kaleb¡¯s forehead. The fireball seemed to engulf The Master¡¯s tall form and continued on. Through the door, out into the hall, and through the opposite wall. Kaleb didn¡¯t waste anytime as he charged forward shouting at his two companions.
¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s that easy!¡±
¡°It won¡¯t be.¡± Wulkun answered as he followed Kaleb through the burning wreckage that used to be the door.
Roy brought up the rear, and the three charged into the smoking hallway. Not pausing, Kaleb quickly turned and ran for the entrance. As Kaleb ran, he noticed that unlike when they first moved through the mansion; it was noisy. People were shouting and screaming, and Kaleb was sure he heard fighting coming from the foyer.
Kaleb¡¯s assumptions proved correct when he moved to the top of the stairs and looked down. The entire lobby was full of Faceless fighting several people. As Kaleb watched, he noticed that the Faceless¡¯ enemies seemed to be mutants. There was a man with one arm larger than the other with a clawed hand attack people, a woman with reverse-jointed grasshopper-like legs jumping around, and an amorphous flesh-colored blob rolling around eating screaming Faceless.
¡°What the fuck?!¡± Kaleb asked aloud.
¡°It¡¯s the Phreaks. A rival gang. They must have staged a raid on the Faceless¡¯ territory.¡± Wulkun answered from behind Kaleb.
Kaleb turned to ask more and saw Roy fighting a gray skinned Faceless. Kaleb drew his Cybar pistol to help but Roy ducked a large haymaker and jabbed his stun baton into the Faceless¡¯ throat. The Faceless jolted as electricity coursed through him before collapsing in a heap. Roy turned to see Kaleb watching him and smiled.
¡°Are we leaving?¡± Roy asked.
Kaleb nodded as a booming voice answered from a nearby wall. ¡°No! You are not!¡±
The wall above the foyer exploded outward as The Master floated on a white sheet that looked like a Faceless mask. Kaleb mentally swore as he noted that the Master appeared unharmed. The Master turned to Kaleb and his two friends, completely unconcerned with the melee going on below him. The Master waved his hand a small piece of a white mask appeared in his hand. Kaleb had just enough time to realize that it looked like a small dagger before The Master threw it at him.
Kaleb dove down the stairs away from the projectile but he felt it punch into his thigh. Kaleb rolled awkwardly a few steps before he stood and returned fire with his Cybar. With his other hand he pulled the sharp white piece of mask out of his leg. The Master deflected Kaleb shots as he raised his hand and created more mask to block the energy burst. Kaleb kept firing until he had to vent the pistol and then he prepared to jump to the lobby.
But before Kaleb could jump a yellow energy burst slammed into the master¡¯s chest, making him take a step back. Kaleb glanced up the stairs to see Wulkun firing his Sun Gun. Roy seemed to be darting around, guarding the old lizards back. Kaleb watched as the master regained his footing and blocked the blast coming from Wulkun. He briefly wondered why The Master wasn¡¯t attacking until it came to him: The Master couldn¡¯t use his power to attack and defend at the same time. It was one or the other.
Kaleb smiled as his gun finished venting. It wasn¡¯t a sustainable plan, but he and Wulkun could keep The Master occupied until the Sun Gun ran out of charge. Kaleb hobbled down a few steps until he was even with the main entrance and aimed his Magic gun out the front door. As he focused his Magic, he fired his Cybar pistol up at the floating Master. As Kaleb started his barrage, Wulkun stopped his and moved down the stairs to stand next to Kaleb.
Roy had wielded two batons as he fought Faceless on the second floor landing. When Wulkun moved, Roy made a large swing with his left baton to clear space and jumped back. Kaleb almost laughed as he watched Roy land ass first on the stair¡¯s railing and slide down to him and Wulkun.
¡°Show off.¡± Kaleb said through gritted teeth as he concentrated on his Magic gun.
Roy just smiled and wiped sweat from his forehead as he prepared to guard the stairs. Wulkun stared at the pair before asking Kaleb.
¡°What are you doing with that second gun, Hatchling?¡±
¡°Your turn.¡± Kaleb said as he vented his Cybar pistol again. Luckily, Wulkun seemed to know what he meant and fired his Sun Gun up at The Master. Wulkun kept The Master occupied as Kaleb smiled and focused his attention back on his Magic Gun and answered Wulkun.
¡°I¡¯m calling the reinforcements.¡±
Kaleb released his Magic and a pinwheel of gold, white, yellow, and blue sparks spun out from the end of his gun. The cavalcade of color spun over the tops of the fighting gang members and through the front door. Kaleb silently counted down from ten in his head and smiled when he got to one and a large secondary explosion lit up the foyer from outside. Turning to Wulkun, Kaleb asked.
¡°Do you think that got Aqwen¡¯s attention?¡±
Chapter 77 - Ballroom Beat-Down
Kaleb joined Wulkun in firing up at the floating Master of the Faceless. He hoped that the Brute Clan would charge the mansion quickly. But until they did, he and the others would have to either fight or run. Glancing over at his two friends he saw Wulkun concentrating on his aim and Roy swinging wildly at other Faceless on the stairs.
The younger Nova swung his two batons in wide arcs. More intent on keeping the two or three Faceless from coming down the stairs then hitting anyone. We have to get off the stairs, at least. Kaleb thought. They were being jammed between Faceless members downstairs and the large brawl going on in the lobby. They were keeping The Master busy for now, but eventually the tall masked man would deal with their constant barrage somehow.
¡°Roy!¡± Kaleb shouted as he vented his Cybar pistol.
¡°Yeah?¡±
¡°Get ready to move. We are going for the door.¡±
Kaleb shared a nod with Wulkun before he shouldered his way through the melee below. Kaleb heard Wulkun stop firing his gun and chase after him through the crowd followed closely by Roy. Pushing and shoving his way through the crowd, Kaleb heard The Master growl angrily before a shower of white daggers fell on the crowd.
The pain in Kaleb¡¯s leg flared a little as the crowd pushed him this way and that. Wulkun kept his head low and helped push Kaleb forward through the crowd. The crowd shouted and yelled in pain as The Master¡¯s attack rain down on them. Kaleb thought he heard Roy scream in pain, but he couldn¡¯t turn and look. The daggers weren¡¯t large, but The Master¡¯s power propelled them quickly through the air.
¡°You bunch of half-animal bastards can get the hell out of my house!¡± Shouted the Master as the rain of white daggers seemed to slow.
¡°He¡¯s loosing steam! Get¡¯em!¡± Someone shouted from the crowd.
Kaleb stopped pushing his way through the crowd as a shadow appeared above him. Looking up, Kaleb saw a humanoid with the head of a rabbit leaping through the air. The rabbit-headed person sailed through the air aiming a kick at The Master who still floated fifteen feet above the foyer. Kaleb thought the balls on the rabbit must have been huge. The Master¡¯s powers seemed to have slowed, but he was not powerless right now. He could still throw around plenty of sharp objects.
Sure enough, before the brave rabbit landed his kick The Master spun around on his floating platform. The Master tensed his body and summoned his power, forcing the rain of daggers to stop. The rabbit twisted in mid-air trying to avoid whatever the master had planned for him. But it was too late, The Master thrust his arms forward and white spears appeared in front of his hands, impaling the rabbit-man through the neck and chest.
There was an audible gasp from behind Kaleb at the gruesomeness of the act and the lobby seemed to grow quiet for several seconds. The almost as one, the members of the Phreaks seemed to surge upward. All trying to get at the floating Master.
The crowd surged around Kaleb as he resumed pushing his way toward the front door. The temperature in the room fluctuated like mad as different Magic users tossed spells upward. The Faceless in the crowd did their best to stem the onslaught on their leader. But most went down in a pile of bodies. The Faceless¡¯ limited numbers were catching up with them.
Kaleb sighed as he pushed his way past a bipedal rhino-looking person and out the door. He heard Wulkun cough and sputtered behind him as they kept moving toward the Mansion¡¯s gate. There were far fewer Phreaks out in the courtyard and most didn¡¯t stop them as they moved. Once they arrived at the gate Kaleb turned and smiled at his two friends. Only, he was missing one.
¡°Where¡¯s Roy?¡±
Wulkun panted loudly and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t¡ know.¡± He pointed over his shoulder at the mansion adding. ¡°Must¡ Still be inside.¡±
¡°Fuck!¡± Kaleb shouted starting back toward the mansion. We he noticed Wulkun following him he turned. ¡°Not you. You keep moving toward the Brute Clan. They should be on their way. Once you meet up with them, get back to camp.¡±
¡°We are not leaving you in there. Once I meet up with our Clan, we will march on this Mansion and burn it to the ground.¡± Wulkun said with a finality the brooked no argument.
Kaleb kept his mouth shut. He didn¡¯t have time to argue, Roy was still inside probably hurt. Nodding at the old lizard, Kaleb turned and ran back toward the mansion. Thankfully, the rhino-person had charged through the side of the door, widening it a little more. As Kaleb entered, he saw that the melee had moved further in. The Faceless now battled on the stairs as their leader rained down concentrated fire on the Phreaks in the lobby.
Kaleb shuffled along the right side wall and looked around. The Faceless were retreating up the stairs as their rival gangs charged them. The narrow staircases helped mitigate the Phreak¡¯s larger numbers. Forcing most to deal with the floating asshole that was The Master. The Phreaks were throwing whatever pottery and furniture they could get their hands on up at him. The Master would dodge or block the projectiles then return fire with those odd white daggers he constructed.
On the right side of the room as Kaleb moved, he noticed a small group of Phreaks huddled around something. As he moved forward, he heard them arguing about something and when he got closer; he saw Roy on the ground. A group of Phreaks surrounded him and he held one of his stun batons up defensively. Roy had white daggers sticking out of his left shoulder and leg, but Kaleb couldn¡¯t see anymore than that.
¡°Hehehehehe we have to kill him just to be sure.¡± laughed a scratchy-voiced hyena-headed humanoid. He was crouched down near Roy giggling manically.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°We don¡¯t know if he is one of the Faceless. He says he isn¡¯t.¡± Said a bug-eyed human standing nearby.
A female with a human face but with whiskers and sharp teeth hissed. ¡°What does it matter? He is here, and he isn¡¯t one of us. Let¡¯s kill him then deal with the floating fucker.¡±
Kaleb waited to see if anyone else would argue against killing Roy. When no one did, and the hyena moved to do something Kaleb charged forward. Shoving past the Bug-eyed man and a bird-woman, Kaleb grabbed the hyena¡¯s giggling face and slammed it into a nearby wall. As Kaleb held the Phreak against the wall, he waved his Cybar pistol at the other.
Kaleb cast his gaze over the hyena-man¡¯s friends and asked Roy. ¡°You okay, kid?¡±
Roy grimaced in pain as he scooted to and put his back to the wall. ¡°Sorry, Doc. The Master nailed me with his daggers and I fell. Really, I was lucky not to be stomped to death.¡±
Whisker-girl twitched forward causing Kaleb to snap his aim to her. ¡°Once my friend is on his feet. We will be leaving. Try anything and I¡¯ll crush your friend¡¯s head against the wall and we will just shoot our way out.¡±
¡°Hehehehehehe Fuck you! Do you know who we are?!¡± cackled the hyena-man as he clawed at the wall and tried to get free.
Kaleb leaned all of his weight against his metal arm until the giggling hyena stopped struggling. ¡°You are the Phreaks. Local gang. Enemy of The Faceless.¡±
¡°So you know you shouldn¡¯t fuck with us.¡± Said whisker-girl.
Kaleb smiled as Roy used the wall to stand up. The boy only had the two daggers in him and thankfully he hadn¡¯t removed either of them. As Roy stood Kaleb saw the dagger in his leg fall out, meaning that it wasn¡¯t too deep to begin with. The one in the shoulder though seemed to be stuck deep.
¡°Ah, but you see. Do any of you know who I am?¡± Kaleb asked.
The group of Phreaks looked to one another confused. Eventually it was the bug-eyed man who spoke.
¡°No. Who are you?¡±
Kaleb felt the hyena struggle again. Roy was standing now, but he didn¡¯t look like he would go anywhere too fast. ¡°I am nobody.¡± Kaleb answered with a smile. When they all looked confused he continued. ¡°If you let me and my friend disappear today. Who will know? Why bother with either of us at all?¡±
Bug-eyes and the Bird woman seemed ready to be done with the whole situation. But the chuckle-head with his head in Kaleb¡¯s metal hand hissed and cursed. Whisker-girl looked ready to go either way until a voice spoke up from behind the three Phreaks.
¡°It¡¯s not about who will know. It¡¯s about respect.¡± Said a deep growling voice. Whisker-girl and Bug-eyes turned to see who spoke revealing a large barrel-chested man with the head and paws of a lion. The man shook his large man of hair and chuckled.
¡°And boy, you have disrespected us.¡±
Fuck. Kaleb mentally swore as he saw the lion¡¯s words galvanizing the other Phreaks. Laughing boy redoubled his efforts to get free and the other three all seemed ready to attack. Kaleb sighed audibly as he scanned for the nearest doorway. When he found it he let his grip slip for just a moment. The hyena took advantage of the loosening of his grip and pushed Kaleb¡¯s metal arm away.
*Thunk*
Kaleb activated his spike launcher and moved to help Roy slide along the wall to the nearest doorway. The hyena-man¡¯s cackling stopped replaced with a sickening gurgle as the other Phreaks made sounds of outrage. Kaleb blindly fired behind him as he helped/carried Roy toward the door. Kaleb heard the lion-man roar in fury as the both passed through the door and into the what appeared to be the kitchen.
Kaleb found the lock on the door and turned it just as something heavy collided with the door. Roy propped himself on the counter as Kaleb looked for something heavy to guard the door. Finding a large cabinet full of dinnerware Kaleb tugged and pushed it in front of the door.
¡°Doc.¡± Roy said getting Kaleb¡¯s attention and pointing toward a second door along the north wall.
¡°Shit!¡± Kaleb said running over to lock the second door.
Before he got there bug-eye and the girl with whiskers charged in. Kaleb momentarily ignored them and slammed the door closed, locking it. Turning to deal with the two intruders, a clawed hand scratched across Kaleb¡¯s face. Meanwhile bug-man punched into Kaleb¡¯s midsection. Kaleb felt lucky that his armor took the brunt of the punches, but the claws had cut deep into his face.
Kaleb tried to get a shot off with his pistol but someone seized and held his gun arm pointing it away. He heard Roy trying to shuffle closer to help, but the blood from his cut face was trickling into his eyes stinging them. Kaleb kicked out at whoever was holding his gun arm getting a satisfying impact and grunt noise from one of his attackers. Kicking out again, Kaleb felt the grip on his gun arm loosen and he yanked it free.
With his gun free Kaleb backed up to the door and wiped the blood from his face. He was just in time to see the whisker-faced girl pouncing forward like a cat, both clawed hands extended forward. Reacting, Kaleb jabbed his gun forward into her head and fired, causing the red energy from his pistol to engulf his attacker¡¯s face. Kaleb felt the woman¡¯s clawed hands collided feebly with his armor. His blast had not only fried her face but the force of it had snapped her neck back forcefully, probably breaking it.
Kaleb reoriented himself and got ready for the bug-eyed guy to charge. But nothing happened, the man was standing in front of Kaleb still as a statue. Kaleb briefly wondered what happened when the man¡¯s segmented eyes twitched and black blood seeped out from his mouth. The man fell down to his knees then collapsed completely revealing a bent over Roy behind him breathing hard and holding a blood-soaked white dagger from his shoulder.
¡°Jesus, Roy.¡± Kaleb said worriedly, moving forward and helping Roy stand.
He moved the boy over to the kitchen counter and looked for something to stop Roy¡¯s bleeding. Thudding noises came from both doors as Kaleb found a tablecloth and tore it up. He tipped another cabinet in front of the second door as he moved to help Roy. As he passed a cupboard a jar of gold-colored liquid caught his eye.
¡°Yes!¡± Kaleb hissed as he opened the cabinet and grabbed the jar of honey.
¡°What is it?¡± Roy asked breathing hard.
Kaleb smiled at his friend and held up the honey. ¡°Natural antibacterial. It will disinfect your wound. Lay back.¡±
Roy laid down on the large kitchen counter as Kaleb began sopping up the blood from the boy¡¯s shoulder wound. Once the blood was out of the way, Kaleb used a butter knife and spread the honey on the small but deep cut. Roy hissed in pain as Kaleb finished and plastered a few sheets of cut up tablecloth over the wound. After wrapping the wound as tight as he could Kaleb made a sling so Roy wouldn¡¯t move his arm too much.
The pounding on the doors didn¡¯t let up throughout Kaleb treating Roy¡¯s wound. When Kaleb finished, Roy tried to sit up up but gave up tiredly.
¡°Thanks, Doc. Just give me a minute then we can fight our way out.¡± Roy said leaning back and closing his eyes.
¡°Sure, dude. Take your time.¡± Kaleb said, sighing loudly.
Kaleb knew that Roy was coming down off an adrenaline high. Plus, the blood loss couldn¡¯t have helped at all either. It wasn¡¯t much, but it probably wasn¡¯t good. The pounding on the doors slowed and Roy¡¯s breathing even out. Kaleb guessed that they were in the calm before the storm. One way or another, they would have to try something. The doors couldn¡¯t hold for too long.
As Kaleb sat against the kitchen counter and sighed, he noticed a glowing icon in the corner of his vision. Thinking it looked familiar, Kaleb mentally clicked on it.
Chapter 78 - Growth and Escape
*Your Companion Roy Nova has Leveled up*
*Your Companion Roy Nova has Leveled up*
*Your Companion Roy Nova learned the Hand-to-Hand Combat skill*
*Your Companion Roy Nova has Leveled up*
*Your Companion, Roy Nova learned the Dodge Skill*
*Your Companion Roy Nova has Leveled up*
¡°Holy shit!¡± Kaleb said out loud turning to stare at his prone companion.
Does Roy get experience just for fighting or did that bug guy he killed give him a lot of Xp. Kaleb wondered as he brought up Roy¡¯s companion page.
Companion Lvl: Assistant
Name: Roy Nova
Origin: Mundane
Sub-type: Athlete Lvl 6
Experience: 1547/2100
Health: 114/152 (+46)
Stamina: 132/132 (+20)
Defense: 22 (DIY Armor)
STR: 15 (+5)
AGI: 13 (+3)
CON: 18 (+2)
INT: 14 (+3)
WIS: 11 (+1)
CHA: 11 (+1)
Stat points Spent: 15/15
Skills:
Endurance Lvl 3
Slugger Lvl 1
Toughness Lvl 2
Hand-eye coordination Lvl 2
(Dodge Lvl 1)
(Hand-To-Hand Lvl 1)
Metalworking Lvl 1
Weaponsmithing Lvl 2
Electrician Lvl 1
Benefits: 50% off at Nova Hardware
Special Note: Legacy Hero
What the shit! Kaleb mentally swore as he looked at his friend¡¯s stats. The damn kid had better Hp than he did. The stats must play a role in getting Hp and stamina, and that is on top of bonuses he got from skills. But when Kaleb thought about it he had gadgets, that is, if he got around to building them.
Opening his own status page Kaleb tabbed over to his gadget page. He had four gadgets slots open: one in each hand, one in his metal arm, and one on his head. He still had two more gadget slots to unlock on his legs. Strangely his guns didn¡¯t count toward the gadget count like his Ice Ray had, but the Taser Egg did. Man, I really have to work on more gadgets. Kaleb thought briefly before a particular loud bang came from the side door.
Turning, Kaleb saw the cabinet he had placed sideways in front of the door slide forward after a hard hit. Running over, Kaleb pushed the cabinet back into place and put his back to the cabinet and door as he shouted.
¡°Okay Roy, time to get up! We still have to fight our way out of here.¡±
Roy remained immobile on the countertop as another harsh slam hit Kaleb¡¯s door.
¡°Damn it, Roy! Did you fall asleep?¡± Kaleb yelled as tried to not slide on the kitchen¡¯s tiled floor.
Watching his assistant¡¯s prone form, Kaleb could see Roy¡¯s chest lightly rise and fall. Kaleb didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. How the hell could the kid fall asleep here! Kaleb mentally asked the heavens. Another hard impact hit the door followed by a loud cracking noise.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Turning Kaleb saw a large gray horn piercing through the door. The horn seemed to be stuck for a few seconds before its owner twisted it free of the door. In the hole made by the horn Kaleb saw a brief flash of gray skin before a furry mouth and sharp teeth replaced it.
¡°Hide all you want. The Faceless are almost all dealt with and once we are finished with them, we will get in there and tear you both to pieces.¡± Said the lion-man¡¯s deep voice.
Kaleb wasn¡¯t even listening he simply put his Cybar to the hole and pulled the trigger. The blast widened the hole a little, but the growl of pain that came from the lion-man was worth it. Not given anyone more time to talk Kaleb kept a steady stream of fire until he had fired all 9 shots. Kaleb vented his pistol as he listened to the Phreaks on the other side of the door swear and groan and pain.
¡°D¡ Doc?¡± Roy¡¯s groggy voice asked from the counter.
Kaleb ducked down as he waited for his gun to vent.
¡°Oh, morning princess. Ready to fight for our lives?!¡±
Roy seemed confused for a second until a stream of white thread shot out from the hole in the door. Looking up Kaleb saw a face with six eyes and mandibles around a large mouth. Spider-person, great. Kaleb thought as Roy rolled off the counter and crawled over to Kaleb. Along the way Roy bumped into the body of the Bug-eyed guy he had stabbed.
Roy came to a halt while crawling and stared down at the large puncture wound he had caused with the white dagger. Kaleb¡¯s gun finished venting, and he fired out of the hole again. He heard the spider-person hiss and back away as he turned toward Roy.
¡°Roy?¡±
¡°I¡ killed him?¡± Roy asked sounding confused and a little worried.
¡°Yes, Roy. Yes, you did and I hate to tell you but you will probably have to kill or at least injure a few more.¡±
Kaleb could kind of get it. Roy was an AI and for the AI this was their world. But game realism would not help him right now. They would have to fight their way out of here or at least retreat down to the cellar/prison. Remembering the cellar, Kaleb fired his last shot and vented his pistol before saying.
¡°Roy. If you can¡¯t do this, then go down to the cellar and lock yourself into a cell. The Brute Clan is coming. I¡¯ll hold them here.¡±
Roy was still staring at the dagger wound in the bug-guy¡¯s back, but Kaleb¡¯s words seemed to snap him back to reality. Roy swallowed noticeably before moving over to lean against the cabinet next to Kaleb. Kaleb could see that Roy was visible sweating, and he looked a little pale, but he smiled at Kaleb. Twisting his wrist Roy equipped another stun baton from his bracer.
¡°Last one.¡± Roy said voice shaking a little.
¡°And your spikes?¡± Kaleb asked looking at Roy¡¯s other bracer.
Roy shook his head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t get the spikes to deploy without hurting myself. But I still have a few loaded.¡±
The spider-person was back spewing white thread down at them as they hid behind the sideways cabinet. Kaleb was about to return fire before he stopped and asked Roy.
¡°Give me one.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Spike. Give me one of your spikes.¡± Kaleb said as a wad of webbing slapped the cabinet close to his head.
Roy pulled his long sleeve shirt back and opened his bracer on his right arm. Once he had it open he pulled a collapsible spike out and handed it to Kaleb. Kaleb quickly snapped the spike out to its long thin form and jumped up, plunging it through the hole.
The spider-person screamed as the spike plunged deep into its eye. Green blood spurted out as Kaleb quickly yanked the spike out. He wasn¡¯t sure how deep he had stabbed but the screaming seemed to show that the spider was still alive. Kaleb ducked back down behind the cabinet and handed the spike back to Roy.
¡°Thanks.¡± Kaleb said over the still screaming spider-person.
Roy took the spike and gulped at the green blood dripping off it. Rallying himself Roy turned to Kaleb.
¡°So what¡¯s next?¡±
Kaleb glanced at the other blocked door to the kitchen. People were still banging on it, but it seemed like the heavy hitters were on the door he and Roy blocked. Next he looked around the kitchen, but other than dishes, chairs, a table, and an electric stove there wasn¡¯t a lot to use. Kaleb braced as a heavy slam sent Roy and him skidded forward. Bracing against the door again, Kaleb told Roy his idea.
¡°You move another one of those cabinets against this door and then we wedge the table against it. Then we charge out the other door. It¡¯s closest to the front door and we can make a run for it.¡± Kaleb whispered trying not to be overheard.
Roy nodded and moved as Kaleb provided covering fire with his pistol. Roy easily slid the cabinet across the tiled floor and lined it up against the door. Kaleb vented his pistol and helped Roy place the second cabinet on top of the first. Kaleb stood and braced his back against the two cabinets. Next came the kitchen table which they wedged against the door. Once finished they stood in front of the second door.
Kaleb drew his magic gun and charged it up. He held the image of a large boulder in his mind as he charged his yellow Mana through the gun. They would need space once they made it through. Kaleb silently nodded toward the second door, indicating for the young man to open the door. Roy watched as Kaleb poured more Magic into the gun. Once Kaleb gave Roy a second nod, the young Nova opened the door and quickly moved out of the way.
Two men with wolf-like features looked shocked as they tumbled into the room. Kaleb released his Magic and braced for the headache as he held his aim steady. A large cannon ball sized chunk of rock rocketed out of the gun and collided with the two wolf-man sending them flying back into the foyer.
Kaleb pocketed his Magic gun and grabbed his three Taser Eggs as he shouted. ¡°Go! Make for the door!¡±
Roy nodded and rushed out the door, stun baton held out in front of him. Kaleb followed quickly after, ready to throw all three of his Taser Eggs to clear the way. As they entered the lobby, Kaleb almost swore, twelve members of the Phreaks seemed to be waiting for them in a half-circle around the door. The boulder from his Magic gun seemed to have surprised them, but they had expected them. A six-foot rhino-man and the lion guy ran around the corner from the second kitchen entrance as they passed into the looby.
Roy was charging into a group of Phreaks trying for the main door. Kaleb tossed his Taser Eggs toward the door, careful not to hit Roy. He gritted his teeth and followed Roy firing his Cybar pistol into the ring of Phreaks. He heard the lion-man roar behind him as they pushed their way through the ring of guys. Roy¡¯s stun baton helped them immensely, making the Phreaks easy to shove aside. Kaleb gave an involuntary sigh of relief as he passed the front door.
But his elation was short-lived, because in the courtyard the Master was on the ground, wielding a white sword and dagger, surrounded by Phreaks. Kaleb and Roy skidded to a stop as their exit garnered a lot of stares from the edges of the mob. For a brief second all was quiet as they stared at each other, but soon the lion roared again and the mob surged toward Roy and Kaleb.
Chapter 79 - Death Of A King
Kaleb stayed near Roy as the oncoming mob charged. He fired into the mob with his Cybar pistol until it needed to vent then drew his Magic gun. Roy met the fastest chargers with his Stun baton, stunning them into a paralysis and then stabbing them in the legs with his collapsible spike. Apparently, He still couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill wantonly.
Kaleb, meanwhile, dodged around some melee fighters and fired his Magic gun into groups of gang members after charging it for a short time. Kaleb thought that shooting the gun was akin to pulling a rubber band, the more Mana he poured into it the bigger the shot. Unfortunately, that meant he had to guess at how much Mana he had to pour into it to make a lethal shot. His first few shots did little more than push people back, he had focused on earth magic to simulate bullets. But they weren¡¯t powerful enough.
Kaleb dodged a swipe from a clawed hand and slammed his metal shoulder into his attacker. Roy was helping clear space around them as they stood back to back, but soon, they would be overrun by the mass of Phreaks. Kaleb aimed his Magic gun toward the gate where The Master stood and focused on pouring Mana into his gun. He tried to put what he thought was twenty Mana into the shot and released his hold on the Magic.
A large funnel of air exploded out his Magic gun, snapping his arm back. The funnel pushed some Phreaks back creating a momentary opening in the mob. Kaleb roughly shoved Roy as he got his footing back. A slobbering hyena-man leaped on Kaleb¡¯s back as he yelled at Roy.
¡°Run!¡±
Roy seemed to hesitant as Kaleb dragged the small Hyena-faced man off his back. Kaleb pulled the hyena down in front of him and fired a flame shot into his face before looking at Roy again.
¡°Go damn it!¡±
Roy nodded slowly before he swung his Stun baton in a large arc in front of him while running for the gate. Kaleb wielded his Magic gun as a club as he vented his holstered Cybar pistol. He clubbed another rabbit-eared woman in the face and turned as the mob kept coming. His field of vision filled with images of rabbit ears, tiger claws, cricket legs, and other animal people.
He tried to draw his Cybar pistol, but he felt someone jerk the gun out of his hand and other hands latched onto his other arm. The surrounding mob pummeled, scratched, and stomped him as Kaleb went under in a wave of bodies. Someone stomped his Magic gun free of his hand and kicked it away. Kaleb covered his body with his arms protecting himself while he watched his Hp slowly drop.
His Hp was in the fifties when he heard a familiar loud roar. Kaleb smiled to himself as the pummeling stopped and members of the gang drew away from his prone form. Oh Gaming Gods, please make him a gloater. Kaleb thought as he laid down, resting to get what little Hp he could back. Soon a body was thrown down next to Kaleb and looking over Kaleb saw it was the Master.
They had broken his mask, and his clothes were ripped and shredded. The blue-eyed human man behind the mask looked broken and tired as he tried to stand back up. Kaleb watched him for a while as the crowd murmured around them, some throwing insults, others taunting them. He ignored them until they fell silent and he could hear the soft padding of footsteps approaching. Kaleb closed his eyes and waited, but a mask-less Master didn¡¯t appear to be that patient.
¡°You have not won this day, oh King of Beasts!¡± Said the Master, rather dramatically Kaleb thought.
Kaleb heard the lion-man chuckle deeply. ¡°Your home is in ruins, your followers are dead, and you are soon to follow them to Hell. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve won.¡±
Kaleb heard the lion move closer to them as he kept an eye on his health bar.
¡°Should we ask the interloper which one of us comes out ahead in this little war?¡± The lion asked as he seemed to pace close by.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Kaleb cracked an eye and stared up at the lion. He had to stop himself from chuckling at the burn mark from his Cybar pistol that surrounded the lion-man¡¯s snout. Kaleb shuffled his back pretending to get comfortable on the dirt floor of the courtyard.
¡°Nah, I¡¯m good. You and Shakespeare finish up first. Then you and I can settle up, your majesty.¡± Kaleb said closing his and pretending to yawn.
The lion roared angrily and suddenly Kaleb felt an immense pressure on his chest. Opening his eyes, Kaleb did his best to look unbothered by the lion-man. The lion was now hovering mere inches from Kaleb¡¯s face with both his hand placed firmly on Kaleb¡¯s chest. Kaleb heard his metal chest armor creak as the lion¡¯s claws extended from his fingertips.
¡°Or we can go right now, princess. It¡¯s up to you.¡± Kaleb said breathlessly as the air was forced slowly from his body.
The lion bared his teeth for a few seconds before he pulled back slowly. Kaleb heard the lion-headed man slowly chuckle as he stood. The chuckle became a laugh which then became a deep-belly guffaw of laughter. The lion¡¯s fellow gang members picked up the laugh as they all stared down at Kaleb who was slowly getting his breath back.
¡°HA HA HA HA HA HA! Ohhh, I like you little lizard.¡± Said the lion before suddenly snapping out a kick to Kaleb¡¯s midsection.
All the air Kaleb just returned to his lungs escaped again as he doubled over in pain. The armor had blunted a good deal of the blow, but he thought it best to overact. As he rolled around in mock convulsions in looked for his guns. The Magic gun was on the ground near where the Master kneeled in defiance. But his Cybar was in the hands of a long-nosed green-skinned goblin looking thing. The little bastard was waving it around like he had won a prize.
¡°I think I WILL deal with dear old Kevin first. The lizard is proving too fun to play with.¡±
¡°Kevin?¡± Kaleb asked bemused.
¡°My name is The Master!¡± Kevin yelled at the same time.
The lion ignored them both, kneeling down in front of Kevin and extended his claws on both his hands. Kevin for his part looked unafraid sneering right back into the face of his enemy. The lion-man placed his claws under Kevin¡¯s throat and looked ready to say something when Kevin moved. It surprised Kaleb how fast it happened but next thing he knew the talking lion had a white dagger in his throat. Kaleb almost swore, Kevin had just taking his own plan.
The lion gurgled and reached a hand up to his throat feeling the small white dagger. Kaleb was about to warn him not to remove it when the lion did just that, sealing his fate. Blood gushed from the wound staining the lion¡¯s large mane and down his chest. Kevin went to brush the lion¡¯s arms aside, but found himself suddenly wrapped in the arms of his victim.
The lion-man bear hugged poor Kevin and with the last bit of his strength squeezed. Kaleb and the surrounding Phreaks all watched in macabre fascination as the two enemies slowly died. The lion-man from the hole in his neck and Kevin from being slowly crushed in the bigger man¡¯s embrace. Kevin tried to scream as the lion-man forced the air from his body, but all anyone could hear was a loud exhalation of breath and then sudden snap of Kevin¡¯s backbone as the lion snapped Kevin¡¯s spine.
The lion-man threw down Kevin¡¯s broken body and tried to put his hands up to his wound. But whatever strength he had was gone. Kaleb slowly rose to a seated position drawing the eye of the dying lion. The lion grinned wickedly and tried to say something.
¡°K¡ kil¡ *Ahem* kil~ gragh!¡±
Kaleb quickly stood and retrieved his Magic gun as the lion continued to gurgle nonsensical words. As he moved near the lion wiggled his body ineffectually. Kaleb smiled at him and shoved him over theatrically, the crowd made a sudden gasp as Kaleb spun on the spot ready for an attack.
Focusing his Mana on the image of a stone bullet, Kaleb smiled at the assembled Phreaks. ¡°The king is dead. Long live the king?¡±
The surrounding Phreak¡¯s expressions went from shocked to pissed as Kaleb pointed his gun down. Releasing his Magic Kaleb sent a stone bullet into the back of the lion-man¡¯s dying head. The surrounding crowd roared in anger and surged forward as Kaleb made a bee-line for the goblin bastard that had his gun. As Kaleb raised his metal arm and fired a few spikes a loud clamor rose from beyond the surrounding crowd.
Kaleb and the Phreaks slowed to a stop as the ground seemed to shake and they could hear voices growing closer. Kaleb hopes rose as he the noises grew louder and the Phreaks close to the gate moved backward. Kaleb scanned the crowd real quick spotting the goblin weaving his way forward to get a better look at what was coming. Kaleb quickly followed, a few Phreaks tried to stop or grab him but he pushed his way forward catching the goblin near the courtyard gate.
After he wretched his Cybar pistol from the little thief¡¯s hands Kaleb smiled at the oncoming tide of lizards. It didn¡¯t look like there were many of them but their large weapons and similar size made for an imposing group charging toward the mansion. Kaleb couldn¡¯t see Roy or Wulkun, but Aqwen was in the lead charging forward with her metal staff. Kaleb turned expecting to see the faces of a beaten and downtrodden gang. Instead, he was met with looks of hatred and the obvious intent to go down swinging. Kaleb gulped as the mass of Phreaks all seemed to go feral and charge him again.
¡°Shit!¡± Kaleb swore as he took off toward the charging Brute clan.
Chapter 80 - Skirmish and Settlements
¡°Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!¡± Kaleb swore as he ran.
The mob of Phreaks chased after Kaleb as he ran at the oncoming Brute Clan. It wasn¡¯t a long way to the relative safety of the Clan; The lizards were charging quickly across the dirt street. But there were some fast Phreaks too.
As Kaleb ran a few Phreaks with animal legs caught him rather quickly. But once they made a grab for him, Kaleb avoided them. That is until one jumped right on top of him. Kaleb went down on his face and rolled in the dirt while his unwanted passenger hissed in his ear. Kaleb twisted on the ground as the Phreak on his back shifted around to mount his front. He stared up into the hissing, elongated face of a Phreak with fangs.
Great. Kaleb thought as he put his metal arm up to defend his face. The Phreak¡¯s head snapped down biting into Kaleb¡¯s arm. Kaleb saw a fang puncture into the metal of his arm as the snake-person bit down hard, drool oozing down onto the metal. Kaleb raised his Magic gun and put it against the Phreak¡¯s midsection when he heard a lizard¡¯s voice.
¡°Raise him up, young one.¡±
Kaleb turned his head to see Pacrath charging toward him with his blunt sword ready to swing. Raising his metal arm up, Kaleb saw the snake Phreak start and try to scramble away. But it was too late Pacrath took a running swing at the snake¡¯s head slamming his sword into him. The snake¡¯s head jerked at an odd angle and he fell into the dirt next to Kaleb.
Kaleb sighed and looked at his metal arm finding one of the snake¡¯s fangs still embedded in the metal. Damn, that¡¯s not good. Kaleb thought as he glanced back up to see Pacrath grinning down at him. All around them the Brute Clan collided with the mob of Phreaks. Kaleb took Pacrath¡¯s outstretched hand and stood, taking the fang out from his arm and pocketing it.
Pacrath watched him with an odd look. ¡°Battle spoils?¡±
¡°More like study material.¡± Kaleb answered.
Pacrath continued to look at Kaleb until the big lizard just shrugged his massive shoulders. ¡°Well, once the battle is over, you can study what you wish from the bodies.¡±
Kaleb nodded as Pacrath grinned again and dove into the melee. Kaleb checked his guns and Spike Launcher before moving to the side of the battle. He didn¡¯t want to shoot into his allies so he moved to flank the mob of Phreaks and fired with his Cybar while charging his Magic gun. Kaleb decided to go with electricity Magic as he fired on the fringes of the battle lines.
The lizards were fewer but better trained. The Phreak¡¯s were relying on pure numbers but they kept getting in each other¡¯s way. Once again though, Kaleb noted that the Brute Clan¡¯s weapons were still subpar. They wielded large pipes, blunted swords, and shoddily built maces as they bludgeoned the Phreaks into submission. There were a few outliers amongst the Phreaks who were proving a decent fight, but mostly the line of lizards were beating through them.
Kaleb waited until his temples were pounding before he released his magic. A bolt of electricity spiked from the end of his gun and into the bodies of several Phreaks. The lightning arced among the several before the Phreaks backed away from him hurriedly. Once the Magic stopped Kaleb faced a group of pissed off Phreaks for what had to be the third time.
Pocketing his Magic gun, Kaleb fired his Cybar and spike launcher. The edge of the lizard¡¯s battle line tried to extend to stop the group from charging Kaleb but they lacked the numbers. Kaleb fired until the group of Phreaks got close then went hand to hand. Really need a melee weapon. Kaleb thought as he slammed his metal fist into the face of a man with over-sized hairy arms.
Kaleb spun his Cybar pistol around in his palm and used it as a makeshift club. Batting aside a wild punch to his stomach, Kaleb jammed the butt of his pistol into the unlucky Phreaks throat. Hands gripped his lab coat jerking him further into the mass of bodies, so Kaleb batted them away. Luckily, the Brute Clan fought their way to him and helped before they overran him.
Kaleb fell in line with the Brute Clan and preceded to bash and shoot the Phreaks in the scrum of battle. Soon after, the Phreaks must have decided that enough was enough and a large mass of them made a run for it. Kaleb fired into their backs as a few of the Brute Clan gave chase while others mopped up the stragglers lost to their instincts and bloodlust. Kaleb saw Aqwen fighting a man with tentacles for arms and moved to help, but Titus stopped him, shaking his head.
Understanding that Aqwen would be pissed if he interrupted her fight, Kaleb went on a looting spree. He soon discovered though that the only bodies he could loot were the ones he had finished himself. Sighing at the loss of so much loot and blueprints, Kaleb waded into the mass of bodies touching them to activate the loot drops. He drew curious stares from a few of the brute clan, but he ignored them and went about his work.
Oddly enough, most of the Phreaks dropped vials of their blood and credit sticks as their loot. The money wasn¡¯t a surprise, but he wasn¡¯t sure what he would do with so much genetic material. Then again, with such a large library of mutant blood, what couldn¡¯t he do? Kaleb smiled to himself as he picked up another vial and, this time, a blueprint.
He had shocked a good deal of the Phreaks, a few of which didn¡¯t get back up. So his chances for blueprint drops could be good; at least he thought so. And he was being proven correct, he had collected a three blueprints from the bodies. Fittingly, they were all animal themed, Tiger Claw brass knuckles, a spear made from a rhino¡¯s horn, some weird feathered pants.
What shocked Kaleb was when he looted the snake-man he and Pacrath killed. The single fanged face disappeared in motes of light and in its place was a vial of blood and another blueprint. Except for the first time, the blueprint was more of a recipe for poison instead of equipment. Kaleb could kind of get it, the person was part snake, so he dropped a blueprint about making poison. It was just surprising.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Shaking off his surprise, Kaleb shoved the blueprint into his overstuffed pocket and moved toward the coup de grace. He wasn¡¯t sure the system would count him as Kaleb¡¯s kill, but he had finished the lion off. As he moved toward the courtyard he passed Aqwen who was repeatedly slamming the end of her staff into the prone body of the tentacle-man. She so violent. Kaleb shook his head as he passed the courtyard gate and moved to the lion-man¡¯s corpse.
Kaleb inhaled then blew it out slowly as he reached out to loot the body. The lion man had been a leader amongst the Phreaks. So Kaleb expected the loot to be epic, at least he hoped it would be. He sighed when the window popped up asking if he wanted to loot the lions corpse. Mentally clicking ¡®yes¡¯ Kaleb shielded his eyes from the bright light that came with looting a body. Blinking away the light, Kaleb looked down at the loot.
Kaleb grinned like a madman as he stared down at a vial of blood, a gold credit stick, and two blueprints. He pocketed the blood and money before opening the first of the blueprints. The sketch was a little shoddy but Kaleb could still make out the full face lion helmet. He was a little worried about how he could scale it to fit his face until he remembered the Resizing Rune.
Carefully placing the blueprint in his pocket Kaleb picked up the second blueprint. Only once he had it in his hand he realized it was much smaller than the first blueprint. Opening it revealed that it wasn¡¯t a blueprint at all, it was a letter. A letter that had given the lion his marching order. Kaleb scanned the letter before he glanced around for a lizard he knew. He was about to run back to Aqwen before a voice spoke by his ear.
¡°What you got there, doc?¡±
Somehow Roy had snuck up on him, startling him. ¡°Christ, Kid! Where did you come from?!¡±
Kaleb gave Roy a once over noticing that he had a bunch of new cuts and bruises. Roy smiled down at Kaleb¡¯s crouched form.
¡°I was in the fight Doc. Me and Wulkun joined the second wave although they had finished most of the fighting when we got here.¡±
Kaleb briefly tried to remember when a second wave of Brute Clan lizards had joined the fight. But he quickly pushed it from his mind. Standing up, he hurriedly asked Roy.
¡°Where¡¯s Wulkun? I need to speak to him.¡±
¡°And why is that, Hatchling?¡± Came Wulkun¡¯s voice siad from the courtyard gate.
Kaleb quickly moved toward the old lizard, letter clutched in his hand. ¡°Because of this,¡± Kaleb said holding the letter out for Wulkun to see. ¡°They were planning on moving kidnapping you from the Faceless and using you just like the Faceless would have.¡±
Wulkun¡¯s eyes flitted across the paper confirming Kaleb¡¯s words. When he finished Wulkun sighed loudly.
¡°I feared this would happen. Those around us, see us only as a source of cheap labor or cannon fodder for their petty little gang wars.¡±
¡°Then change that.¡± Kaleb said looking around at the bodies of the Brute Clan¡¯s enemies. ¡°You have the skill to defend yourselves. Show them that the Brute Clan aren¡¯t just mindless thugs for their armies.¡±
¡°Plus, you have a perfectly good headquarters now.¡± Roy added pointing back at the Faceless¡¯ mansion.
¡°What are you two suggesting? That we take over the Faceless¡¯ territory?¡± Wulkun asked sounding surprised and a little angry. When Roy and Kaleb both nodded the old lizard puffed himself up before shouting.
¡°We are not a gang of vagabonds and criminals! We are the proud Brute Clan and we will not debase ourselves by taking part in the petty squabbles over territory like the rest of Under-Town!¡±
¡°And I¡¯m not asking you to. But you need a place to call your own down here. Somewhere where the Brute Clan can prosper. All the other gangs have carved out pieces of Under-Town for themselves, why don¡¯t we do the same?¡± Kaleb said soothingly trying to convince Wulkun.
Wulkun¡¯s angry lessened a little, but he still argued. ¡°Because we are not a gang!¡±
¡°No, we are a clan.¡± Kaleb agreed. ¡°A clan without a true home. I am saying lets make one right here. Let¡¯s use the Faceless¡¯ territory to carve out a home.¡±
¡°We don¡¯t have the manpower, or the resources, OR the weapons.¡± Wulkun said feebly, wavering on the idea.
¡°Then call the others.¡± Said a female voice from behind Kaleb.
Turning Kaleb saw Aqwen and a few of the other lizards had been listening in on their conversation. Her voice had snapped Kaleb out of his fervor. He wasn¡¯t sure why he was so keen on giving the Brute Clan a home. Kaleb wasn¡¯t even sure if it would have any real in-game benefits. He just knew that he liked the Brute Clan, they had accepted him. Kaleb felt like they were his people.
Kaleb wondered if the game was affecting how he felt about things. There were cases of people staying too long in Deep Immersion that they confused the game with reality but that had never happened to Kaleb before. Then again, he hadn¡¯t been playing games too much in the recent past. He thought that maybe he should log out for a bit and get his head straight when he realized that Wulkun had asked him something.
¡°Hmm? What? Sorry I blanked out there.¡± Kaleb said to the assembled group as they stared at him.
Aqwen huffed in derision as Roy hid a smile. Wulkun sighed loudly before asking his question again.
¡°I said: if I wrote to the other Brute Clans would you send the letters off. I know of drop-boxes used my some other refugee camps.¡±
¡°Whoa,¡± Kaleb said. ¡°Letters? Like physical letters that people have to deliver themselves?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Wulkun said sounding annoyed.
¡°Retro. Yeah, I can do it. I can also work on getting you guys better weapons.¡±
¡°WE can help with the weapons.¡± Roy corrected.
Kaleb nodded as Wulkun smiled at both of them. ¡°Then I guess the Brute Clan is setting up shop here.¡± Wulkun said before he barked orders.
¡°Titus, go tell the camp to pick up stakes! I want everyone here as quick as possible! Pacrath, set up patrols around the area! We do not need surprises! Aqwen, gather some scouts and see how the gangs are reacting!¡±
Kaleb smiled as he and Roy walked off. They still needed to collect Daivor and head home if they needed to make weapons. But half a step later a vice-like grip seized Kaleb and Roy¡¯s shoulder.
¡°And where do you two think you are going?¡± Wulkun said sticking his snout between them.
¡°We were going¡¡± Kaleb began.
¡°Help clean up these bodies! We don¡¯t need our front lawn looking like a graveyard!¡± Wulkun ordered.
¡°But we¡¡± Kaleb tried again.
¡°GO!¡± Wulkun shouted.
Kaleb and Roy shared a look, mentally cursing the old lizard as they moved to help the rest of the Brute Clan.
Chapter 81 - Bureaucracy
Kaleb awoke to the sound of his doorbell ringing. He and Roy had helped the Brute Clan for most of the day yesterday. They moved the bodies, cleaned out the mansion, and helped patrol the edges of the territory. A few of the other gangs sent people to watch what was going on but none of them got too close.
Daivor joined them when the rest of the Brute Clan walked to the mansion. The Gnome didn¡¯t seem to put out about being left out of the fight. In fact, He seemed happy hanging out with the lizard kids and they seemed happy chasing the floating Gnome. Once they told him, they would make weapons for the Brute Clan, Daivor seemed far more excited.
After mailing Wulkun¡¯s letters and dropping off Roy at his parents Kaleb drove home. He offered to explain to Roy¡¯s parents what had happened, but Roy said he would handle it himself. Honestly, Kaleb didn¡¯t argue too hard. Once Kaleb was home, he catalogued and put away his loot. After doing some basic maintenance on his guns and armor, he uploaded his Memory crystal footage to HLO along with several reports about what happened in Under-Town.
Loud pounding joined his doorbell on his door as he rolled out of bed. He gathered his lab coat and two guns, Wulkun had returned his Sun Gun, at Kaleb¡¯s insistence. Putting on fresh clothes and his weapons Kaleb marched blearily to his front door. The pounding and doorbell ringing had grown to annoyance levels at this point.
Swinging the door open roughly Kaleb squinted against the bright light shouting loudly. ¡°WHAT?!¡±
¡°Professor¡ Citizen?¡± Asked a bored sounding male voice.
¡°What? What kind of name is that? He doesn¡¯t live here.¡± Kaleb said before slamming the door in the man¡¯s face.
Kaleb was about to get his mandatory morning cup of coffee when the doorbell and door pounding started up again. Kaleb sighed loudly and cracked the front door open again, sticking his head out.
¡°Yes?¡± Kaleb said mock sweetly.
¡°Sir, we know it¡¯s you.¡± said the voice, which Kaleb realized came from a tall black-suited green man wearing dark sunglasses.
¡°Well, that seems to make your earlier question rather pointless doesn¡¯t it?¡±
The green man exhaled harshly through his nose, annoyed. ¡°Sir, we require your presence at the HLO head office.¡±
Kaleb opened the door wider and asked curiously. ¡°Concerning what?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, sir. I was just asked to retrieve you.¡± Said the green-man, which Kaleb was thinking was a Xarthaksian. He was the same shade of green as Claire.
¡°Ok, well, let me grab a few things, first.¡± Kaleb said thinking about grabbing his headband and maybe his armor.
But, the suit shook his head and took a step forward. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, sir. You need to come with me now.¡±
Kaleb stared up at slightly taller man. ¡°I¡¯m sure that line works wonders with the ladies at whatever bar you frequent. But I¡¯m not going anywhere without protection, princess.¡±
The tall man stepped forward into Kaleb¡¯s personal space and glared down at him. But before he could say something menacing, he put a hand to his ear. Kaleb realized that the Xarthaksian man was wearing an earpiece and someone was apparently watching them. Mr. Suit nodded his head to whatever orders he had received before turning back to Kaleb.
¡°Grab whatever you want.¡± Mr. Suit said testily.
¡°There¡¯s a good boy.¡± Kaleb said before slamming his front door again.
Kaleb blew out a breath as he moved to his garage. Daivor¡¯s home was still dark, so he assumed that the Gnome was still asleep. Grabbing his armor and headband and putting it on, Kaleb looked around his lab. He didn¡¯t think he needed his Magic gun although he wished he had another Taser Egg. They had proven themselves as useful multiple times already. Kaleb was tempted to just build one real quick and let the green bastard stew on his doorstep, But he decided against it.
Once his armor was on and his Spike Launcher reloaded Kaleb made his way back to his front door. Walking out into the early morning sun Kaleb closed his front door and stood next to Mr. Suit giving him a curt nod. Mr. Suit looked Kaleb up and down before snorting in derision. Reaching down, the Xarthaksian man twisted something on his belt and slapped a palm on Kaleb¡¯s shoulder.
Kaleb¡¯s vision twisted hard, and he felt like his stomach was doing flips as everything around him went blurry. Before he could feel sick or disoriented though his feet felt like the slammed into ground and he was suddenly somewhere else. What the fuck was that! Kaleb thought as Mr. Suit removed his hand and tapped something on his belt again. Glancing down, Kaleb thought he saw a hint of metal on the man¡¯s waist. Teleportation Belt? Kaleb wondered before he noticed that the green-man had walked off.
Kaleb looked around as he walked, not recognizing the interior of the building. He obviously wasn¡¯t in the HLO building near his house. This building was more rectangular and had the foot traffic of an office building. Multiple people in business suits ran this way and that with briefcases, stacks of paper, or coffee. Mr. Suit lead him to a row of elevators just past a security checkpoint.
Mr. Suit waved a badge, and they were let into the area with the elevators. Kaleb tried to take in more of the building as they stood waiting for one elevator. As he looked around, he noticed that there was no natural light in the building, no windows, no front doors, nothing. He also realized that most of the people in the building were Aliens. Including me. Kaleb thought as the elevator bell dinged.
Kaleb stepped into the elevator and turned to see that Mr. Suit wasn¡¯t joining him. The tall man leaned into the elevator and pressed a combination of buttons before leaning back and staring daggers at Kaleb.
Kaleb nodded as the doors closed, flipping Mr. Suit the bird before the doors finally shut. Kaleb leaned his back against the elevator wall and tried to decide why he was brought here. The obvious answer was because Roy had been hurt while under his care. But he wondered if his footage of the K-Tech employees taking bribes had sparked something within the upper echelons of the HLO. Maybe they needed his testimony on record before they did anything drastic against the giant corporation.
Kaleb looked up to the elevator numbers to see how close he was to his destination. Only the numbers weren¡¯t moving, he could feel the elevator gliding easily beneath him. But according to the numbers he wasn¡¯t going anywhere. He was about to press a few buttons on the console when he felt the elevator slow to a stop and the doors slid open.
Beyond the doors Kaleb saw a large office room with a massive back window facing downtown Austin. There were large bookcases to either side and in the center was a man seated in a wooden high-backed chair behind an oak desk. Kaleb moved forward slowly taking in the ornate room. Behind him on the wall with the elevator was a wall of trophies, plaques, awards.
¡°Sit.¡± Said the man behind the desk, pointing without looking up from whatever he was working on.
Kaleb wasn¡¯t a fan of the way the man spoke so, in an act of defiance, he remained standing. He stood behind one of the two short chairs in front of the desk. He heard the man behind the desk sigh wearily before he looked up. Kaleb bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from reacting to the person¡¯s appearance. He looked exactly like a demon with white skin. He had two small horns, pointed teeth and ears, and his eyes were a deep crimson.
¡°I said: Sit!¡± The demon man ordered again pointing at one of the two chairs.
¡°No. You ordered me to sit.¡± Kaleb said involuntarily continuing. ¡°I defied you because I didn¡¯t like your tone.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the words spilling from his mouth. He hadn¡¯t meant to say the second part. Judging from the smile on the demon¡¯s face Kaleb assumed it must have been a power native to his species. Once he thought about it though, Kaleb mentally shrugged his shoulders. The dude wants honest? I can do honest. Kaleb figured smiling back at him.
The demon stopped smiling and put down his pen before he spoke again. ¡°My name is Syth and I am one of the directors for the HLO. I oversee¡ disciplinary actions and the out-processing of certain elements that don¡¯t work with what the HLO stands for. So you see I am your superior.¡±
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
¡°No. You are just higher on the corporate ladder.¡± Kaleb interrupted.
Syth snapped his attention back to Kaleb, surprised. He had obviously not been expecting that. So he has to activate that little truth power of his. Kaleb filed that thought away for later as he smiled at Syth. Syth studied Kaleb¡¯s face for a while before he nodded curtly, mouth a tight thin line.
¡°Quite.¡± Syth said before moving on. ¡°Either way, it has come to our attention that you have committed several infractions that don¡¯t really¡ jive with what the HLO is about. These offenses are even backed up by your own footage of the events.¡±
¡°Such as?¡± Kaleb asked turning serious and sitting in a chair.
Syth smiled waving a hand over his desk and bringing up a holo-display. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just go through the footage you submitted yesterday.¡±
Kaleb watched as the footage from his headband played out in fast-forward before Syth stopped it. In the footage he was greeting Blutschl?ger yesterday morning. Syth brought up another holo-display right next to the first.
¡°Let¡¯s start with your association with this man. A Mr. Kolya Blutschl?ger, a known thief and criminal.¡± Syth said pausing for Kaleb to ask or say anything.
Kaleb¡¯s mind raced for a few seconds before he asked. ¡°If he is such a known entity why didn¡¯t my Handler recognize him when I first encountered him?¡±
¡°Ah, a mistake made by a Ms. Etha-Farrah Kyneklos. I have her on the list to be reprimanded this morning.¡± Syth said sounding cheerful.
Kaleb bit his lip not wanting to say anything to get Farrah in more trouble. Syth smiled and moved the footage ahead some more.
¡°We can mark Your association with Mr. Blutschl?ger down as a mistake made by the HLO. However, this next part is a violation made of your own choice.¡± Syth said pausing the footage of him in the K-tech junkyard.
¡°Here you are violating a No Trespass sign on Government Property.¡± Syth said in almost a sing-song tone.
¡°I was led to believe that was K-Tech property.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°It is.¡± Said Syth.
¡°I was unaware that the government had purchased a stake in K-Tech.¡± Kaleb said mock serious.
¡°They haven¡¯t but as you know, K-Tech holds several contracts with the government. So they have a vested interest in what goes on within their property.¡± Syth explained sounding peeved.
¡°So, at best, you got me violating private property. Which I was unaware was our destination. I believed that Blutschl?ger received his¡ merchandise from public dump sites.¡± Kaleb said fudging the truth a little.
Syth didn¡¯t look like he believed him. ¡°And yet, once you discovered the nature of the site not only did you take part in thievery. But, you also ran from the authorities when they tried to apprehend you.¡±
Kaleb bit back another harsh retort as he asked. ¡°Authorities? You mean the K-Tech guards who were clearly taking bribes to allow access to restricted sites. I am sure they were more interested in silencing me than making an arrest.¡±
Syth smiled again waving his hand in front of the holo-display. ¡°Oh yes, the secret shady deal you witnessed.¡± Syth said putting air quotes around the word witnessed.
¡°Let¡¯s look at THAT footage shall we?¡± Syth said stopping the footage at Kaleb watching the deal between Deiter and the cat-lady.
The footage was fine and you could just make out the two of them discussing payment to enter the site. But by the look on Syth¡¯s face, he found this footage useless. Kaleb waved his hands angrily at the screen.
¡°Come on! You can hear them discussing payment to enter restricted sites owned by K-Tech.¡± Kaleb yelled sitting forward in his chair.
¡°What I hear Mr.¡ Professor¡ ugh!¡± Said Syth stumbling over how to address Kaleb before starting again. ¡°What I hear is these gentlemen bribing these law enforcement officers. But, when they refuse and are about to arrest the criminals, you interfere! These guards are well within their rights to shoot or detain anyone found on K-Tech property!¡±
¡°Oh, now it¡¯s K-Tech property.¡± Kaleb muttered.
¡°Whoever¡¯s property it is is irrelevant! You aided the escape of criminals!¡± Shouted Syth
Kaleb jumped up and gripped the side of Syth¡¯s desk screaming back. ¡°And you are ignoring a criminal element within K-Tech! Why?! Is this city so dependent on a Corporate entity that you fear pissing it off?!¡±
Syth backed away behind his desk and made an odd sign with his left hand. Kaleb felt a slight push against his chest. He saw Syth make a worried face as he did the odd sign again with his hand. This time Kaleb let the push take him all the way back to his chair. Syth smiled as Kaleb¡¯s mind whirred. He tried to push me but it didn¡¯t work. But why? Kaleb though looking down at his armor. Magic! The Ifirt skin lining of my armor has a slight resistance to Magic.
¡°Another outburst like that and I will use my full power.¡± Syth said sounding smug.
Kaleb did his best to look contrite as Syth continued. ¡°Let¡¯s continue: Even without the incident at the K-Tech dump site you have broken several tenets of the HLO.¡±
Syth waved through several stills of Kaleb¡¯s footage from yesterday listing off his supposed crimes.
¡°You associate with a refugee camp full of violent aliens.¡± he said showing images of the Brute Clan.
¡°You charge into a den of criminals without requesting back-up.¡± Images of Kaleb charging the faceless.
¡°When that fails you get yourself captured by said criminals.¡± Images of Kaleb¡¯s interrogation by the Faceless.
¡°Once free you take part in what I can only describe as a gang turf war. Killing multiple people, some of whom cannot even fight back.¡± Images of Kaleb executing his Jailer and the Phreak¡¯s Lion-man leader.
¡°They were criminals.¡± Kaleb defended lamely.
¡°The HLO does not go around pretending to be judge, jury, and executioner. Our mandate is the apprehension and detention of super-powered criminals.¡± Syth snapped back at him.
¡°Finally,¡± Syth said waving his hand over the holo-display interface. As he did multiple images appeared in front of his desk. All of Roy during the fighting at the Faceless¡¯ mansion.
¡°You knowingly took a civilian along on what should have been an HLO sanctioned mission. Not only do you take him, but you get him severely injured and almost killed.¡± Syth said.
¡°He¡¡± Kaleb started to say.
¡°Sure,¡± Syth said putting up a hand. ¡°He might have come along through his own volition. But as an HLO-sanctioned Super you had a duty to get him out of that building and what did you do? You took him along!¡±
Syth was panting now as he adjusted his suit. ¡°That was unacceptable and not in line with the standards of the HLO.¡±
Kaleb sighed sick of this whole charade. ¡°So what¡¯s the verdict?¡± Kaleb asked sounding bored.
¡°The Verdict,¡± Syth snapped angrily. ¡°Is that we have suspended you for the next two months. You will not attempt any acts of heroism, you will not meet with any other HLO members, and we forbid you from interacting with Roy Nova.¡±
Kaleb hissed a question through gritted teeth. ¡°And what am I supposed to do for money?¡±
Syth scoffed and adjusted his tie. ¡°I don¡¯t care. If it were up to me I¡¯d have you thrown out of this organization. Why don¡¯t you go work at a tech store? I hear you people are good at such work.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s vision flashed red and suddenly he was over the desk and gripping Syth¡¯s vest and necktie. He vaguely saw Syth making wild motions with his hands but he barely felt anything. Drawing his Cybar pistol, Kaleb fired a shot into the large glass window overlooking the city. The window shattered and fell as it did Kaleb realized it was a screen in front of a brick wall. That disappointed him, he had wanted to dangle the smarmy bastard out a window, instead he put his gun between the devil man¡¯s small horns.
¡°Take that tone with me again, you slimy fuck, and I¡¯ll swear to whatever god you believe in I¡¯ll¡¡±
The sound of several electronic charging sounds interrupted Kaleb. Turning he saw six identically suited men and women. Each having stepped from an elevator that had appeared in the wall. Some held large energy rifles, others summoned their Magic, and others still just stood there looking menacing. Kaleb stared at them for a few seconds before he removed and holstered his pistol. Syth¡¯s legs seemed to give out, collapsing, as Kaleb released him.
¡°Professor, we will have to ask you to leave the building.¡± said one of the black-suited security guards.
Kaleb nodded his head as he walked around the desk. ¡°Gladly.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll pay for this you fucking lizard! I¡¯ll make it so you will never work for the HLO again! I swear it!¡± Syth screamed as he used his desk to prop himself up.
Kaleb kept walking, moving around a pair of guards and entering one of the elevator. A guard stuck his head in and hit another combination of buttons. All the while Kaleb stared daggers at Syth. Soon the doors shut and Kaleb breathed a sigh of relief. Well, this fucking sucks. I wonder if everyone is having this kind of game. Kaleb thought as he leaned against the side wall.
He knew he had messed up with Roy, but he thought that at least the HLO would take the news about K-Tech seriously. Why would they remain so willfully ignorant? On top of it all, they had taken his assistant from him. Although he doubted Roy would obey such an order. He needed a plan, something to do with his time while he stuck out his suspension. If it was still only a suspension.
He also briefly wondered what was happening to Farrah. Would contacting her go against his ¡°not meeting with other HLO members.¡± Probably. He thought As the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. This time they open out onto a street in downtown Austin. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure where he was but as he exited, he looked back to see the elevator disappear. He was in front of an abandoned building with no signs of the HLO.
Fuck it! Kaleb thought as he walked down the street. I¡¯ll show them. I¡¯ll show all of them!
Chapter 82 - Moving Out
Kaleb had plenty of time to think as he walked back home. He didn¡¯t calm down, he still fumed over the whole conversation with Syth, but some things bothered him. Two things stuck out for him as weird: one was no matter how much he disliked what had happened, Syth had been technically correct. Second was that the ¡°No contact with any other HLO member¡± was a weird rule.
The rule seemed designed to either make him either become a villain or take up the life of a civilian. But even if he became a civilian, he could still run into the odd member of the HLO. So he would actively have to avoid Supers working for the HLO that was crazy not to mention difficult. He couldn¡¯t think of a way to make the rule work unless they were planning for him to fail.
Kaleb pondered the problem all the way to his home. As he turned the corner onto his block, he immediately noticed a few things. His block was way more active than it had been in the past. People were out and about in the street. Joggers running, couples pushing strollers, and people out working on their lawns. Next he noticed a large city van, with some electric company¡¯s logo on the side, sitting almost across from his house.
The van was a couple of houses down from his home and didn¡¯t seem like it was near anything electrical. Kaleb almost sighed at the obviousness of it all. Were they purposefully being overt? If so, why even use the van? Two black-suited agents in a sedan would still get the message across. We are watching you, so don¡¯t fuck up. Kaleb nodded at a few people as he walked down the street to his house.
I wondered if they have a real baby in that stroller.? Kaleb thought as the couple walked on the opposite side of the street. A few of the people out and about he recognized, but most of them he assumed worked for the HLO. This is overkill. What am I going to do? Go on a rampage? Well, I guess after my talk with Syth, that¡¯s a fair assumption. But, really, what am I going to do?
As Kaleb entered his home, he had a sudden flash of memory. He wanted to check out the Lair Obadiah Nova had gifted to him today. Could he still do it with his new HLO minders? Probably not. As he looked around his home, Kaleb was sure about one thing. He couldn¡¯t stay here, But first he had to deal with his new watchers. Kaleb moved into his kitchen as he removed the HLO communicator from his wrist and threw it on his couch.
The HLO would track him through that and he didn¡¯t want one of his friends to contact him and get him in trouble by mistake. Kaleb stuck his head into his garage as he reached for a wall-mounted phone line. He never thought he would use the archaic piece of equipment but right now it was all he had. In the garage he saw Daivor had woken up and was working on his floating chariot, probably working on the power distribution. Kaleb smiled at his lab and assistant as he dialed.
¡°Nine-One-One, what¡¯s your emergency?¡± said the calm female voice over the phone.
Kaleb grinned as he tried to sound worried. ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a suspicious van in my neighborhood. It¡¯s sitting across the street and not really doing anything. But the sign on the side of the van say¡¯s that they are with the city.¡±
After a short amount of typing the voice spoke again. ¡°Okay, sir, this line is specifically for emergencies. It sounds like you would like the police to do a drive-through of your neighbor¡¡±
¡°Yes! Please, could you just send someone!¡± Kaleb said excitedly trying to sound like a concerned citizen.
¡°Sure, sir, I¡¯ll see if I can arrange something. Could you give me your address?¡± The operator said sighing loudly.
Kaleb gave the nice lady his neighbor¡¯s address and quickly hung up. He would prefer to remain as anonymous as possible. He wasn¡¯t sure if they would do anything, really, But Kaleb had also wanted to check something. Moving into his living room, Kaleb looked through the blinds of his front window, staring at the van.
Sure enough, a few minutes after his call there was some movement from within the van. As he watched, Kaleb saw a person move into the driver seat from the back of the van. Soon after the van started up, honked twice, and then drove away. Wow, make it more obvious why don¡¯t you. Kaleb smirked as he moved into his garage. His house and phones lines had definitely been compromised.
He needed to get out of here as quick as possible. But he also needed to take whatever he could. Daivor looked up from his work as Kaleb entered. Seeing Kaleb¡¯s demeanor, Daivor set his miniature set of tools to the side. Where does he get those things? Kaleb wondered as he moved to the center of his garage and looked around. The green bins would be easy to move but he only had limited space in his car. He didn¡¯t think he would get the chance to come back for more stuff.
Kaleb sighed loudly as he mentally prioritized the things in his garage.
¡°Boss?¡± Daivor asked curiously.
¡°We got to move, Daivor. Shits gone sideways.¡±
Daivor grinned. ¡°Your fault?¡±
Kaleb snorted a laugh. ¡°Yeah, probably. But I don¡¯t know how much of this stuff I can take.¡±
Daivor closed the panel on the repulsor he was working on and activated his chariot. Moving to his house Daivor went inside. Kaleb ignored the Gnome as he moved to open his garage, maybe looking in his car would help. As the garage opened, Kaleb shifted some of his junk around. Daivor walked back out of his home carrying a tiny metal box.
Kaleb almost laughed out loud. ¡°Thanks, Daivor. But I don¡¯t think that box will help.¡±
¡°Kid, do you think Builder Gnomes stay in one place? We move around to, you know. And when we do, we sometimes have to take a lot of stuff. So we have a little trick for moving. But know that this will put me out of commission for a while.¡± Daivor explained.
Kaleb was excited if Daivor could make moving things easier, he would take the help. But he wasn¡¯t so sure about Daivor being out of commission.
¡°What¡¯s it do to you and for how long?¡± Kaleb asked worried for his tiny friend.
Daivor shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just Mana exhaustion. So it will knock me out and I won¡¯t be able to retrieve your stuff until I wake up. But calling the stuff back is easier, so there¡¯s that. Also, I might not get everything.¡±
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Kaleb bit his lip, a little torn about the decision. Daivor, however seemed to have no hesitation about the idea. Almost as soon as he gathered himself Daivor was muttering a spell. Kaleb couldn¡¯t quite make out the words. It was like the Gnome was speaking just low enough to not be heard, but when Kaleb tried to make out a word they would slip away. He was trying to decipher what Daivor saying when a large window appeared in front of him.
*Your companion, Daivor, has begun Lab Relocation*
Accept?
[Yes] [No]
*WARNING!*
It can take only 70% of The Pit¡¯s equipment and materials.
Kaleb swallowed as he stared at the screen. 70% was far more than he had expected taking, it was still at the cost of losing Daivor for a while though. Kaleb mentally clicked yes and stood back as a wave of magic pulsed through his garage. There was a sharp inhalation of air and then suddenly everything in his garage was sucked into the box held in Daivor¡¯s hand. Kaleb scrambled to get out of the way as the garage was utter chaos for a few seconds.
Then as quickly as it began, it was over and Daivor collapsed backward. Kaleb stared around his garage in awe. It sucked his workbench, lathe, homemade smelter, anvil, and a bunch of other things into the box. He still had a few bins, a couple of tools and stacks of sheet metal left over but the spell had packed away a good deal of his lab.
Kaleb gently retrieved his companion and his box. Kaleb smiled down at the Gnome, he had been a hell of a find. The small Gnome looked like a tiny cherub to Kaleb as he cradled the small guy and moved to his car. When he had that thought Daivor snored loudly and farted in his hands. Oh damn it, Daivor! Oh god, it¡¯s warm! Oh, now he¡¯s drooling!
Kaleb quickly moved to his passenger side door and firmly set Daivor onto the passenger seat along with the box of goods. Wiping his hands on the roof of his car Kaleb moved to gather whatever else he could. He could fit a little more in the back seat of his car and he wanted to make sure that some of the more important items were taken. Such as his newly gained vials of the Phreak¡¯s blood. Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure how useful they would be, but for now he knew he wanted to keep them close.
As Kaleb finished packing up, he noticed a few eyes on him. While the van had left, there were still a few stragglers from the HLO. Kaleb smiled a wave at a few, making sure they knew that he knew they were there. Kaleb made a final run-through of his house, grabbing a few sets of clothes, some food, and the coffeemaker. Once he was done Kaleb got in and drove off. As he drove away, he watched the HLO stooges watch him until he turned the corner.
Kaleb made a beeline for downtown Austin. His new Lair was to the east, but first he wanted to lose whatever tail the HLO was sure to have put on him. Kaleb did a few laps around downtown Austin, occasionally he would stop his car at a hotel or a convenience store and look around. He checked the sky too; he didn¡¯t need to be surprised by some drone. After a few hours of driving and backtracking, Kaleb made his way to the airfield in Imperial Valley.
The drive barely took him twenty minutes and, luckily, the roads were flat most of the way there. Kaleb kept one-eye on his rear-view mirror as he made his way to Imperial Valley. He remembered Farrah saying that the Airfield was just south of there. Once Kaleb spotted the area though, he couldn¡¯t help but be underwhelmed.
He was moving alongside a gated airfield that was all dirt. The air control tower looked like it was boarded up and hadn¡¯t been used in ages. The aircraft hangar on the property didn¡¯t look better, really. The whole field was one great big dirt pit with one point of access. A dinky little gate and one guard shack that looked like it would fall over from a stiff breeze.
Kaleb thought he would have to open the gate himself. But, when he approached the front gate it surprised him to see an older man with a long white beard and a beer gut step out from the guard shack. The man looked like Santa Claus in a security uniform as he sauntered over to Kaleb¡¯s window. Kaleb lowered the window was about to speak when the guard interrupted him, speaking seemingly by rote.
¡°There is no treasure, hidden base, evil lair, or undiscovered mystical dimensions on this property. This is private land owned by a private citizen. No government or private entity may pass onto this property without prior authorization. Please vacate the premises within the next five minutes or I will be forced to move you, your vehicle, and all invisible individuals following you.¡±
Invisible?! Kaleb thought as he slapped himself in the head. They have invisible people working for them. Why wouldn¡¯t they? And I lead them right here. Kaleb grimaced as he looked back to the security Santa that watched the property for Obadiah. Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure the man would keep out the HLO, but¡
¡°Excuse me¡¡± Kaleb started.
¡°Four minutes, sir.¡± Said the guard.
Kaleb smiled a tooth-filled smile. ¡°Yes, but you see Obadiah Nova gifted me this land. He should have transferred the deed to my name. Professor Pack Rat.¡±
The guard stared at Kaleb for a couple of seconds before leaning in his guard shack saying dubiously. ¡°Oh really? Well, lets just see about that.¡±
Santa pulled a rectangular tablet from his guard shack and scrolled through something. It didn¡¯t take him long to find what he was looking for. Once he did however Kaleb noticed a slight change in the way the man stood. He stood up straighter and brushed a hand down the front of his uniform, the old man seemed bursting with energy suddenly.
¡°Ha! Looks like you are correct, Sir. You are the new boss. Hot damn! It¡¯s about time! My name is Robkronmus P. Bodillian, though most just call me Bob. It is great to meet you, sir!¡± said Bob.
Kaleb smiled at the jubilant security guard. ¡°Thank you, Bob. It¡¯s nice to be welcome. Now you said something about governments and private entities not being allowed onto the property. Does that include the HLO?¡±
Bob smiled as he looked from Kaleb to just behind Kaleb¡¯s car. ¡°Why yes sir, it does. Am I to take it that these here fellers are not with you?¡±
¡°No Bob, they are not.¡±
¡°All right then, sir¡± Said Bob grinning and moving behind Kaleb¡¯s car excitedly.
Kaleb got out of his car quickly worried that the old man would hurt himself. As he did, he watched as Bob raised his foot and spread his arms wide. Kaleb almost laughed at the odd one-legged stance until Bob slammed his foot down and clapped. Then it was all Kaleb could do to remain standing let alone laugh.
The ground shook and Kaleb ears popped as a large change in air pressure occurred nearby. As Kaleb finally gave up on standing and fell on his ass, he watched as two black sedan¡¯s appeared behind his car. The cars shook, their windows shattered and their tires all popped as the men inside bounced around. Soon the tremors stopped and Bob turned around smiling to see Kaleb on the ground, thunderstruck.
¡°Oh, I am sorry about that, sir. I got a little overzealous again. But you see I don¡¯t like those HLO boys. I was a Hunter¡¯s Association man, myself, But those bastards ran the association right out of town.¡± Bob said helping Kaleb to his feet.
Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure if he was nodding or if his head was vibrating, but he patted bob on his arm. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Bob. I just didn¡¯t want them following me inside.¡±
Bob smiled behind his large white beard. ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t worry about that, sir. I will make sure no one crosses the fence. Although if you could get the perimeter defenses working again. That would help me a lot.¡±
¡°Perimeter defenses?¡± Kaleb asked moving to his car.
¡°Yes sir. They equipped the Hangar with force fields, turrets, AP mines, and many defense mechanisms. None of them have every been powered up before though. This place has gone unused for quite a while.¡±
Kaleb nodded again. ¡°Okay, Bob. I¡¯ll see about getting some of those systems up and running for you. Until then, is there a way you can contact me if anymore of our HLO friends turn up?¡±
¡°Oh, yes, sir. There is a direct line from guard house to the main office in the hangar. So if you need anything just give me a ring.¡± Bob said happily holding the car door open for Kaleb.
¡°Thank you, Bob.¡±
Kaleb got in the car and checked on Daivor. The Gnome was in danger of drowning in his own drool, but otherwise seemed fine. Kaleb gave Bob a final wave as the guard opened the gate and let him through. Kaleb could see the HLO suits wobbling out of their cars disoriented, a few even threw up as Bob laughed at their predicament.
Kaleb thought about what Bob had said as he drove down the dirt runway to the squat hangar. Hunter¡¯s Association, huh? Didn¡¯t Farrah mention something about not having to work with the HLO? Kaleb wondered as he glanced at his wrist where the HLO communicator had been.
Chapter 83 - The Lair
Kaleb pulled up next to the small air hangar. It was more wide than long and was an unexotic beige color. The roof appeared to be in a good condition from what Kaleb could see too. As he exited his car and walked closer, he realized just how big the hangar was. Standing next to it, he would be little more than a tiny green line against the beige wall.
¡°Well, it houses aircraft.¡± Kaleb muttered to himself.
He moved to the two large sliding doors on that opened the hangar to the outside. Looking at them, he tried to figure out how he could even move them. Kaleb tried pushing on one of the sliding doors not budging it in the slightest. Okay, that¡¯s not something a person can move. Kaleb thought as he gave up and walked around the hangar.
Soon enough he found a side-door leading into the hangar and made his way too it. He expected someone to have locked it, however when he tried the door handle it swung inward easily. A burst of warm air smacked into his face as he stepped into the dark hangar. There was a short open hallway leading into the hangar and there were two doors on either wall of the hallway.
Kaleb moved forward and checked both doors. The left door lead to a locker room and the right door lead to an office with a large window facing the hangar. Kaleb moved into the office because he saw interesting things in the room. Other than looking like a normal office there was a control panel just under the window facing the hangar. The other item of interest was a large multiple monitor computer on the opposite wall.
Kaleb first moved to the control panel near the window and chuckled when he looked at it. Someone had idiot-proofed the console. There were labels under each button and toggle. Kaleb hit the switches for the lights and watched through the window. The hangar bloomed with light as the empty hangar¡¯s white floor reflected the light back into the room. A few of the lights sputtered and died, but Kaleb figured he should have expected that.
Second thing Kaleb touched was the door controls. There was a loud whining of gears as the doors moved. Sunlight poured in highlighting the dust in the air disturbed by the moving doors. Kaleb stared down at the console as he waited for the doors to open fully. There were two switches that he wanted to try but he wasn¡¯t sure about.
Two red switches had the labels ¡®housed¡¯ and ¡®deployed¡¯ and underneath them both was the label ¡®Turrets.¡¯ Kaleb scratched his cheek and tapped his finger against one switch. What could it hurt? Kaleb thought as he slowly twisted the switch to the ¡®deployed¡¯ position.
*BEEP!*
There was a large harsh noise from the computer behind him and the turret switch clicked back to its original position. Kaleb sighed and was about to fiddle with the computer when he remembered Daivor. The little Gnome was sleeping in a hot car under the sun. Deciding to deal with the computer later Kaleb quickly ran into the hangar and out the large doors.
Kaleb ran to his car and after checking on Daivor moved into the hangar parking close to the office. He glanced at Daivor who still snored contentedly before he unloaded what he could from his car. But with Daivor asleep most of his lab would remain packed. After placing his few bins and tools against the wall, Kaleb opened Daivor¡¯s door to let some air in and returned to the office.
He immediately moved to the massive computer and put his hand on it. As he did, he got a rather large announcement window.
*Congratulations!*
You have unlocked a Lair/Headquarters/Hide-out/Base.
All changes to the HQ must be made from the terminal. Upgrades for remote access are available.
HQ Tab has been unlocked and can be accessed from the Status Screen or the Terminal.
Your HQ has four months of in-game immunity.
¡°Hell Yeah!¡± Kaleb clapped his hands and gave a shout as the computer in front of him came to life. As he read through the information though, he became less enthused.
*HQ (Unnamed)*
Floors 2 and 3 are inaccessible. (Obstruction detected.)
Two power generators are off-line, power is at 25%. (Repairs needed.)
Obstruction detected in track for Turret 1
Turret ammo is empty.
Water reservoirs are at 30%.
HQ cost:
Property Tax: 39,460 credits (3,300 credits a month) + Employees: 0 credits (1 Guard) + Utilities: 0 credits (Self-Sustained)
= 3,300 credits a month
Kaleb swallowed hard after reading through everything. The place was obviously a fixer-upper, But he hadn¡¯t expected the property tax. Although he wondered why Bob wasn¡¯t being paid. Did he have some kind of deal with Obadiah? Kaleb shook off his questions and tapped through the screens on his HQ¡¯s terminal.
After the general information screen was the Floor Plan. All that was on it was the first floor with the second and third floors being grayed out. On the Floor Plan of the first floor was just a simple overview of the large space of the hangar. It was overall just an empty blueprint except for one little heading down near where he had placed his stuff. There was one line of text that piqued Kaleb¡¯s interest.
3% (Mechanic¡¯s room)
Kaleb clicked on the text and was brought to another page with a helpful tool-tip. It informed him that he was 97% away from having enough equipment in the hangar to establish a Mechanics Room. Looking through the menus he figured out a Mechanics Room was basically his lab, a room where someone worked on various pieces of tech. He could expand and upgrade the room as needed or separated out from the other rooms.
There were long lists of rooms he could place with the hangar. As long as he had the stuff to make the room in the hangar he could pay a small fee and have the room placed with the Floor Plan. There were many kinds of rooms, too. Training rooms, Bedrooms, Labs, Motor Pools, the list went on and on. Kaleb scrolled over to the Mechanics Room tab and looked at the price, 2,000 credits.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
It wasn¡¯t too bad all things considered. Then Kaleb remembered that all of his financial transactions had been through his HLO account. Those fuckers better not have control over my money. Kaleb growled in his head as he tabbed over to a new screen and logged in to his HLO account. Sure enough, they locked his account with them, and he had no way to access it.
¡°Fuck!¡± Kaleb swore as he slammed his right hand against the terminal.
Okay, they can¡¯t keep me from my money. It has to be in a bank somewhere. Kaleb wondered. I just never dealt with a bank, the HLO did that. Kaleb logged into several bank websites of notably banks around Austin. Eventually after much trial in error he found one where his HLO account worked. Apparently, Austin United had his money.
Logging in Kaleb was brought to a page that informed him that they had linked the account with the HLO. Kaleb barely gave it a second thought as he clicked on the ¡®unlink¡¯ button. As soon as he did, he got a message from someone in the bank asking for a video chat. Curious, Kaleb accepted the chat and looked for the terminal¡¯s camera.
¡°Hello there, sir. We were just notified that you have unlinked your account from the HLO. Was this perhaps by accident?¡± Asked a perky blond woman who was a surprising shade of purple.
Kaleb found the camera and shook his head. ¡°Sorry to say that no it wasn¡¯t.¡± said Kaleb trying to look forlorn. ¡°But, myself and the HLO have¡ gone our separate ways for the time being.¡±
¡°Well, I am sorry to hear that. Will you be moving your account to another bank?¡± asked the lady sounding worried.
¡°Oh, not at all. I plan on continuing my business with you, I just had to move away from the HLO.¡± Kaleb explained.
¡°All right then. That is all we wanted to know. Did you have questions for me?¡±
Kaleb shook his head before a thought occurred to him. ¡°Yes, actually. I have a couple of credit sticks found on my last... mission for the HLO. Can I upload the money straight to my account?¡±
The lady looked worried before she explained. ¡°Normally, no. Most credit sticks have identity data stating who they belonged to and must be turned over to the next-of-kin. However, any credits sticks found while operating for the HLO are automatically property of the agent who found them. One bonus of working with the HLO.¡±
¡°I understand that¡¡± Kaleb said pausing for the young woman¡¯s name.
¡°Carol.¡±
¡°I understand that, Carol. I got these while I was an associate of the HLO though. And they will be the last credit sticks received this way, can I just upload them?¡±
Carol seemed to wrestle with herself for a few seconds before she finally smiled. ¡°Oh, what the hell. Let¡¯s get those things uploaded for you. It shouldn¡¯t be that big of a problem.¡±
Kaleb had to stop himself from cheering out loud as he dug in his pockets for the Phreak¡¯s and Faceless¡¯ credit sticks. He smiled awkwardly at Carol as he placed several blueprints and credit sticks on the terminal. Eventually he had all twelve of his credit sticks on the desk, most were plain silver except for the lion-man¡¯s gold one. Kaleb swore he saw Carol¡¯s eyes grow wide when he placed that on the desk.
¡°Just¡¡± Carol swallowed loudly. ¡°Insert the sticks into an available port and I¡¯ll get those sticks scrubbed and transferred to your account.¡±
Kaleb smiled as he placed the first credit stick into the side-port of the terminal. ¡°Thank you, Carol.¡±
Carol nodded as she typed away. ¡°200 credits, not bad. Next please.¡±
Kaleb hurriedly placed the next credit stick. Then the next and the next. Each wasn¡¯t more than a couple of hundred credits each. Carol would rattle off the numbers as she transferred the credits into his account. However, when they got to the gold credit stick, she stopped and Kaleb was sure he heard her gasp in surprise. Looking up, he saw her frozen face staring at something just below her camera.
¡°Is there a problem?¡± Kaleb asked worried.
¡°Huh?¡± Carol asked surprised. ¡°Oh! No, sir. Not at all. It¡¯s just that this was a rather large sum.¡±
¡°Is that a problem?¡±
Carol shook her head but then she stopped. ¡°Well¡ actually, sir, we normally charge a small surcharge on large deposits such as this.¡± Carol almost whispered into the camera.
Her behavior confused Kaleb for a few seconds until his brain finally caught up. ¡°And how much would this surcharge be normally and what benefits does the bank offer for such a fee?¡±
Carol grinned. ¡°Well, I¡¯d say normally it would be around 5%. As for benefits, I think the bank would be okay with handling any other large transactions.¡±
Kaleb smirked and nodded his head. ¡°What if I gave 10%, can they can assure me that they will make no other parties aware of my transactions?¡±
Carol nodded excitedly. ¡°Oh, yes, sir. Absolutely.¡± She rapidly typed away at her keyboard. ¡°There you are sir, 27,000 credits have just been deposited into your account. Along with the others brings the amount deposited to 28,800. Will that be all today?¡±
Kaleb nodded his head as he smiled at Carol. ¡°Yes, for today at least.¡± Kaleb said before adding. ¡°But, Carol¡¡±
¡°Yes, Sir?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t spend it all in one place.¡± Kaleb grinned
Carol¡¯s purple cheeks deepened in color as she seemed to blush. ¡°No, sir. Have a good day.¡±
Kaleb almost laughed as Carol quickly severed the connection. It looked like he now had a decent way of getting money through credit sticks. Which was, apparently, illegal without the HLO. Kaleb sighed and tossed the useless credit sticks away into a nearby trash can. He now had access to his account through the terminal and could buy rooms for his Lair. As he finished, he noticed that he had gotten a pop-up while he was talking with Carol. He clicked on it bringing up the window.
*Congratulations*
You have unlocked your first Contact.
Contacts - Contacts are a players way of getting shit done without going through any of those pesky legal means. Need a gun? You got a guy. Need credit sticks scrubbed? You got a guy. Need some extra muscle? You got a guy. Contacts grow and evolve as you help or ignore them. Helped that low level muscle become the boss of his own crew? He owes you. Ignored the sting operation that took down your gun guy? No more guns for you. There are different types of Contacts and they all provide different things.
Contact unlocked: Carol.
Position: Teller at Austin United Bank.
Service: Credit stick scrubbing.
Kaleb smiled again as he read through the information on contacts. So this is how Villain¡¯s got their stuff done without going through the HLO. He wondered about his interaction with Carol that had been pretty much what a villain would do. But he needed the money, what was he supposed to do? Crawl back to the HLO with all its bullshit? No. he would make a go of things by himself. Once he got his feet under him, he would do things legitimately, but for now this is how things had to be.
Kaleb finished putting the blueprints back into his lab coat pockets and was about to check on Daivor when the phone on the desk rung. Kaleb stared at the phone for a couple of seconds until he remembered that it was a direct line to Bob. Hurriedly Kaleb answered the phone.
¡°Bob?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Yeah, Boss. We got a speedster who jumped the fence. I will pursue, just wanted to give you a heads up. Hope you got those turrets online.¡± Bob said before quickly hanging up.
Kaleb barely had time to register what Bob had said before the phone went silent. Cursing under his breath Kaleb turned to the control panel. Then he remembered that not only was a turret blocked, neither of them had any ammo. Kaleb drew both of his pistols and ran for the large open hangar doors.
As he got closer, he saw a sandstorm of dirt being kicked up in the distance as a blue streak of lightning charged down the runway. Kaleb gulped as he just made out the image of a figure in black growing closer. He was not ready for this. He raised both pistols as the figure in black surrounded by lightning skidded to a stop in front of him.
Chapter 84 - Starting Over
¡°It will so piss me off if you shoot me.¡± Said a muffled female voice.
Kaleb stared at the female speedster in all padded black leather and with a tall matte black helmet. He sighed and lowered his Sun Gun, sure he knew who his uninvited guest was, but not ready to take chances. He waved Cybar pistol at the speedster¡¯s helmet, non-verbally ordering them to take it off.
¡°I am serious, Lizard,¡± She said removing her helmet revealing long brown hair and white rabbit ears. ¡°I¡¯ll fry your ass.¡±
Kaleb grinned and holstered his other gun. ¡°What are you doing here Farrah? Besides probably getting me in more trouble with the HLO?¡±
Farrah snorted. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. You-¡±
Someone cut Farrah off as a loud voice shouted from above them. ¡°LOOK OUT BELOOOOOOOOW!¡±
Kaleb jumped back and looked up to see a man in a brown security uniform speeding toward them. He backed up even more and Farrah sped over to beside him. Bob slammed into the dirt runway creating a wide crater in the ground. Kaleb and Farrah had to catch themselves before the face planted on the ground. Bob stomped toward Farrah before Kaleb got in front of his gate guard.
¡°Whoa there, Bob! She¡¯s a friend.¡±
Bob slowed to a halt before he shot a glance at Farrah. ¡°Yeah sure, boss? This one took off over the gate like she had something to prove.¡±
¡°Hahaha, yeah well, we might have some things to discuss but I assure you-¡± This time a voice cut Kaleb off as Farrah screamed.
¡°Why the fuck do you have Quake as your security guard!?¡±
Kaleb stared at Farrah for a few seconds before turning to bob, who looked a little embarrassed.
¡°Oh, so you¡¯re a fan, huh?¡± Bob said scratching his nose, embarrassed.
¡°I¡ uh¡ well¡ Sorta?¡± Farrah stumbled for words as she looked helplessly at Kaleb.
Kaleb had to keep himself from laughing. ¡°It¡¯s Obadiah¡¯s Lair, Farrah. Apparently I get Bob as a bonus. Which reminds me: Hey, Bob. Who pays you?¡±
Bob scratched his beard and adjusted his belt. ¡°You know, I¡¯m not sure. Obie set this whole thing up for me when I retired. He needed someone to watch the property and well, I was bored. This gives me something to do most days Although don¡¯t let that scare you away from getting me more help. I am getting on in years, you know.¡±
Kaleb nodded to himself as he turned back to Farrah. She looked more nonplussed than anything. Finally she just exhaled loudly and threw her hands up.
¡°Fine, whatever. Why am I surprised? It¡¯s good to meet you Quake.. er, Bob?¡± Farrah said sounding tired.
Bob smiled through his beard. ¡°Bob is fine, ma¡¯am. Well, if the situation is settled here, I¡¯ll get back to my shack.¡±
Bob bent his knees and looked ready to make another jump. But when he looked down at the crater he was standing in he stopped. He gave Farrah and Kaleb a sheepish expression.
¡°I should probably fix this, huh?¡±
Kaleb watched as Bob held a hand out palm down. Soon the ground seemed to shake and vibrate before popping back up perfectly flat again. Bob, checked his work, smiled at them, then jumped away. Kaleb watched his aged security guard land some distance away then jump again. Turning to Farrah, Kaleb twisted his head in question. Farrah just groaned at his expression and scratched one of her rabbit ears.
¡°Let¡¯s talk in that fancy new hangar of yours.¡± Farrah said turning to walk into his Lair.
Kaleb followed while asking. ¡°So seriously why are you here and what¡¯s with the *Ahem* tight leather?¡±
¡°I¡¯m here because we BOTH got in hot water with the HLO and we both seemed to have reacted the same way. The leather is my combat suit. It helps direct the electricity I create when I run and protects from small arms fire and mild collisions.¡± Farrah explained as they passed through the large doors.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Kaleb glanced at Farrah¡¯s wrist not seeing an HLO communicator. ¡°What do you mean: ¡®We reacted the same way?¡¯ How could you leave the HLO, wasn¡¯t it part of your beta contract?¡±
Farrah nodded and sat on the trunk of his car. ¡°Well, first off let me say: We got hosed. Word around the HLO was that someone at K-Tech found out about your little junkyard dust-up and complained to some important people. When you submitted your footage, the HLO had a choice: Give you up or go after K-Tech and no one goes after K-Tech.¡±
¡°So they threw me under the bus?¡± Kaleb gripped checking on a still snoring Daivor.
Farrah shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re a Mundane which they don¡¯t want. You pissed off K-Tech, who they want happy. And you pulled that shit with Ozarious in front of the press after the school raid. I think they decided on the most prudent course of action.¡±
Kaleb could only agree. It did sort of make sense. ¡°So I am exiled for the foreseeable future.¡±
¡°Actually, the plan was for you to fly off the handle and hurt someone. Although the way Syth tells it you have emotionally scarred him for life. Once you had hurt a member of the HLO, they could publicly disavow you and you would be S.O.L around Austin.¡± Farrah explained.
¡°And now?¡± Kaleb question leaning on the trunk next to Farrah.
¡°Now you¡¯re in a gray area. Technically, they have handed down their judgment. So long as you stick to it, you can go back after the suspension is up.¡±
¡°Yeah, like that¡¯s happening.¡± Kaleb interrupted.
¡°And I doubt they would let it. Those people following you weren¡¯t there to just watch you, they were there to annoy you into being stupid.¡±
Kaleb growled as he rubbed his hands across his face. ¡°Wait, that still doesn¡¯t explain how you quit?¡±
¡°Well, technically the Etha-Farrah AI still works for the HLO. I, however, have an agreement with corporate. I keep on the down-low until certain events transpire in-game and they¡¯ll let me hang out here with you. To your friends I¡¯m just a loyal NPC that followed you after the HLO kicked you out.¡±
Kaleb gave Farrah a confused look. ¡°Why in the hell would you do that?¡±
Farrah counted off on her fingers as she spoke. ¡°One: You need the help. Two: You at least know how to have fun in this game. Three: You¡¯re the one person around here that knows I¡¯m a real person. And Four: Your luck is ridiculous. I mean look at this place, you hit the jackpot when tried to save Roy.¡±
Kaleb scoffed. ¡°I saved Roy. There was no try.¡±
¡°You blew off your own arm.¡± Farrah said deadpan.
¡°While SAVING Roy.¡± Kaleb grinned at her.
The two grinned at each other until Kaleb asked another question. ¡°But seriously, Farrah. What are you going to do here?¡±
Farrah shrugged again. ¡°Just give me an internet connection, a computer, and plug me into that headband of yours and I can quarterback from here. My experience with criminals still counts for something at least.¡±
Kaleb heard the self-anger in that last sentences. Figuring he knew the cause he said. ¡°This shit isn¡¯t your fault, Farrah. I went the hard route when I choose Mundane plus I¡¯ve made my own shitty choices.¡±
Farrah gave a half nod. ¡°I know, but I should have known that the HLO wouldn¡¯t do anything against K-Tech. Guess I never noticed when I was in the beta, but they are everywhere. I did some quick searching before leaving the HLO and they are into everything. They own property all over Austin, they have their own security firm, their own shipping companies, they have made sizable donations to various people in City Hall, the HLO, and the US Senate. I should have known the HLO would do nothing against them.¡±
Kaleb gave a shrug of his own. ¡°Well, nothing to do now but have some fun of our own. I can¡¯t talk to anyone with the HLO and I can¡¯t even go near Roy. So I guess it¡¯s just you and me, Farrah.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the deal YOU got. I am under no such restrictions. All I got was a hefty fine and stern talking to about enabling a Super¡¯s bad behavior.¡± Farrah bragged.
Kaleb rubbed his chin before he came up with a plan. ¡°So how about I do this: I¡¯ll write letters explaining everything to my friends. You hand the letters off to Chip and he can deliver them for us. I¡¯m sure they are watching you like they are watching me, maybe Chip will throw them off. If my friends join us, we¡¯ll start a Super Group and make a go of things without the HLO.¡±
¡°And if none of them join us?¡± Farrah asked.
Kaleb just shook his head, unsure. If no one turned up to help, then he might not even be able to afford the Lair for much longer. Well, he could probably improvise a solution but that would mean going fully to the dark side. For now he would try to keep things on the straight and narrow.
Farrah slid off the trunk of his car and brushed off her dark leather pants. ¡°So what will you be doing while I¡¯m off delivering letters?¡±
Kaleb started to answer when Daivor spoke up from the passenger seat. ¡°Son of a Bitch! This seat is hotter than hell!¡±
Kaleb grinned as he explained. ¡°I will set up my new lab and then take a nap. It¡¯s looking like a long night ahead of me. I have to get to Under-Town without my HLO tail.¡±
¡°That should be easier than you think. Then only had one stealth unit assigned to you and if I¡¯m right, I saw a tow truck taking them away when I jumped the fence. Drones will probably pick you up, but the HLO doesn¡¯t really deal with Under-Town. Why do you need to go there?¡±
Kaleb glanced around his empty Lair. ¡°Supplies mostly. I need to find out what the room requirements are to build more rooms, I need to figure out what the obstruction is in the turret AND in the second and third floors and, most importantly, I need to make some contacts in Under-Town.¡±
¡°Sounds like you will be busy.¡± Farrah said.
¡°Yeah. But, honestly, I can¡¯t wait to figure out how this game works without the HLO holding my hand.¡± Kaleb grinned.
Chapter 85 - First Arrivals
Kaleb and Farrah found some pens and paper in the office. They left Daivor to find a good place to set up the Mechanics Room. After he finished complaining about the heat. Kaleb wrote several letters to Abby, Jar-lock, Two-Gun and Claire, and he even wrote one for Roy. Mostly he warned Roy to not go by his house or look for him. He knew it was probably useless; the boy was head-strong. But he made sure not to tell Roy where he had gone.
For the others he explained what had happened and the fallout that from his choices. Kaleb explained that he wanted to create a super-group of vigilantes. His goal was for them to do so much good in Austin that City Hall would have to recognize them. He also warned that if they wanted to visit him, they would have to leave their HLO communicators behind.
Farrah looked through the hangar¡¯s terminal. But it limited her access because she didn¡¯t own the Lair. She could look through the Floor Plan though and she used it to plan out several rooms they would need. She wanted a Command Center, and she was adamant about having some separate living areas. Kaleb agreed, and the two kicked around ideas about where to get what they needed. Kaleb wanted to just buy second-hand from Under-Town but Farrah wasn¡¯t having it. She refused to use a mattress from down there.
¡°Look,¡± Kaleb sighed from his seat at the desk. ¡°Just buy what you want for your room and I¡¯ll do the same. As long as we have the furniture we can create the room.¡±
¡°Fine. I suggest you tell the others the same. Maybe they can bring their own stuff from home and not have to deal with Under-Town¡¯s sloppy seconds.¡± Said Farrah.
Kaleb just sighed again and added the information to each letter. ¡°What will happen to our in-game homes if we don¡¯t stay there for a while?¡±
Farrah shrugged. ¡°As I understand it after a few days of not using the homes the game will suspend the property. That way Super-Groups can live together and not worry about paying twice for two properties.¡±
¡°That¡¯s nice of the game designers.¡± Kaleb said finishing the letters and standing up.
¡°Well, they have to make the game fun. Too many property taxes isn¡¯t fun.¡± Farrah shrugged as she stuck her hand out for the letters.
Kaleb handed them over as a sharp beep came from the hangar¡¯s terminal. Looking over the screens he saw that he now had a 100% next to the Mechanics Room on the Floor Plan. Kaleb moved out to the Hangar floor and searched for Daivor finding him and the stuff from his garage in the Northeast corner. The Gnome had apparently unpacked.
Smiling Kaleb shouted. ¡°I take it that¡¯s where you want things?¡±
¡°Yeah. Now how about you bring those pointlessly long legs over here. My hover chariot is up on the workbench. Gods know why!¡± Daivor shouted back.
Kaleb groaned but before he took a step, Farrah spoke up behind him. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Then I¡¯ll run these letters to the others. Then I guess I¡¯ll get a moving truck and move the bed from my apartment to here.¡±
Kaleb nodded his head as he went back to the office. Behind him he could just make out Daivor saying something inappropriate. Once he was in the office, he moved to the terminal to set up his Mechanics Room. He remembered that the price for the room was 2,000 credits but once he placed the room on the Floor Plan; he got a surprise. He could change the shape and size of the room for a price.
Kaleb could change not only the size of the room but also he could arrange all his stuff in the Planner. He could add walls, decide how much power the room used, place outlets on the walls. The system automatically set the room to draw 100% of the energy it needed from the Lair¡¯s generators. As Kaleb was playing with the interface, he heard Daivor float into the room. Kaleb pointed to one of the terminal¡¯s screens.
¡°Where do you want your house? I can place it anywhere from here.¡±
Daivor looked at the screen as Kaleb drug a tiny representation of Daivor¡¯s house across the screen. ¡°Four feet south of the northeast corner, along the eastern wall.¡±
Kaleb counted out the feet and set the Gnome Home down. Afterward he built another wall twenty feet away from the eastern wall. It gave him a rather large work area to start with and with only three walls he could look out onto the hangar floor as he worked. Moving things around so the suited him, Kaleb finished by linking his bank account to the terminal and then paid for the room.
*Congratulations*
You have added your first room to your lair.
You have added the Mechanics Room.
Cost of the Room: 3,000 (20 ft room) + 500 (10 ft steel wall) + 50 (Two outlets) = 3,550 credits
*Notice*
The System has detected a Gnome Home.
Please be advised: All benefits will be limited to the (Mechanics Room.)
Increase the range by leveling up the Gnome Home and it¡¯s resident.
Kaleb exhaled loudly and smiled at Daivor. ¡°Well, that¡¯s one thing done.¡±
Daivor leaned on his chariot¡¯s control console. ¡°What else we need to do?¡±
Kaleb pointed back to the terminal and brought up the Floor Plan. Kaleb tapped a finger on a spot just outside the hangar. The two turrets appeared to be underground and were on either side of the main hangar doors. The one to the right of the door had a red circle with a dash through it on top of the image.
¡°That turret outside has something obstructing it. I also want to know what kind of ammo it takes.¡±
Daivor rubbed his beard. ¡°Why not just change them to energy weapons?¡±
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°The one generator that is working isn¡¯t going at full capacity. The other two need repairs.¡±
¡°Geez. Shouldn¡¯t that be our priority?¡± Daivor asked.
Kaleb just shook his head and switched the Floor Plan to the second floor. The second floor comprised a hallway with sixteen rooms, eight to either side. They clearly meant it to be the main living area. Kaleb found it interesting that the Floor Plan was much bigger than the current amount of space taken up by the rooms. He figured it meant that he could expand the second floor as he wanted.
Kaleb tapped on another ¡®No Symbol.¡¯ at the entrance to the second floor. ¡°Both the second and third floors have obstructions stopping us from getting down there. I figure we deal with the turret first then see what we need to get down to the second floor. If we can build something we do if not we wait until we go to Under-Town tonight and get something then.¡±
Daivor nodded and turned for the door. ¡°Sound good, boss. Let¡¯s get to it.¡±
Kaleb nodded and followed the floating Gnome out. On the way he grabbed a set of keys that were hanging just inside the office door. Looking through them as he walked he noticed they were for the various doors around the hangar. Two of the keys differed completely from the others though. One was a black plastic key with a computer chip built into the tip. The other had four sets of teeth sticking out of the key¡¯s shank.
When they arrived at the number one turrets emplacement Kaleb discovered what the second key was for. There was a locked panel with a keyhole. Guessing that the panel was for just this occasion, Kaleb used the key and opened the panel revealing a switch. Turning the handle opened a dark square recess into the ground. Using a ladder built into the wall of the hole Kaleb climbed down as Daivor floated nearby. They both kept their eyes on the tracks the turret used to raise itself to ground level.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
¡°Well, there¡¯s your problem.¡± Daivor said with a smile in his voice.
Looking to where Daivor was pointing, Kaleb grimaced. ¡°How they hell did that even get down here?¡±
Stuck between the large tracks and the platform the turret was the corpse of a large rodent Kaleb couldn¡¯t identify. Kaleb blew out a breath in exasperation and, ignoring the chuckling Gnome, reached for the creature with his metal hand. It took a few good tugs and some careful shimmying but eventual he managed to¡ make everything worse.
¡°Oh by Dalvenor, boss.¡± Daivor said as the decaying body of the rodent split in half.
It filled the tunnel with the scent of decaying organs which Kaleb tried hard not to breathe. Throwing the carcass in his hands up and out, Kaleb continued cleaning the tracks of the remaining body parts. Once he finished, Kaleb climbed out of turret hole and locked up. As soon as they were out they pair rushed back into the hangar. Daivor to escape the smell and Kaleb to find something to wipe off his metal arm.
Moving to his Mechanics Room Kaleb found an old lab coat which he used along with a small water spell to clean his arm. He had to be careful not to use too much water or he would short out his hand. As the pair took a break Kaleb suddenly slapped his forehead.
¡°Damn it! I didn¡¯t check the ammo caliber.¡±
Daivor had grabbed a flask of something from inside his house. When he finished drinking, he answered Kaleb. ¡°It was a twin barrel belt-fed fifty-caliber machine gun. Enough power to make many people think twice.¡±
Kaleb nodded his thanks and made a mental note to raise both turrets at some point. To at least air them out. Once they pair were done resting and toweling off Kaleb jerked his head to the far west of the hangar. The access to the second floor was in the hangar¡¯s floor, a little north of the exact center of the western wall. Once they walked to where the Floor Plan had showed the stairs to the second floor were, they both looked around.
Kaleb found it this time, and it was also the where the other weird key came in handy. There was a small pad on the wall with a slit for the plastic key. Once Kaleb held the key in place for a few seconds, the floor shook and shifted back. A wide section of the hangar floor slid back to reveal stairs leading to the second floor. Kaleb pocketed the key then started down the stairs.
They didn¡¯t have to go far however as the obstruction made itself immediately apparent. At the base of the stairs, almost from nowhere, was a large pile of rubble. Kaleb didn¡¯t understand it, the walls of the second floor looked fine and nothing around the rubble looked damage or disturbed. Turning to Daivor, Kaleb saw the Gnome scratching his beard in thought.
¡°What the hell!? Where did all this come from?! Nothing else down here has been damaged!¡± Kaleb complained loudly.
¡°Hmm, yeah.¡± Daivor said, almost uninterested.
Kaleb sighed, familiar with that tone of voice from an NPC. The System had gated off the second floor. He hated when games did that, it just had to make him work for the lower floors. He already had the base, damn it! Kaleb turned to Daivor and asked a different question, moving things along and hoping the third floor was, at least, believably blocked.
¡°So what do you think?¡±
Daivor seemed to snap out of his thoughts. ¡°Oh, I¡¯d say a sledgehammer or a pickaxe could take some of this stuff down easy enough. You could even move some smaller pieces with just your hands.¡±
¡°Says the Gnome who won¡¯t be moving any of it.¡± Kaleb grinned at Daivor.
The Gnome made a rude gesture before he went on. ¡°Problem is, you don¡¯t have a sledgehammer or pickaxe.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Well, I needed to go to Under-Town, anyway. So for now how about we fire up the old workbench and make some weapons.¡±
Daivor raised an eyebrow. ¡°Not that I¡¯m saying no, But why and what should we build?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°We will need stuff to trade when we go to Under-Town. I would rather make and spend money down there then dip into my current funds.¡±
¡°Smart plan. Didn¡¯t you get a bunch of blueprints for stuff recently?¡±
¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s give them a look and build what looks quick and easy.¡± Kaleb said as they left the staircase and went back to the hangar¡¯s main floor.
Kaleb left the door to the second floor open as he moved to his Mechanics Room. He figured it would need to remain open most of the time, anyway. Otherwise, once they got the Super-Group going, he would have to run back and forth to open and close the door. Kaleb laid all four Blueprints he had received from the Phreaks across his workbench.
Daivor parked his chariot on the table and moved to look at each one. Kaleb took stock of each as well. He had the Tiger¡¯s Claw, which was a basic knuckle duster with knifes on it. He had the Horn-Tipped Spear, which was a spear with a rhino horn as the tip. The lion helmet, which Kaleb thought just looked cool. Finally, there was the Feathered Pants and for the life of him, Kaleb could not think of a use for them.
Even Daivor snorted when he walked over the blueprint. Eventually the small Gnome tapped his foot against two blueprints. The Tiger Claws and the Horn-Tipped Spear.
¡°These two will be the easiest to make. The Lion helmet is a little ostentatious and we really don¡¯t have the tools for that level of detail. As for the chicken pants¡ I¡ no.¡± Daivor explained.
Picking up the Spear blueprint Kaleb raised a concern. ¡°We don¡¯t exactly have Rhino horns.¡±
Daivor snorted and pointed at the Ifirt boxes and then the lathe. ¡°You have something way better: Claws of an Ifrit, not to mention teeth. And if it comes down to it, we can use the lathe to shape the metal into a horn.¡±
Kaleb nodded and looked over the Tiger Claw blueprint. It really was rather simple, all he had to do was screw four blades onto a set of brass knuckles. He would have to set a Resizing Rune on the brass knuckles and the knives, he would have to make one at a time. But Daivor was right, these two would be the easiest to make right now.
Kaleb fired up his smelter and lathe and went to work alongside Daivor. Daivor worked the lathe with telekinesis and made brass knuckles out of their available metal. Meanwhile Kaleb was happily using his anvil, pounding the knives into shape. The pair worked for a few hours, switching between spears or claws. As Kaleb was quenching a knife when he thought he heard a ringing.
¡°HEY! Daivor you hear that!¡± Kaleb shouted as he set his small tongs aside.
Daivor waved his hand, and the lathe slowed to a stop. Just as everything got quiet, Kaleb heard the phone in the office ring. Wiping the sweat from his face Kaleb hurried to the office and picked up the phone.
¡°Yeah, Bob?¡±
Bob¡¯s voice came through the landline, all business. ¡°Yes, sir. I have a cantankerous old cuss out here with a good looking green British lady...¡±
¡°I¡¯ll show you Cantankerous, you jumped up Mall Santa!¡± Two Gun¡¯s voice shouted in the background.
¡°Yeah, they say they are friends of yours? Should I let them through?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Yes, Bob, please do. And I am expecting a few more friends. One¡¯s a short woman by the name of Abby and the other is a barrel-chested Warlock named Jar-lock.¡± Kaleb explained.
¡°All right, sir, I¡¯ve got those names written here in front of me. I¡¯ll send them on through if they stop by.¡±
¡°Thanks again, Bob. Bye.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the job. Goodbye, Sir.¡± Bob responded, hanging up.
Kaleb rubbed his hands together after he set down the phone. Claire and Two Gun were good people and prolific gamers. They would definitely want in on what he was trying to do. He smiled to himself as he moved into the hangar. He explained to Daivor about the call and moved to wait for his guest outside the hangar. Daivor elected to keep working.
As Kaleb moved through the hangar, he glanced at the hole in the floor leading to the second floor. With Claire¡¯s help the debris would be a piece of cake. They could probably get some rooms cleared out by the end of the day. Kaleb stood outside the hangar and watched as a red hover car drove down the runway toward him. Kaleb briefly wondered where they got the car, but they had been playing the game same as him. Why wouldn¡¯t they have a car?
The red car drifted to a stop on the right-hand side of the hangar door and Kaleb moved to greet them. Two Gun jumped out of the passenger side with a big grin on his face while Claire fiddled with something on the steering wheel before exiting.
¡°Nice car.¡± Kaleb said.
Two Gun¡¯s grin seemed to get even wider. ¡°Yeah, she is a beauty. There was a hell of a price tag on her too.¡±
¡°Yes, but HE is well worth it.¡± Claire said emphasizing the ¡®he¡¯ as she walked up and gave Kaleb a hug.
Kaleb laughed as he nodded his head. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to see you both out here. I was hoping more people would come out to join me.¡±
Two Gun and Claire¡¯s faces went blank, and they glanced at each other awkwardly. Kaleb¡¯s heart leaped to his throat as he thought that he had guessed wrong. He glanced at their wrists to see that neither was wearing the HLO communicator. So that was a good thing at least, but then why the awkward looks. It was Two Gun who broke the silence.
¡°Ahh, look kid, there¡¯s something we need to talk about¡¡± The old gunslinger drifted off awkwardly.
Kaleb stared at the pair worriedly until Claire gave a rather loud snort before she laughed. The sound seemed to break the awkward silence around them as Two Gun joined his wife in laughing. Kaleb stared at the pair confused until he realized they had duped him.
¡°Your face!¡± Two Gun cackled. ¡°You looked like we just took away your puppy.¡±
¡°I am sorry, love, he convinced me it would be funny.¡± Claire chortled into her hand.
Kaleb sighed as he put his hands on his hips. Looking past the chuckling couple Kaleb could see boxes of clothes and other items in the back seat of their car. The pair had come to join up, but they obviously had to make Kaleb sweat a little before they did. He shook his head as his worry melted off of him. He wasn¡¯t alone, most gamers would enjoy a challenge like this.
¡°Okay you two, wrap it up. We have work to do.¡± Kaleb said.
Two Gun wiped the corner of his eye with a finger while asking. ¡°What kind of work?¡±
Kaleb stared into the hangar near where the hole to the second floor was. He grinned a wide smiled as he turned back to Claire and Two Gun.
¡°Just some light housecleaning.¡± Kaleb said through his wide grin.
Chapter 86 - Bugs
With Claire¡¯s help, the concrete obstruction on the second floor was a piece of cake. Meanwhile, Two Gun busied himself with bringing in their meager luggage. Whatever she couldn¡¯t send up the stairs she broke down and passed to Kaleb. Between the two of them they had a nice rhythm going.
On one trip Kaleb asked. ¡°You doing okay, Claire?¡±
¡°Just fine, dear. This is actually good exercise.¡± Claire said with a smile. ¡°Do you think you could place a bar between the bigger pieces? I thought I could use them as dumbbells.¡±
¡°Uh, yeah, it should be easy. Just pick out two pieces that you like.¡± Kaleb said taking a smaller chunk of concrete back up the stairs.
His agreement seemed to delight Claire, and she stepped up her speed. Moving larger pieces of rubble up to the surface. Kaleb just shook his head and the tall green amazon. Maybe it will count as gym equipment in the Terminal. Kaleb thought as he took a short break at the top of the stairs. Two Gun, finished his trips to and from the car moving to talk to Kaleb.
¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± Asked Two Gun removing his hat and wiping his forehead.
¡°Well, let me ask you this: Do you guys have access to your money without the HLO?¡± Kaleb asked back.
Two Gun gave a half-nod. ¡°Yeah. Well, we kept all the credit sticks from the Loot drops. But anything HLO sanctioned went right to our account.¡±
¡°Well, get on the Terminal in the office and unlink your HLO account from your bank account. If we are lucky, they used the same bank. Austin United. Login should be the same as your HLO account.¡± Kaleb explained.
Two Gun nodded but remained still, scratching his temple. ¡°Darn it, I always forget my passwords.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the date we started gaming together, love.¡± Claire said as she rushed passed carrying two large chunks of concrete.
¡°Ah, that¡¯s it. Thanks, sugar.¡± Two Gun said as he turned to head toward the office.
Claire just waved him off as she held the chunks of concrete out to Kaleb. ¡°Can you make a dumbbell out of something this size?¡±
Kaleb scanned the beach ball sized chunks of lumpy gray concrete. That weren¡¯t exactly perfectly round nor were they an exact match with each other. But Kaleb figured he could get the job done. He would need and thicker steel beam though. Seeing Kaleb wobble his head side to side in thought, Claire shook the large pieces of rubble to get his attention.
¡°Oh, yeah. I mean, I think so. It shouldn¡¯t be a big problem. Just need to find a beam strong enough to support them. Set them over by the Mechanics Room.¡± Kaleb said.
Claire nodded and walked off. Kaleb moved down the stairs to get a better idea of how much more they had to move. As he arrived at the bottom of the stairs, he saw that the original pile of rubble was a lot smaller. In fact Kaleb bet he could squeeze through into the second floor if he shifted some pieces. Kaleb did just that as Claire returned and took the bigger chunks away again.
Unfortunately, Kaleb had to vacate the staircase as Claire pulverized the bigger pieces of concrete again. Deciding to go see how Daivor was doing, Kaleb let Claire know what he was doing and moved to join his Gnome companion. On the way there Two Gun passed him walking back from the office.
¡°Got that all settled.¡± Two Gun said. ¡°We are now financially free of the HLO. But know that going up against a large bureaucratic entity like the HLO will have to be done through paperwork not through back-alley fighting.¡±
¡°We aren¡¯t taking them on. We are just trying to do our work without them. We need room to work without all the backroom deals and red tape.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°So we are removing government oversight from a bunch of heavily empowered people.¡± Two Gun said sounding dubious.
¡°They aren¡¯t the government. They just pay enough to be ignored by the government. But if we can prove we work. Not just to the city leaders, but to the population of Austin then we may get some breathing room.¡±
¡°Mighty big maybe.¡± Two Gun said putting a hand on Kaleb¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But, we are with ya, son. Years of gaming experience tells me that you will make this game mighty interesting.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°If not, then we will sure have fun trying.¡±
Two Gun barked a laugh as he walked off toward Claire. Kaleb joined him in chuckling as he moved to the Mechanics Room. Daivor was telekinetically collecting the Ifrit shavings from the lathe into a large tin can. The Gnome now had multiple cans of the stuff. Kaleb got closer while Daivor placed another piece of Ifirt bone into the lathe.
¡°Why do you collect the shavings? I tried adding them to the metal while smelting, I just got bone chips in the metal.¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°It¡¯s for when we get an actual smelter and not this homemade P.O.S.¡± Daivor said moving away from the lathe to talk. ¡°Once you can get a good heat going in a proper forge, then the bones will meld better with the metal. For now though, even the dust can enhance the making of a blade.¡±
Kaleb scratched his chin. ¡°So shouldn¡¯t we just crush the tinier pieces into a powder and add it to the metal?¡±
¡°We could do that with some of it but really, boss. I think we should leave it till we get the proper equipment.¡± Daivor said.
Kaleb took his Gnome friend''s advice and let the matter drop. He figured they had enough to worry about for now. Moving to the workbench Kaleb looked over the spear heads Daivor had been making. They ranged from standard flat pointy version to the more ridiculous looking corkscrew design. Holding up the corkscrew spear tip Kaleb looked at Daivor.
¡°What?! I got bored making the same tip. Besides it¡¯s Ifirt bone, the stuff will do just fine in a fight.¡± Daivor said defensively.
Kaleb was about to give his own opinion about the odd spear heads when a beep sounded from the office. At the same time, Claire stuck her head out from the second floor landing.
¡°We are into the second floor!¡± She yelled excitedly.
Kaleb set down the spear tip and moved back to the stairs followed by a floating Daivor. Two Gun and Claire made sounds of amusement as Daivor floated down in his metal chariot. Kaleb ignored them and moved into the hallway. The second floor was one long gray stone hallway. Moving to the first door on the left-hand side, Kaleb looked inside.
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
All there was an empty gray stone room. Around 10 feet wide by 12 feet across. Not too cramped but not exactly roomy either. Kaleb checked the other room right across from it finding another similar room. Turning to tell the others, he found both Claire and Two Gun were still enamored with Daivor¡¯s floating conveyance.
¡°You got any more of this floating disks, Professor? I always wanted a hover board.¡± asked the old cowboy poking Daivor¡¯s chariot with his finger.
¡°It seems like a wonderful way to get around.¡± Added the cowboy¡¯s wife inspecting the chariot from below.
Daivor gave Kaleb a look that seemed to say ¡°Stop them or I¡¯ll make them stop.¡± Moving quickly, Kaleb grabbed Two Gun¡¯s hand saying.
¡°Daivor collected a couple more from a K-Tech dump site. But we have nowhere near enough to get a human off the ground. They power distribution on some of them seem to be a little wonky. Daivor had to work with that one for a bit till he got it working right.¡± Kaleb explained.
Two Gun and Claire seemed to realize that they were poking and prodding the poor Gnome. Blushing and coughing awkwardly the two moved away from the floating Gnome. Kaleb smiled at the pair and pointed down the hallway. He showed the three several of the rooms, all of them mirror images of each other.
¡°Not a lot of space, is it?¡± Claire said disappointed.
Kaleb agreed. ¡°Yeah, But we can increase the size of the room at the terminal for money. At least I think so. The floor plan for this floor is bigger than what these rooms take up. So I figured it was for expansion.¡±
¡°Probably.¡± Two Gun said. ¡°But that reminds me. I dropped a few thousands credits into the terminal for renovations.¡±
Kaleb turned to stare at the old cowboy. ¡°You can do that?¡±
Two Gun chuckled loudly. ¡°Of course we can. I figured it was for when large groups wanted to pull resources to enhance the Lair. I couldn¡¯t use them though. Guess that¡¯s a privilege saved for you.¡±
Kaleb wondered why he didn¡¯t think to check for that. A communal fund would help expand the hangar a lot. The group moved to the end of the hallway and a second set of stairs. As they got closer Kaleb heard an odd buzzing sound. Looking at the others it was plain that they heard it too.
Two Gun drew both of his revolvers and Claire moved to the head of the line as the walked down the stairs. As they moved downward, Kaleb made an observation about Two Gun¡¯s guns.
¡°Are those the same ones you had at the start of the game?!¡± Kaleb asked, surprised.
Two Gun looked a little sheepish. ¡°Yeah, I just hadn¡¯t got around to buying new ones. Really, though. When your dancing partner can hurl a small car with the same speed and accuracy as a bullet. The guns are pointless. Think you can give me an upgrade, Professor?¡±
Kaleb grunted in acknowledge meant as they arrived at the bottom of the stairs. They could see a wide floor to ceiling metal gate a few steps into the third floor. On the brown metal gate was a large yellow sign that read ¡®Power Room.¡¯ Unfortunately, on the other side of the metal gate was more rubble and large fallen I-beams blocking the way. Even more disconcerting was the loud buzzing noise that sounded eerily like insect wings.
Kaleb peered into the darkness beyond the metal gate trying to see what was making the sound. He crept closer, with Two Gun, Claire, and Daivor. When the blue glow from Daivor¡¯s repulsor powered chariot got close to the gate something crashed into it. A fat foot long insect that looked like a large fly squeezed its way through the gate and flew straight a Daivor.
*BANG*
There was a loud gunshot and the smell of gunpowder as Two Gun¡¯s quick reflexes made easy work of the insect. The insect exploded into a cloud of green viscera and red electricity. The electricity sparked into the gate showering the room with an eerie red glow. As Kaleb looked into the Power Room, he saw dozens more of the flying insects flying around the machinery.
Two Gun¡¯s shot seemed to wake the rest of the insects as a wave of the things slammed into the gate. Two Gun fired off a few more shots sending green blood and red sparks flying around the room. But the wave of insects just kept coming. Kaleb decided it was time for a tactical retreat.
¡°Quick, back upstairs.¡±
¡°What?¡± Complained Two Gun. ¡°We got this. They are just a bunch of bugs.¡±
Two Gun fired another shot at a particular close bug. This time the red electricity jumped toward Two Gun¡¯s metal guns, shocking the old man¡¯s hands and making him drop his weapons. Kaleb gave the old man a look before Two Gun growled and ran for the stairs. Daivor, for some reason, flew his chariot into Kaleb¡¯s chest and killed the repulsor. Kaleb caught the vehicle before it crashed to the floor.
The all charged up to the second floor the sound of buzzing echoing loud behind them. As they got to the second floor the stopped and waited until the buzzing continued to grow louder. By silent agreement, all four of them raced toward the surface. Once there, Daivor reengaged his repulsor chariot and floated off a way from the entrance. Being the only one armed with ranged weapons at the moment, Kaleb drew his guns and held them steady on the opening in the ground.
They all waited in silence, listening closely for the sounds of approaching bugs. Seconds drifted into minutes as they all breathed a little easier. It didn¡¯t look like the bugs would follow them above ground. As Kaleb put his guns away a shuffling noise echoed around the hangar.
¡°Hey, everyone. What¡¯s going on?¡± said a deep male voice.
Kaleb spun around aiming his Cybar on the source of the noise.
¡°Whoa! Easy, Professor. You invited us, remember?¡± Said Jar-lock as he made some kind of sign with his hands. Vivienne stood nearby with a hand on her wand at her hip.
Kaleb sighed, and he heard the others do the same. Putting away his guns he said. ¡°Sorry. This Lair came with some uninvited guests. They just gave us a good scare.¡±
¡°Gee, I wonder what that is like.¡± Jar-lock said sarcastically.
Kaleb just smiled as Two Gun stood nearby cradling his hands. The sparks from the dying bugs seemed to be more powerful than standard electricity. Kaleb could see that they had scorched his hands badly. When Claire saw them she darted toward her husband worriedly followed closely by Vivienne.
¡°I can help. Looks like a bad burn.¡± Vivienne said as she drew her wand and murmured a spell.
¡°Yeah, damn bugs got me good. Made me drop my guns.¡± Two Gun hissed through the pain in his hands.
Kaleb moved over to Jar-lock as Vivienne healed Two-Gun. ¡°No Varlin?¡±
¡°Nope. He wanted to see how things went with both me and Vivi before he made a move. Varlin is worried that it will change his standing with the Sorcerers.¡± Jar-lock explained, shaking his head.
Filing the ¡®Vivi.¡¯ nickname away for later teasing, Kaleb said. ¡°I guess that makes sense. Although I don¡¯t see how. The HLO is an entirely different organization.¡±
Jar-lock ran a hand over his sweaty face as he nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what we think. But he doesn¡¯t want to take any chances.¡±
¡°Shrewd.¡± Kaleb said looking between Jar-lock and Vivienne. Both were sweating hard. ¡°Did you two walk here?¡±
¡°We took a taxi. But we got out at the guard shack. We didn¡¯t think we would have to walk an entire runway to get here.¡± Jar-lock complained.
Kaleb snorted as he waved Jar-lock toward his car. ¡°Come on, I brought some bottled water from home. Did you two not bring anything?¡±
Jar-lock smiled knowingly as he made a few gestures and his tattoos glowed white. Suddenly a large book fell out of nothing in front of Jar-lock. The big man caught the book and waved it in front of Kaleb. Jar-lock was obviously pleased with himself.
¡°Dimensional Pocket. First thing I studied when I changed to Jack-Mage. It¡¯s a pain in the ass, but man is it useful.¡±
Kaleb smiled and patted Jar-lock on the back. ¡°HA! Welcome to the club. Maybe once things settle down, we can both go through the finer details of the class.¡±
Jar-lock nodded as the passed in front of the Mechanics Room. Kaleb glanced over to see Daivor hard and work. After getting Jar-lock a couple bottles of water, Kaleb joined his small friend. The gnome had pulled one of the repulsors from the bins and was rewiring the insides. Kaleb studied the wiring for a few seconds before he noticed what the Gnome was doing. He had down the same thing back at the K-Tech junkyard.
¡°Why are you trying to overload that repulsor?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°To deal with the Joranek.¡± Daivor said.
Kaleb waited for further explanation when none came he prompted. ¡°What are the Joranek?¡±
¡°The damn bugs that are leeching the power from your generators. They feed on and are attracted by all kinds of energy. But they can¡¯t stand bright lights.¡± Daivor held up the repulsor. ¡°That¡¯s where this little baby comes in. It¡¯s a source of power so it will attract them, but then it will get brighter and brighter until it explodes, knocking them out.¡±
¡°Then we move in and slaughter the confused bugs.¡± Kaleb finished nodding at the plan. But Daivor was shaking his head. Confused, Kaleb tilted his head curiously.
¡°The Joranek compact energy. The store it up, save it in a hard organ in their abdomens. All that compressed power, it would be a shame to waste it.¡± Daivor said smiling evilly.
¡°We can use them as a power source?¡± Kaleb asked.
Daivor nodded. ¡°We have to kill them carefully. Rupture the organ and that energy is gonna explode and attract more of the things. One quick strike to the head with a knife should do the job. Then Bam! We have a decent supply of organic power cells.¡±
Kaleb picked up one of the knives he had been working on and glanced around the room. Two Gun seemed back on his feet and Jar-lock had passed on a water bottle to Vivienne. Claire had stationed herself at the entrance to the second floor, listening for bugs. Kaleb spun the knife in his hand as he looked back down at the Gnome who was still working away.
¡°Daivor?¡± Kaleb said grinning. ¡°You are the best thing that¡¯s every happened to me.¡±
Chapter 87 - Extermination
Kaleb grabbed a few knives and quickly rushed over to let the others know about Daivor¡¯s plan. Two Gun and Claire looked more than happy to go back down to the third floor and settle the score with the giant flies. Kaleb hesitated to give a knife to Vivienne, given her love of animals he thought she would abstain from the ruthless slaughter of insects. His gut proved right when the tall Wizard shook her head at his questioning look.
Kaleb nodded and called over to Jar-lock, who was in the office standing at the terminal. ¡°We are going bug killing you want in?¡±
Jar-lock turned and smiled out the large window that faced the hangar bay. Unable or unwilling to yell back their friend just gave a thumbs up followed by the one minute hand signal. Kaleb gave the okay sign and gave the others a few spare knives before he went to help Daivor. But the Gnome seemed to have finished his little flash-bang.
Daivor met him halfway and passed over the repulsor he was working on. ¡°There¡¯s another on the desk in case we need multiple tries to get all of them.¡±
Kaleb nodded and moved toward the workbench saying. ¡°We probably will. It¡¯s just the four of us going down there.¡±
Kaleb picked up the second rewired repulsor and walked back to wait with the others near the stairs. As they waited for Jar-lock, they discussed the various rooms the hangar could make. Claire and Two Gun were interested in a workout room and gun range, respectively. But Vivienne seemed more interested in what changes she could make to her personal room.
¡°Honestly, I am not sure.¡± Kaleb admitted. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s something you can look at with the Terminal. I don¡¯t think you can make any changes but you should be able to window shop.¡±
Vivienne bopped her head as his idea as Claire asked. ¡°But really, dear, you won¡¯t join us? They are just a bunch of bugs.¡±
¡°I know, I also know this is just a game, but bugs creep me out.¡± Vivienne visibly shuddering.
¡°Here I thought you just didn¡¯t enjoy hurting animals.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°I don¡¯t. But flies are just gross. They serve a vital function in pollination and the breakdown of garbage and other organic matter. But gross is gross. Plus, I could do without getting bug guts on my robe.¡± Vivienne explained brushing non-existent dirt off her blue and white robe.
Two Gun hid a laugh behind a smile as Jar-lock returned from the office. Standing Kaleb handed the big Mage a few knives. Flicking his chin at the office window Kaleb asked.
¡°Getting your money squared away?¡±
¡°Huh, oh no. I did that when I first join the HLO. I didn¡¯t want a third party in charge of my finances. Anytime they wanted to make a deposit they had to get my approval which should make sense since it is MY account.¡± Jar-lock explained.
¡°So what were ya doing?¡± Two Gun asked.
¡°Seeing what we needed for a Mages Library and looking up nearby stores. We need over a thousand books on various magical subjects to build a Mages Library and around seven thousand credits.¡±
¡°What¡¯s it do?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Makes it easier to study and learn spells and when I turn my room into a Sanctum, the bonus should increase for me.¡± Jar-lock smiled.
¡°What about us?¡± Vivienne asked pointing to herself and Kaleb.
¡°Oh yeah, you would the increased bonus too.¡± Jar-lock said sheepishly. ¡°So what are we killing?¡±
Kaleb explained about the Joranek and the how they could use them as power sources. He went over the plan laid out by Daivor and waved to the knives he and the others were all holding. Jar-lock listened intently until Kaleb finished then said.
¡°Should we really kill them all? It seems like a decent resource we would just be giving up if we slaughtered them all. Why not capture a few and see if we can breed them?¡±
Kaleb looked to Two Gun and Claire before he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I guess we can try. I think I have a plastic bucket around here somewhere. But remember: they feed on power sources. The little bastards are probably why are generators are tapped out. They may be too dangerous to keep.¡±
Jar-lock nodded, content to at least try. Deciding that it was time to get to it, they all waved to Vivienne as the headed down the stairs. Daivor moved back to the workbench as Vivienne moved toward the office. Kaleb shouted a reminder for Vivienne to be on the lookout for Abby as she would be the last person to arrive. As the quartet made their way through the second-floor hallway Two Gun spoke up.
¡°You didn¡¯t invite the duck and the big guy?¡±
Kaleb shook his. ¡°I meant to, but by the time I remembered Farrah had already taken off. We don¡¯t exactly have a reliable means of communication anymore.¡±
¡°True.¡± Two Gun agreed. ¡°Something to fix later, maybe?¡±
¡°It¡¯s on the list.¡± Kaleb said wryly.
¡°You said Farrah. We got our letter from a sweaty looking delivery man in sweats.¡± Claire said.
¡°Oh yeah, Farrah joined me. She was the first one out here, actually. We passed off the letters to a friend, and he ran them to you guys.¡±
¡°A little paranoid aren¡¯t you and how, exactly, did you talk an NPC into giving up her job?¡± Claire asked confused.
¡°I didn¡¯t have too. The HLO gave her the same crap they gave me. She might have gotten it worse since she worked there longer. All I know she showed up here offering to run Ops for us and making demands for a Command Center.¡± Kaleb said spinning a half-truth as fast as his brain could think of one.
¡°As for paranoid, I don¡¯t think so. I want the HLO to know as little as they can about what we are doing here.¡±
¡°Smart.¡± Said Jar-lock as they approached the stairs to the third floor. ¡°You should know though: A Command Center is a hefty investment. You need a high-spec computer, at least a D-Net link hookup, and either your own satellite or some drones. No sense providing over-watch if she can¡¯t see anything.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s eyes bulged at the amount of equipment he would need. The computer he had expected, and the drones weren¡¯t too much of a surprise. But it surprised him that he could get away with using D-Net. He thought no one even used D-Net anymore, most communication networks used the much newer and faster R-Wave emitters. Both were probably tricky to get though.
Seeing Kaleb¡¯s surprise Jar-lock gave the final bit of bad news. ¡°All of that on top of a price tag of twelve thousand credits.¡±
Kaleb said nothing. He just exhaled loudly and shook his head staring at the floor. Jar-lock patted his shoulder as they climbed down the last few stairs. Two Gun and Claire smirked at him as they stood in front of the gate to the Power Room. Two Gun retrieved his guns from where he had dropped them. They could all hear a slight buzzing as beyond the metal fence. Kaleb pulled the powered down repulsor out of his pocket and moved to the door in the fence.
¡°We are all here, Professor. We can make that money, no problem.¡± Two Gun said.
Kaleb stopped near the door and sighed again. ¡°I know, it¡¯s just that I can see how easy it is to become a criminal in this game. One bank robbery and we could probably afford to make this place a fortress.¡±
¡°Well, we need not plan any heists just yet.¡± Claire said jokingly.
¡°Least not until tonight.¡± Kaleb muttered under his breath. He was thinking of Under-Town and K-Tech¡¯s dump site.
¡°Hmm, what was that?¡± Jar-lock asked.
Kaleb took a deep breath and smiled. ¡°Nothing. Just planning world domination. You all ready to do this?¡±
His three friends nodded and held their knives at the ready. Kaleb quickly turned up the power on the repulsor and waited for it to spark to life. The harsh white glow exploded in Kaleb¡¯s hand as the buzzing grew louder. Kaleb counted to three, opened the door, and tossed in the repulsor. He and the others closed their eyes and turned their backs to the metal fence. The buzzing grew to an ear-splitting level as Kaleb slapped his hands to his head to muffle them.
After a few seconds a bright white light shone behind Kaleb¡¯s eyelids and the buzzing abruptly petered out. Opening his eyes and looking around Kaleb saw the others pulling out of their own turtle stances. Not waiting for the others Kaleb quickly dove into the Power Room and moved to the first large fly-like creature. Remembering what Daivor had said Kaleb aimed for a spot between the insect¡¯s two large bulbous eyes.
Stabbing as deep as he dared Kaleb felt liquid ooze over his hand. ¡°Oh, damn it. Why didn¡¯t I use my metal hand?¡± Kaleb complained as he moved to another fly.
The others laughed as they joined in on the slaughter. The work was more tedious than anything once the Joranek stopped flying around they weren¡¯t nearly as menacing. Two Gun seemed to take a particular glee in stabbing the fat flies. He rapidly moved from fly to fly, his enhanced reflexes allowed for a near perfect strike on the insects he came across.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
They did eventually have to use the second repulsor. There were just too many of the Joranek. It was Claire who noticed the first few stirring from their stunned state. They all ran to safety and closed the door waiting for creatures to come for revenge. But the creatures seemed to go back to whatever they were doing completely oblivious to their fallen brethren. Kaleb repeated the same thing he did the first time, and they all went back to work.
They only had a few more Joranek to go so Kaleb thought that he would look over the generators. Rather than get in anyone¡¯s way. Moving to the closest one nearest to the fence Kaleb studied the large metal cylinder. Every couple feet around the structure there were thin windows looking into an ocean of blue. The interior of the cylinder seemed to spin rapidly and Kaleb couldn¡¯t guess at what was powering it.
He found a small ladder alongside the generator and climbed it. On the top of the cylinder Kaleb found a small hatch into the inner workings of the generator. He cautiously opened the hatch and gazed in finding an ocean of swirling blue liquid. The sludge was spinning quickly, but from what Kaleb could see the liquid was outward from the center of the large barrel. He thought he could hear an electrical hum coming off the roiling liquid.
Moving across the top of the cylinder Kaleb jumped to the second generator in the middle of the room. As soon as he arrived, he noticed that something burned the hatch open. Something had created a two foot wide hole in the generator''s top hatch. Judging by the green tinge to the blue liquid, Kaleb could guess what had done it. He carefully peeled open the hatch and stuck his head through, sure enough, chunks on insects were floating along the top of the liquid. A few even seemed jammed into the mechanism that spun the sludge.
Kaleb sighed loudly and was about to move to the last vat when Jar-lock got his attention.
¡°Hey, professor? I think you will want to see this.¡±
The large man was alongside the last generator so Kaleb made the short leap to the top and looked down. Jar-lock was pointing alongside the generator where the large cylinder met the wall. Except there wasn¡¯t a whole wall there. The insects had burned through the concrete and into the Power Room. They probably sensed the power in the room.
¡°That explains how they got in.¡± Kaleb said from his perch on the generator.
¡°It may also be how we farm the little bastards.¡± See Kaleb¡¯s curious stare, Jar-lock elaborated. ¡°Say we cover the hole in the wall for now, then we fence off this generator. Once we got it up and running again we open the hole and let some flying bastards in. We already know how to deal with them, it¡¯s a ready-made Fly Farm.¡±
¡°Maybe. But you can see that they can burn through concrete. Hell, the little bastards even burned through the metal on a generator.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°We control the access point this time, though. Who knows how long it took those things to burn through. All we need to do is assign someone to check on the hole once in a while.¡± Jar-lock said happily.
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°We can run in by the others. I take it we couldn¡¯t capture any alive?¡±
¡°Sorry. That was my fault. I got a touch overzealous.¡± Two Gun said scratching his forehead awkwardly.
Kaleb just smiled and shook his head at the old gamer. ¡°So how do we get this things upstairs?¡±
¡°I am NOT carrying them,¡± Claire said testily. Her hands and forearms were a completely different shade of green from the rest of her body. ¡°and you, Professor, are building a shower. Immediately.¡±
Kaleb looked around at his friends and even himself. The blood had colored all of their hands and forearms green. Kaleb just nodded at Claire and looked at Jar-lock.
¡°What?¡± The Mage asked.
¡°Think you can pop these things into your magic hole there, Merlin?¡± Kaleb asked looking for a way off the generator he was on.
¡°Dimensional Pocket.¡± Jar-lock corrected him. ¡°Maybe. Although it might take a couple of trips.¡±
Kaleb found a ladder on the side of the generator. ¡°Do you mind? It would be a lot quicker than us all trying to carry them out.¡±
Jar-lock gave a disgusted grunt before he said. ¡°Sure. But you better find a use for these things.¡±
Kaleb smiled at his friend and climbed down to join them. Two Gun and Claire joined him at the entrance to the Power Room.
¡°Find out the problem with the power?¡± Two Gun asked.
¡°Bugs would be my guess. But this science is beyond me. I want to get Daivor down here to work out the mechanics. Once that¡¯s done I can start on fixing them.¡± Seeing Claire about to say something, Kaleb quickly added. ¡°But first, I¡¯ll build that shower.¡±
Kaleb let Jar-lock do his thing and moved to the stairs followed closely by Claire. Two Gun stayed to keep Jar-lock company. Kaleb made his way up the stairs as quickly as he could once and stepped onto the hangar floor at a fast walk. He made a beeline for his Mechanics Room and grabbed an old lab coat using it to wipe his hands. Claire followed and mimicked him, all the while keeping her sharp eyes on him.
¡°Daivor, could you head down and look at the generators? If I had to guess there¡¯s some kind of electrical sludge feeding power into the hangar. Looks like the bugs got jammed up in the other two generators though.¡± Kaleb asked, trying to ignore Claire¡¯s gaze.
Daivor gave a nod as he continued levitating metal poles closer to the workbench. Kaleb assumed they were for the spears he still had to build. Kaleb glanced at where his old clock would have been in his garage before he remembered. Instead, he looked out the hangar door. The orange tinge of evening was slowly creeping closer toward the hangar.
¡°AHEM!¡± Claire coughed pointedly.
Kaleb sighed exasperated and looked up at Claire, curious at her hurry.
¡°Ahem.¡± Claire coughed awkwardly. ¡°The bug¡¯s blood pooled on the floor in the Power Room. I sat in it. It has seeped into places that are not particularly comfortable.¡±
Kaleb stifled a laugh and just nodded at the tall woman. He hurriedly moved toward the office and entered to find Vivienne swiping through images on the Floor Plan. Moving beside her Kaleb asked.
¡°Did you find any showers on there? We all got a little dirty.¡±
¡°Not on the hangar floor but the personal rooms on the second floor can have their own baths or we can make two of the rooms giant communal showers.¡± Vivienne explained moving away from the Terminal to let Kaleb take over.
¡°Personal please.¡± Claire asked.
¡°You and Two Gun chosen a room yet?¡± Kaleb said waving to the Floor Plan.
Claire waved a hand at two of the rooms at the end of the floor near the stairs to the hangar. ¡°One of them will do.¡±
Kaleb picked a room at random and selected ¡®add a bathroom.¡¯ However that selection just brought up more choices: Master, Full, Three-quarter, Half, Shower only. Kaleb rolled his eyes and was about to just pick one when Claire stopped him.
¡°Go with a Master bathroom, please.¡±
Kaleb nodded and selected "Master." and began to place it randomly. But again Claire stopped him. She had him rotate the bathroom this way and that until she was happy. Then she had him rearrange the sinks, toilet and shower. Before he knew it, Kaleb was redesigning the whole room under Claire¡¯s orders. He tried to look to Vivienne for help but the Wizard seemed busy taking notes for her own room. Kaleb sighed and settled in as Claire went over the dimensions of the room she wanted.
Luckily he couldn¡¯t by furniture through the terminal otherwise Claire would have had him there all day. Once the room was up to her standards, Claire slapped a credit stick on the terminal and moved off to get her shower. Least she¡¯s paying. Kaleb thought as he plugged in the credit stick. All told the room was three thousand credits. That was almost the same as the Mechanics Room he had built.
Turning, Kaleb saw Vivienne staring at him with puppy dog eyes. ¡°Oh, come on. I would like a shower too.¡±
¡°I just want the same design she got with a few tweaks, I swear.¡± Vivienne said clasping her hands together begging.
Kaleb sighed and turned back to the terminal. He copied over Claire¡¯s design and prepared to make Vivienne¡¯s few changes. Several minutes later, Vivienne slapped her own credit stick down and rushed off to see her own room. Kaleb guessed she could probably unload her stuff too if she had the same Dimensional Pocket as Jar-lock. Thinking about Jar-lock, Kaleb turned to see where he had gone off to.
As he gazed out the office window into the hangar, he had to stop himself from cursing. Jar-lock and Two Gun were leaning against his car drinking from a water bottle and a beer can, respectively. They were both hiding wide grins behind their drink of choice. Kaleb grumbled to himself and copied Claire¡¯s design for his own room. He made the bathroom a little smaller, but overall he was happy with it.
Moving out of the office into the hangar Kaleb spread his arms wide. ¡°That¡¯s it! I am done designing rooms for this evening. If anyone needs me, I will be in the Mechanics Room. Pro Tip: Don¡¯t need me!¡±
Jar-lock and Two Gun chuckled to themselves as Kaleb walked around his car toward the Mechanics Room. Only on the other side of his car, just in front of the Mechanics Room was a large pile of Joranek corpses. On the one hand Kaleb was happy to have the work, on the other he wanted to get the weapons done. He turned to Jar-lock and Two Gun to ask for help and he noticed an odd shadow sticking out from the shadow of the hangar door.
Kaleb moved forward as the shadow seemed to pull upward off the floor in a strange oblong shape. Jar-lock and Two Gun noticed his gaze and turned to watch. Abby¡¯s form took shape as she stepped upward out of the shadow. But gravity caught her as her power stopped, and she solidified and crashed back into the hangar floor. It looked like she tried to step up out of the floor and her power gave out halfway through. Kaleb and the others rushed forward as Abby lay on the floor gasping.
¡°Ohhhhhhh, that sucked!¡± Abby said placing a hand to her chest and one to the back of her head as she got her breathing under control.
¡°Cars, people. They make some that fly now. It¡¯s plenty cool.¡± Kaleb said as he sat up the smaller woman and patted her back.
¡°Yeah, but her way¡¯s more badass.¡± Jar-lock quipped taking a sip from his water.
¡°Right until she smacked into the floor she walked out of.¡± Two Gun agreed.
Abby coughed and laughed. ¡°I was going for a step-from-the-shadows Nosferatu thing. Shouldn¡¯t have chanced it. Already had to Shadow-Walk from almost a block away.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Kaleb asked incredulous.
¡°Because you choose a base in the middle of the desert.¡± Abby said defensively. ¡°There isn¡¯t a shadow within a block of this place. It¡¯s all flat land. I had to wait till the sun got low and try from an old tree to the north.¡±
¡°Or you could have walked to the gate and Bob would have let you in.¡± Kaleb explained.
Abby apparently having no argument just waved Kaleb off as she tried to stand. Kaleb and Two Gun moved to help her, but she seemed to be much better. The obvious toll Shadow-Walking took on her seemed to dissipate quickly. Kaleb smiled at the thought of all his friends answering his call, but something occurred to him.
¡°Jar-lock can we ward against people entering like Abby just did.¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Geez, all right. I¡¯ll get a car.¡± Abby joked.
Jar-lock though, took Kaleb¡¯s question seriously. ¡°I think so. I¡¯ll check my books and get to work on it. But anything I do tonight will be quick, dirty, and won¡¯t last long.¡±
Kaleb nodded and led Abby over to his car to rest. ¡°I¡¯ll warn Vivi.¡±
Two Gun and Abby laughed as they moved over to Kaleb¡¯s car. Jar-lock just shook his head and summoned a book to his hand. Kaleb gave Abby a once over, but she appeared to be fine. Looking to Two Gun he asked.
¡°You mind giving her the rundown. I really want to get these weapons ready before I head out to Under-Town.¡±
¡°You¡¯re going tonight?¡± Two Gun asked surprised.
¡°That was the plan. I want to make a move as quick as possible.¡± Kaleb said.
Two Gun rubbed a hand down his chin. ¡°I understand that, but if you go on too long without sleep, you¡¯ll get hit with a nasty debuff.¡±
Kaleb waved him off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t be doing too much heavy lifting and if I need some muscle, there are plenty of people down there.¡±
¡°Reliable?¡± Abby asked.
¡°If the money¡¯s right.¡± Kaleb shrugged.
¡°You¡¯re not telling us something.¡± Two Gun said suspiciously.
¡°Yes, but you can trust that it''s for your own good. I¡¯m gonna get back to work now.¡± Kaleb said walking off.
He felt their gazes as he moved to the Mechanics Room. But he couldn¡¯t include them in his plans for tonight. Tonight would be a dry run, just to test the waters. No need to go at a K-Tech dumpsite full strength. No, he would gather a team of patsies and see how things went. K-Tech would probably not be on the lookout for him just yet.
Chapter 88 - Shaggy and Friends
Kaleb bumped into a large gray body as he walked down the bustling main street of Under-Town. He was definitely feeling the exhaustion debuff. It made his vision a little blurry and he could feel himself sway as he moved. Kaleb mumbled an apology as he settled his grip on the large tub of weapons he was carrying.
¡°Maybe this wasn¡¯t your best idea.¡± Daivor said floating near Kaleb¡¯s head.
¡°It would¡¯ve been fine if I could have gotten get the coffee maker plugged in.¡± Kaleb gripped back at the hovering Gnome.
¡°Right, let¡¯s just say you¡¯re lucky there¡¯s a lid on that bin you are carrying.¡± Daivor whispered scanning the crowd. ¡°If these people knew what is in there, they would mug you and you¡¯d be powerless to stop them.¡±
¡°Meh.¡± Kaleb waved off the Gnome¡¯s concerns. ¡°Just point me toward the Brute Clan¡¯s territory. I¡¯ll get some coffee from them and drop off a few weapons. Then we can sell the rest.¡±
Daivor shrugged his shoulders and floated above the bustle of the crowd. Kaleb yawned and settled his grip on the large tub. He was lucky he had one that would fit the poles for the spears. Kaleb had spent the rest of his evening making weapons as the others got settled in on the second floor. Two Gun and Jar-lock left sometime around 8 to purchase mattresses for everyone. The rooms weren¡¯t exactly great, but they were livable.
As night fell and the others all logged out or went to sleep in-game, Kaleb fired up his laptop and replayed the video from the other night. He spent the next few hours studying the path to the K-Tech dump site. Once he thought he had it memorized, he loaded his car, and he closed the hangar doors. He waved goodbye Bob as he left the airstrip and made his way to the one entrance to Under-Town he knew about.
Taking the slide down with his large bin of weapons had not been pleasant. But luckily nothing was broken or maimed horrible. Now he was traveling to the Brute Clan hoping that they had coffee and would also know of some expendable muscle. He could feel himself getting more sluggish as he circled around the arena and headed further north. He must have been in a fugue state because before he knew it he was walking toward two large Brute Clan lizards. Seeming him the two happily waved until they saw him swaying on the spot.
¡°Whoa, there little lizard. Did you drink too much?¡± Asked the great green blob in Kaleb¡¯s vision.
¡°Need. Caffeine.¡± Kaleb said.
The two sentries looked at each other before they burst out into laughter. One ran off to a nearby chair while the other placed a large hand on Kaleb¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Slow down. We got something that will fix you up.¡± Said the one in front of Kaleb while the other rushed back with a thermos.
Kaleb stared eagerly at the metal thermos as the second lizard poured a reddish brown liquid into a cup. Kaleb gratefully took the cup with both hands dropping the bin he was carrying. The metal weapons inside made a loud clamor as Kaleb gulped down the still hot drink. As he felt the liquid hit his throat, his eyes widened, and he felt his heart speed up. He noticed the little debuff icon in the corner of his vision sputter and disappear as the drowsiness left him.
¡°What the hell is that?¡± Kaleb asked as he stared into his now empty cup.
The two lizards chuckled good-naturedly. The bigger of the two answered Kaleb¡¯s question while refilling his cup. ¡°Just regular black coffee with some warm rat¡¯s blood mixed in.¡±
Kaleb shook his head as he downed another cup of the stuff. ¡°Whoa! I have got to do that at home.¡±
Daivor made gagging noises from his chariot as Kaleb ignored him. Deciding that such wonderful people needed to be rewarded, Kaleb threw open the lid to the plastic tub he had been carrying. The two lizard¡¯s tensed up on seeing the weapons but they let Kaleb remove a spear tip and pole. Kaleb screwed on the tip to the spear and passed it on to the large lizard then he did the same for the second lizard.
The smaller of the two guards squinted at the spear before complaining. ¡°But, I prefer using my fists.¡±
¡°A spear¡¯s not so hard, Norville. You poke them with the sharp bit until it breaks, then you beat them with the pole bit. Then if they are still alive or if they have friends, then you can use your fists.¡± Said the bigger lizard guard, nodding gratefully at Kaleb.
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Said Norville. ¡°Seems like a lot of work to go through just so I can punch people, Terry.¡±
Kaleb shook his head at the two guards and handed his cup back to Norville. ¡°Anyone awake in the mansion?¡±
Terry nodded. ¡°Yeah, Wulkun is meeting with a bunch of people from other refuge settlements. They show up at all times of the day.¡±
¡°Hence the Jet Fuel.¡± Norville added holding up their thermos.
Kaleb thanked them both for the information and collected his weapon bin. He waved goodbye to the two guards and moved up the road to the mansion. He saw the odd lizard out and about in the street. Most of the clan seemed to have gathered in the houses closest to the main road. Kaleb nodded at a few as he wobbled along with his large bin.
¡°You know you will crash harder the longer you stay up, don¡¯t you?¡± Daivor asked.
Kaleb waved his hand at the Gnome again. But Daivor wasn¡¯t to be ignored. ¡°Boss, you are about to try to steal from a large corporation tonight. You should at least have your wits about you and without using caffeine. It¡¯s around midnight now, at least get a few hours sleep when we get to the mansion.¡±
Kaleb groaned. ¡°Argh, I hate it when you are right. I¡¯ll try. But that Jet Fuel they gave me has my heart pumping.¡±
Kaleb got to the large wooden door of the mansion and knocked loudly. The door creaked open and a small green face peered up at him. The child lizard smiled wide when he realized it was Kaleb. Kaleb grinned down at the small child who was obviously enamored with meeting him. That feeling vanished when the small lizard child turned and yelled into the house.
¡°IT¡¯S THE LAB LIZARD!¡±
Kaleb frowned at the back of the kid''s head as he moved inside. The kid ran off to let as many people as he could know that the ¡®Lab Lizard¡¯ had come back. Kaleb bit his tongue and sat on his bin of weapons as he waited for someone else to come and greet him. Soon a familiar voice sounded from above him.
¡°Back so soon?¡± Aqwen asked as she moved around the second floor toward the stairs.
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s funny how things work out.¡±
Aqwen shook her head as she descended the stairs. Seeing the bin he was sitting on she asked. ¡°Did you bring gifts?¡±
Kaleb tapped the bin. ¡°Just a few weapons. Figured I¡¯d pass out a few here then sell the rest out on main street.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not giving them all to us?¡± Aqwen asked sounding a little angry.
¡°Nope. Sorry, but money will be tight for me in the foreseeable future.¡± Kaleb said tapping his wrist where the HLO communicator had been.
Aqwen looked like she was about to say something else but Wulkun¡¯s voice cut her off. ¡°We will happily take whatever you can share. And if the Brute Clan can help, let me know.¡±
Kaleb turned toward the voice and saw Wulkun exiting the kitchen with a few other large lizards. He stood and flipped the lid off the bin. Assembling another spear Kaleb held it out to Wulkun who took and made a show of looking it over. The other lizards beside Wulkun all study the weapon too, all with varying degrees of interest.
¡°Really, I just need supplies. Metal to work with and such.¡± Kaleb explained. ¡°I would like to gather a few random thugs from Main street.¡±
Wulkun took his eyes away from the spear and shook his head at Kaleb. ¡°No need. A few of the Clan would be more than happy to help.¡±
Kaleb shook his own head. ¡°No, Wulkun. Not for now. It would be better to use people who are more expendable until we know the risks.¡±
¡°Typical Lab Lizard. Letting others do the work.¡± Said one of the large lizards behind Wulkun.
¡°Did I say I wasn¡¯t going?!¡± Kaleb snapped back staring daggers at the lizard who spoke.
The lizards compatriots all shushed their friend as Wulkun moved to Kaleb and grabbed his arm. Leading him away a bit Wulkun whispered to Kaleb.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
¡°These are a few members of another Clan in Texas. They have shown interest in joining us here.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°I figured. But I wasn¡¯t about to let them walk all over us. This is our home. THEY are joining US. We must be firm on this, Wulkun.¡±
Wulkun nodded his head slowly before scanning Kaleb¡¯s face. ¡°Are you all right? You look a little worn.¡±
Kaleb ran a hand over his face and waggled his head. ¡°I could use a rest, yes. Do you have a free bed? Also, I will need someone to wake me in two hours.¡±
¡°AHEM!¡± Daivor coughed, giving Kaleb a pointed look.
¡°In three hours.¡± Kaleb amended staring back at Daivor.
The Gnome just threw up his hands and grumbled to himself. Wulkun seemed to think on the question for a bit until he thought of something. But he looked a little pensive about saying something.
¡°Yes, there are a few rooms. But they are not exactly comfortable. As for a wake up call: I am sure we can arrange something. Right, Aqwen?¡±
Aqwen was hovering around Kaleb¡¯s plastic bin of weapons. She had assembled her own spear, and she was admiring it as she answered Wulkun.
¡°Oh yes, I¡¯m sure I can wake him up somehow.¡±
Not liking the look in the female lizard''s eyes, Kaleb turned to Wulkun pleading. ¡°Please don¡¯t let her dump water on me or something.¡±
Wulkun chuckled as he moved back toward the lizards from the other Brute Clan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t let her defile you.¡±
Kaleb sighed and rubbed below his eyes. Remembering Wulkun¡¯s words, he asked. ¡°So where are is a room I can crash in.¡±
¡°Downstairs.¡± Wulkun said over his shoulder as he moved away with his group of lizards.
¡°Downstairs? There¡¯s nothing down there but¡¡± Kaleb started before he realized. Turning to Aqwen he asked.
¡°He can¡¯t be serious.¡±
Aqwen just smiled and spun her spear in her hands. Kaleb groaned and moved toward the kitchen. He grabbed the side of his weapon bin and slid it over near the wall. Kaleb left the bin open and glanced around the room for something to write with.
¡°What are you looking for?¡± Aqwen asked.
¡°Something to write on. I want to let the Clan know to leave me something to sell.¡± Kaleb explained.
Aqwen nodded. ¡°I will let them know. You shall have enough to sell when you wake up. Now go to sleep little lab lizard.¡±
¡°Not crazy about that nickname.¡± Kaleb grumbled as he walked through the kitchen and down the stairs to the cellar and the prison cells.
A few hours after he had settled on down on a nice straw mattress a loud clanging noise woke him up. He felt like he had barely closed his eyes. Looking for the source of the noise he found a smiling Aqwen with the butt of her spear between the bars of his cell. She was smiling so wide Kaleb thought he could count her teeth.
¡°Time to get up, maggot!¡± Aqwen yelled in a gruff voice.
Kaleb rubbed his face, asking through his hands. ¡°Really? You¡¯re a drill instructor now?¡±
¡°I¡¯m whatever the Clan requires.¡± Aqwen smiled as she walked off toward the stairs.
Kaleb groaned as he stood and walked out of his cell. He followed Aqwen up the stairs and out to the kitchen where he found Daivor. The small Gnome was sleeping in his chariot, snoring away. like the disgusting cherub he was. Kaleb gave him a gently prod rocking the Gnome awake.
¡°Time to go Master Gnome. We got weapons to sell and junk to steal. But first.¡±
After waking the Gnome Kaleb moved around the kitchen finding himself a thermos and the coffeemaker. Luckily there was already a pot of coffee made and it had the same red tint as the stuff Norville gave him. Sure enough, as soon as he took his first sip he felt his heart rate pick up. He smiled at Daivor as the Gnome powered up his Chariot.
¡°You have blood on your lip, you cannibal.¡± Daivor grumbled.
Kaleb just smiled as he walked back out to the lobby. ¡°Throw factual statements at me as if they are insults all you want. I feel good.¡±
Kaleb glanced beside the door to the bin he had left Aqwen in charge of. Surprisingly, there were still weapons in it. He had thought he would have to talk to Wulkun about getting some returned. But it looked like they had left a good deal. Mostly the Tiger Claws though. It seemed the Brute Clan favored spears.
¡°Is there enough in there for you?¡± Aqwen asked as she climbed the stairs.
Kaleb nodded and drank from his thermos. ¡°Yep. Thanks for your help. Is Wulkun up? I wanted to say goodbye.¡±
Aqwen shook her hand as she got to the second floor landing. ¡°No. he went to sleep when the delegates from the other Clan left.¡±
¡°Well, Okay then. I¡¯ll see you next time, Aqwen.¡± Kaleb said shrugging his shoulders and putting the lid back on his weapons bin.
Aqwen waved halfheartedly as she vanished behind the second floor banister. Kaleb ignored the tired lizard and carried his weapons out of the mansion and back down the street. The walk back to main street was faster than the walk to the mansion had been. However, once he was there Kaleb ran into a new problem: He didn¡¯t know where to set up to sell his stuff.
He wanted a place close to the arena so that prospective fighters would stop by. But still near the main road. He eventually settled on a spot away from the arena, backed up against an abandoned shack. Making sure he was visible to the main street, Kaleb removed a few spears and claws and set them up around the bin. He saw a few people take interest at what he had displayed but not much. Taking a hint from the other vendors nearby, Kaleb leaned back and yelled.
¡°SPEARS AND CLAWS. 500 CREDITS APIECE!¡±
Kaleb heard a few people crack up laughing as he finished shouting. ¡°500 credits?! What are you stupid? No one is buying a spear for 500 credits.¡±
Looking for the source of the voice Kaleb responded. ¡°Not even for Ifrit bone tipped spears?!¡±
A crowd of people pulled in closer as Kaleb asked his question. He could see the looks of disbelief on a few faces. The main street hustle and bustle was still ongoing, but he had got more than a few people''s attention.
¡°Bullshit!¡± Someone cried from the ring of people. ¡°No one¡¯s selling Ifirt bone for 500 credits.¡±
Kaleb sighed and grabbed a spear, showing off its white bone spiral tip to the crowd. ¡°I assure you I am. I can also assure you that this is 100% pure Ifrit bone. This stuff is strong as steel and can penetrate anything.¡±
Kaleb drew back the spear and made a thrust into the metal shack behind him. To his surprise, he heard a muffled voice yelp. ¡°Hey!¡±
¡°Could have sworn that house was abandoned.¡± Kaleb muttered as he withdrew his spear. ¡°Sorry.¡± Kaleb whispered into the hole he had made as an angry eye glared at him.
¡°Ahem! Anyway, that¡¯s what I¡¯m selling. So either buy one or move on!¡± Kaleb announced.
The crowd around his little area remained silent for a few seconds until a voice yelled out. ¡°2,000 credits for 5 spears!¡±
¡°2,200 credits for 5!¡± Countered a second voice.
¡°2,300 credits!¡± Yelled a third.
Kaleb smiled and waited as the mini bidding war raged on in front of him. He only had around ten spears to sell. But maybe after he sold all the spears he could show off the power of the Tiger Claws. That is if he could find a house to use them on.
The bidding war raged for a short time. When Kaleb had gotten down to the last few spears a few people from the crowd devolved into fighting each other. Kaleb quickly put a stop to that by stating that he would only sell the spears one at a time. But those last few spears went for almost 1,000 credits apiece.
Kaleb smiled as he pocketed his collected credit sticks. He was about to start up selling the Tiger Claws when a male voice spoke up from the crowd.
¡°Well, well, well. Look who it is. It¡¯s the lizard that sent me up the river.¡± Said a short ginger-haired man as he stepped from the crowd.
Kaleb didn¡¯t recognize the man and before he could probably look him over Kaleb¡¯s eyes were drawn to the short man¡¯s friends. Slightly behind the ginger-haired man was a tall pale man in a cloak and top hat, a hulking Rhino-man in a white sleeveless shirt, and a stocky teenager who seemed to have something long and tubular writhing under his skin.
¡°It doesn¡¯t look like he recognizes me.¡± Said the short man smiling at Kaleb.
Kaleb came to his senses and glanced above the man¡¯s head. Seeing his name Kaleb had to blink and read it again. ¡°No way. Shaggy?¡±
Shaggy the half-werewolf man that Kaleb had caught for mugging raised his hands in triumph. ¡°He Remembers!¡±
¡°Yeah, sorry, I didn¡¯t recognize you without the¡¡± Kaleb said waving a hand around his face.
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s still a bitch to turn on and off. But that¡¯s not important. What is important is that you were right! Jail was the perfect place to meet other villains. And this place, Under-Town, is a small-time crooks dream.¡± Shaggy said waving at the people behind him and then to the street overall.
Kaleb looked around to see the pensive look of his prospective buyers. They all seemed to want to wait and see how everything would turn out. He even caught a couple of people trying to side-step closer to his bin full of weapons. Clapping his hands, Kaleb got everyone¡¯s attention.
¡°Okay, folks. that¡¯s enough selling for today. I am gonna have a chat with my friend here, so skedaddle.¡±
¡°Or else what?¡± asked a hunchbacked man with a melted face.
¡°Or else,¡± Kaleb started before he glanced up at Daivor who was floating above the crowd looking bored. ¡°Or else my flying friend up there will rain down fire!¡±
Daivor seemed startled at having been brought into the conversation. But he played the part well: cracking his fingers and neck and summoning two balls of fire to each of his hands. Didn¡¯t know he could do that. Kaleb thought as he drew his Cybar pistol.
¡°Me, however. I¡¯ll just shoot you.¡±
The crowd grumbled and slowly dispersed as a few of them shot glances up at Daivor. Meanwhile Shaggy sauntered a bit closer to Kaleb. Looking down at Kaleb¡¯s box of Tiger Claws, Shaggy chuckled out loud. He bent over and picked one up.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t rely on these weapons, you know.¡± Shaggy said holding the claw sideways by its blades. ¡°You never know when they will break.¡±
Shaggy finished his sentence by flexing his hands, trying to bend the metal knives. Kaleb just smiled at the werewolf as Shaggy¡¯s eyes got big in surprise. No matter how he tried to twist or bend the metal it would not break. Kaleb could see that this rarely happened to the lycanthrope.
¡°Performance issues?¡± Kaleb asked smiling.
¡°Oh Ha Ha, Asshole. What the hell is this stuff made of?¡± Shaggy asked turning over the Tiger Claw.
¡°Forged in the fires of Ifrit bone ash!¡± Kaleb said dramatically.
Shaggy snorted. ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s damn sturdy.¡±
Kaleb nodded before he leaned over and asked the other player quietly. ¡°How would you and your friends like to earn a couple? Along with a payday.¡±
Shaggy looked dubious, but Kaleb just raised his wrist. Not seeing the HLO communicator, Shaggy¡¯s eyes grew wide again, before a smile spread across his lips.
Chapter 89 - Changing plans
¡°Well, look at that.¡± Shaggy grinned. ¡°The little Hero has gone rogue.¡±
Kaleb sighed at his theatrics. ¡°Not really. But I can offer you and your friends some weapons and credits for a dishonest night''s work.¡±
¡°Vhat would ve have to do.¡± Said the tall man with the top hat in heavily accented speech.
Shaggy groaned. ¡°Damn it, Vlad. We told you: You don¡¯t have to talk like that!¡±
¡°Oh screw you, Wolfy. It¡¯s part of my character. That¡¯s how vampires talk!¡± Said Vlad waving his cloak dramatically.
Kaleb could see the other two members of Shaggy¡¯s party roll their eyes as Shaggy sighed. Kaleb stared at Vlad. He didn¡¯t have the pallor or teeth of the Quinica. Instead, he had the large fangs of the stereotypical vampire from the movies. Turning to Shaggy, Kaleb jerked his head at Vlad.
¡°He serious?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡± Shaggy said annoyed. ¡°He likes to play it up, but he is a good player. Plus his mutation isn¡¯t bad; He gains points by drinking blood and he uses those to upgrade himself.¡±
¡°That¡¯s sounds overpowered.¡± Kaleb said looking at Vlad who nodded.
¡°It vas vhen I first vas born. But now those lesser mortal no longer sate my thirst.¡± Vlad said back to using his accent.
Kaleb looked questioningly at Shaggy. Shaggy rolled his eyes and put the Tiger Claw in his hand back down. ¡°He told us that the early advancements were cheap. But now he can¡¯t afford anything using the points from normal NPCs. He thinks that he has to drink from Supers now, but we haven¡¯t had the chance to find out yet.¡±
¡°Ookay, good to know. Well, anyway, you guys interested in work or not.¡± Kaleb said trying to move the conversation along.
Shaggy moved to his friends and looked them over before turning back to Kaleb. ¡°First how about you tell us what you want to do? Then will decide if we wanna help you.¡±
¡°Fair enough.¡± Kaleb said putting the lid back on his weapon bin. ¡°First off: 100 credits for some information.¡±
¡°Shoot.¡± Shaggy said.
¡°How many entrances are there to Under-Town and can we get a hover dumpster to surface level?¡± Kaleb asked leaning against the metal shack behind him.
The party of four looked between themselves all shaking their heads. Shaggy glanced at Kaleb before speaking. ¡°Ahem, we don¡¯t know.¡±
Kaleb sighed quietly. ¡°Ok, 200 credits for you to find out from me, good.¡± The group all nodded. ¡°Second thing: I need you to steal us a hover dumpster. I know some people use them down here.¡±
¡°If you know who has one, why not just steal it from them?¡± Shaggy asked.
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°Can¡¯t do that. At the moment they are friends and I don¡¯t want to burn that bridge. Also, I don¡¯t know how strong the Quinica are down here, best not to piss them off.¡±
¡°Those fakes?!¡± Vlad screamed dropping his accent again.
Shaggy ignored the outburst and shook his own head. ¡°Well, then I don¡¯t know where to get one.¡±
¡°I do.¡± said a quiet voice behind Shaggy.
Turning they all looked at the youngest member of their party. The pale boy shrank under their combined gaze before pointing at the big Rhino-man. He stuttered a little before the words tumbled from his mouth.
¡°H-H-H- He does too. We both saw it!¡±
Shaggy put his palm out in a calm down gesture. ¡°We believe you, Slink. Now tell us where we can get one.¡±
The Rhino-man looked down, confused at the young boy. Seeing that the rhino would not be any help, the boy, Slink, swallowed loudly before he spoke trying to sound confident.
¡°It was when you were talking to that cheetah girl, Shags. The Phreaks had a few of them lined up outside that little compound of theirs.¡±
Shaggy nodded as he seemed to remember. ¡°Guards?¡±
Slink shrugged his shoulders helplessly and looked to the big rhino. The Rhino-man seemed deep in thought and was rubbing his chin with a meaty gray hand. When he saw them all staring at him, he silently shrugged his own shoulders, baffled.
Shaggy groaned angrily. But Kaleb spoke up first. ¡°That¡¯s fine. At least we know where one is and if you lot don¡¯t mind pissing off the Phreaks¡¡±
The group all shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders. Shaggy rubbed his hands and asked a question of his own. ¡°So, once we have the truck what are we stealing? Robbing a bank? Raiding an armory.¡±
¡°Stealing junk.¡± Kaleb said truthfully.
Shaggy and the others seemed to deflate at his words. The tubular growth on Slink¡¯s face and neck seemed to writhe under the skin. The Rhino-man even walked away. Vlad was the only who that remained interested. Seeing this Shaggy slapped the mutant vampire on the shoulder.
¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, Vlad. He is crazy.¡±
Vlad brushed his shoulder where Shaggy had hit him and stared back at Kaleb. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He is dead serious and I am vondering vhat could make him so serious. Aren¡¯t you?¡±
Shaggy looked at Kaleb and grimaced. ¡°You really going to hire a crew to steal junk?¡±
¡°Well, we are stealing from K-Tech, so yeah.¡± Kaleb said. Tapping the bin he added. ¡°As you might have guessed: I am a crafter and I need parts and equipment. I know of a dump site but they have armed security.¡±
¡°Why have armed guards in a junkyard?¡± Asked the Rhino-man.
Kaleb just smiled as Shaggy slowly nodded. Turning to the Rhino, Shaggy answered for Kaleb. ¡°It¡¯s a high-end company, Ren. Even their junk must be worth a lot and if you have someone who can fix up that junk. Make it useful again, well that increases the worth quite a bit.¡±
Kaleb drew his Cybar pistol again and held it up from them to see. He twisted it in his hands showing off the altered power supply. Ren nodded slowly but Slink was shaking his head. The growth under his skin undulating like crazy. The kid grabbed Shaggy¡¯s shoulder and tried to jerk the bigger man back.
¡°You can¡¯t be seriously considering this, man. We are literally stealing junk. Come on, man we haven¡¯t fallen that low. We can join up with one of the Under-Town gangs. They are all recruiting since the Faceless¡¯ got wiped out.¡±
¡°Come on, Kid. If we can get our hands on some decent weapons, we can set up our own gang down here.¡± Shaggy argued back.
Kaleb holstered his pistol and watched the conversation. Slink seemed like he wanted to argue, but he could see Shaggy¡¯s point. He turned to Vlad and Ren but the two taller men both held greedy looks on their faces. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t win Slink just sighed loudly.
¡°Just make sure he pays us.¡± Slink mumbled.
¡°About that,¡± Shaggy said turning back to Kaleb. ¡°We are talking about K-Tech guards here. We will need hazard pay. Also, a guarantee that you¡¯ll build us some equipment from what we collect.¡±
¡°Yes to the equipment, but no to the hazard pay. 3,200 credits for all of you.¡± Kaleb said playing with the credit sticks in his pocket.
Shaggy¡¯s party all yelled out their outrage. Shaggy calmed down his friends and made a counteroffer. ¡°Oh, come on! That¡¯s only 800 a piece. We are talking armed guards and getting on K-Tech¡¯s shit list. We have to at least get 2,000 a piece.¡±
¡°1,000 a piece.¡± Kaleb countered.
¡°1,800.¡± Shaggy came back.
Kaleb let the credit sticks in his pocket slip through his fingers as he thought. He was seriously considering agreeing to the price and just leaving the group at the junk site. But, Shaggy and the others were Players, that changed a good deal of his plans. Expendable muscle was one thing, but this was a group that could have come back and come back with a grudge.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
If he betrayed them what did he get? A small group that would be a nuisance in Under-Town whenever he did business there. But if he nurtured this friendship, these players could be a real force in Under-Town. Plus, if he was managing their equipment then he could control their strength. Then again controlling Players was a fool¡¯s game. Hearing shaggy cough, Kaleb came out of his thoughts.
¡°Sorry, was thinking about something. 1,300 credits is my final offer.¡± Kaleb said figuring that he could cut ties with them after tonight.
Shaggy grinned and held out his hand, but Kaleb shook his head. Standing Kaleb and pushing the weapon bin toward Shaggy and his friends.
¡°Payment after the job. For now, you get these weapons and the 200 credits if you get me that information I asked for. The job¡¯s a no go if we don¡¯t have an exit.¡± Kaleb said as he held up a credit stick.
Shaggy groaned as his friends moved toward the bin to look at the weapons. Kaleb just shrugged his shoulders at the shorter man. Ren and Slink pulled out two claws a piece but Vlad was scratching a one with his pointed fingernail. Looking up, he saw Kaleb watching him.
¡°I vish to see vhich is better. My claws or yours.¡± Vlad said as he took one claw out and moved away from the bin.
Shaggy glanced into the box and grumbled. ¡°You gave us too many.¡±
¡°Use the rest to make some friends.¡± Kaleb said smiling.
¡°Seriously? You want more for the job?¡± Shaggy asked.
¡°I want to fill up the hover dumpster. So I at least want two more, but if you think we need more you can go with that. But you can take the Claws either way. Consider it a Don¡¯t-fuck-me payment.¡± Kaleb said grinning at Shaggy as Daivor floating over from where he had been watching.
Shaggy burst out into a fit of laughter at Kaleb¡¯s words. ¡°HAHAHAHA! Well, these should work as bribes or payment for some extra muscle. But it could take some time. We know where to get the dumpster trucks, I¡¯ve never thought to use anything other than the entrance I found to get down here.¡±
¡°How did you get down here?¡±
Shaggy shook his head and made a disgusted face. ¡°False door in an alley. Let¡¯s out in a garbage pile just outside of Under-Town in a tunnel. You?¡±
¡°Cemetery. Slide down to a mattress on near the main street.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°And now that I think on it there may be someone I can ask about other entrances.¡± Kaleb said thinking of the old frog-man that had greeted him his first trip down here.
¡°Oh, don¡¯t do that. Give us a chance to earn those credits.¡± Shaggy said smiling.
¡°You have a chance. You just have to take it right now.¡± Kaleb grinned back as he noticed the others had all heard their conversation.
Glancing at his friends Shaggy stopped smiling and dashed off yelling. ¡°I¡¯ll ask around the lamplighters territory. You guys go get the truck. Ren, pick up the weapons and Vlad find us a few more guys. Weapons as payment.¡±
Ren hefted the bin onto his massive shoulder as the others moved off at a brisk pace. The cut through the bustle of human traffic on main street and disappeared. Daivor floated down until he was right in front of Kaleb and puffed long and hard on his pipe.
Blowing a waft of smoke at Kaleb, Daivor asked. ¡°Are you sure that was a good idea?¡±
Kaleb waved the smoke out of his face and shook his head. ¡°No. But I¡¯m taking a gamble. If it turns to shit, I¡¯ll cut ties and find another crew for next time.¡±
Daivor floated near Kaleb¡¯s shoulder and followed him as they walked down main street. ¡°Next time, he says.¡± Daivor grumbled.
Kalb ignored the Gnome and moved down the street. He had to make a brief stop at the rat burger vendor. A female yellow lizard manned the stall this time and oddly enough she smiled and greeted Kaleb by name. Kaleb chalked it up to what he had down for the Brute Clan but he still found the exchange a little weird.
He was halfway to the entrance he used when he saw a sign. The Hopping Kickshaw. Slapping his forehead, he remembered that the small old frog had a curio shop around here. He was sure the name was right. Unlike the rest of main street this shop was in a building, well at least a cube with a side missing. As Kaleb glanced inside he saw a small frog-man with a short beard sitting behind a counter.
Moving in Kaleb wracked his brain for the small old frog¡¯s name until it came to him. ¡°Devron!¡±
The old wrinkled frog snapped his wide eyes to the front of the store and smiled a lip-less smile. ¡°Oh, uh, lad. It¡¯s good to see you again.¡±
Kaleb smirked at the small frog. The old amphibian clearly didn¡¯t remember him. ¡°It¡¯s Professor. You helped me when I first got down here. I just had a question for you real quick.¡±
The old frog seemed to deflate behind his counter. ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s getting harder to sell oddities these days.¡± He said mournfully.
Kaleb bit his tongue and glanced around the shop. The frog¡¯s intentions couldn¡¯t be more clear: buy something or no information. Kaleb looked and the cramped shelves full of small jewelry boxes, bone pipes, strange looking knickknacks, and other weird items. He eventually found a small rectangular bag meant to be strapped to a thigh or waist. Figuring he could use another bag, Kaleb paid Devron 25 credits and asked his question.
¡°Oh, there are tons on entrances to Under-Town or at least the tunnels around here. I had a map around here somewhere.¡± Devron said as he dove beneath his counter.
Kaleb clenched his fist and counted down from ten as Devron dug around his junk. If I could have bought a map, why did I buy the bag. Fuck it, the bag will be useful, anyway. Kaleb thought as Devron leaped up from behind the counter holding a folded up paper map. Looking it over, Kaleb felt that he was finally getting a sense of how massive Under-Town really was.
A spiderweb of tunnels spread out from Under-Town in all direction. Someone marked some with various insignia some of which had a dash through them. Turning the map to Devron Kaleb asked.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡±
¡°Mark of whoever owns the tunnel. That one has had a few owners it looks like. Map is 75 credits.¡± Devron said holding out a large hand.
Kaleb grumbled and passed over the money. After the frog took the money, Kaleb went back to studying the map. There were several tunnels leading, using his memory of the video he had recorded he found the tunnel that he had taken to the dump site. Someone had marked it with the image of a pointy-eared, sharp tooth face. Kaleb grimaced, the Quinica apparently owned that tunnel. He would have to at least check if Herr Blutschl?ger was still in Under-Town.
Kaleb rolled the map back up and saw Devron staring at him and tapping a finger against a sign. ¡®No loitering¡¯ Kaleb rolled his eyes and left the shop heading straight for where the Quinica set up shop. Daivor followed, once again speaking in Kaleb¡¯s ear.
¡°You see who owns the tunnel.¡±
¡°Where do you think I¡¯m going?¡± Kaleb answered.
¡°To let them know we will use their tunnel?¡± Daivor said sarcastically.
Kaleb crossed the busy dirt street and kept his eye on the opposite side of the street. Soon enough he could make out an empty spot where the Quinica usually set up shop. It didn¡¯t seem that anyone was there, so Kaleb moved closer into the street in front of the spot. He could just make out a few shadows in the alley behind where the Blutschl?ger set up shop. Quickly moving away, Kaleb felt a face smack into his chest.
¡°Really, dude?¡± Shaggy said rubbing his nose.
¡°Didn¡¯t see you there, Shaggy.¡± Kaleb grinned.
¡°Oh, short jokes? That¡¯s where we are now?¡±
Kaleb shrugged and pulled the map out of the bag strapped to his thigh. Shaggy groaned as he held up a similar-looking map. Kaleb almost laughed out loud at the sour look on the man¡¯s face. Shaggy folded his map and put it back into his pocket.
¡°Do you know who I had to kill for that map?¡± Shaggy asked.
¡°Don¡¯t care. We have a truck yet?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°How am I supposed to¡ AHHH! FUCK!¡±
Shaggy bent over at the waist and grabbed his ears in pain. Kaleb looked around for the source of the attack but he couldn¡¯t see anything. People kept moving around them in the middle of the street. Eventually Shaggy took a deep breath, righted his posture, and looked off to the east. Kaleb could see the man¡¯s eyes watering from the pain. But before he could ask anything, Shaggy took off at a run.
Kaleb followed as they ran down a cross street going east off the main road. As the ran Kaleb watched Shaggy grab his ear and almost fall over while still running. He was about to ask what the hell was going on when they turned a corner and saw a large dumpster truck painted red, black, and gold. Sitting in the driver seat with his head out the window was Vlad. The vampire was blowing into a small metal tube.
¡°FUCKING QUIT IT!¡± Yelled Shaggy as he covered an ear and leaped up and swatted at Vlad¡¯s face.
¡°Oh, sorry, Volfy. I didn¡¯t see you there.¡± said Vlad sounding smug and leaning away from Shaggy swatting hand.
¡°He already made that joke, asshole.¡± Shaggy said pointing at Kaleb.
¡°Looks like you guys got a truck in record time.¡± Kaleb said trying not to laugh at Shaggy who was rubbing his ears and staring daggers at Vlad.
Slink moved around from behind the truck a creepy grin on his face. ¡°They weren¡¯t even guarding them.¡±
¡°Yes, they were.¡± Said Ren also coming from behind the truck with two other Rhino-men.
¡°They were drunk and asleep. You didn¡¯t have to knock them out.¡± Slink said.
Ren shrugged and moved to talk to the Rhino-men. Kaleb noticed that the three Rhino-men were all wearing Tiger Claws; Looking up at Vlad, he asked. ¡°Those our muscle?¡±
¡°Yeah, I figured vith them and the volf, we should be able to collect your junk.¡± Vlad said.
¡°That¡¯s something I want to get straight.¡± Kaleb said before he spoke louder to the whole group. ¡°You all are just grabbing pieces of metal. The bigger the better. If you see something interesting though, sure, toss it on the pile. But your main concern is filling up the truck. Your second concern will be any security patrolling the junkyard.¡±
¡°We can handle being the lookout.¡± Slink said as the weird thing under his skin traveled around his face.
Kaleb had the creepy feeling that Slink wasn¡¯t talking about the others in the group. But he nodded and just met eyes with everyone. Mentally he was going over the route to the dump site. Daivor had seen it too, so between the two of them he felt confident they could get there. Turning to Shaggy, Kaleb waved a hand at the front cab.
¡°After you.¡± Shaggy nodded as he rubbed his ears.
Watching as the Rhino-men and Slink get into the back of the truck. He briefly hoped they would have room for the return trip. But he put those thoughts out of his mind and got into the cab along with Daivor. After Shaggy finished punching Vlad in the arm multiple times, Kaleb gave Vlad his directions. Vlad nodded and moved the hover truck down into the dark tunnel.
Chapter 90 -Snakes and Werewolves
¡°How did you get out of prison, anyway?¡± Kaleb asked as they drove down the dark tunnel.
Shaggy just smiled wide as he answered. ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard. We just had to wait for our chance and then we made a break for it.¡±
¡°And what was your chance?¡± Kaleb asked cracking the window to let out Daivor¡¯s pipe smoke.
¡°You know how it is. Sometimes you have to make your own luck.¡± Shaggy said evasively.
Kaleb was about to ask the werewolf to elaborate when Vlad spoke up from his spot behind the wheel. ¡°Another villain attacked the prison looking for minions. Ve chose not to be slaves to someone else.¡±
Shaggy shot Vlad an annoyed look as Kaleb nodded in understanding. So the four of them had been in jail when someone else came and freed them. Was that a random event or a something the game planned for when the jail got too full? Kaleb wondered as he asked the pair of players another question.
¡°So no Supers tried to stop them? I mean, you were in a prison designed for supers, right? You would think they¡¯d have a couple of power-houses on standby.¡±
Vlad snorted as Shaggy scratched his cheek. ¡°Uhh, kind of. You see, they put you in cell block according to how powerful they think you are. But there is no real way for them to measure that. So they judge your abilities based several factors.¡±
¡°One of vich is vho brought you in.¡± Vlad interrupted. ¡°A low-level speedster caught me after I had just finished feeding. I vas vulnerable. So they put me in the low ability block.¡±
Kaleb shook his head as he understood what they were saying. ¡°And I caught Shaggy and I am Mundane. So that probably meant they also put you in the same block?¡±
Shaggy nodded. ¡°Yep, they assumed that, while I am a werewolf, I didn¡¯t have full control of my abilities.¡±
¡°You still don¡¯t.¡± Vlad interrupted again.
¡°SO!¡± Shaggy said taking back the conversation. ¡°When the Villain came a-calling they responded with a force of equivalent strength to the Block being broken into. A Super still showed up to deal with the big bad, but Vlad, Slink and I only had to deal with low-powered cops.¡±
¡°So how did you meet Ren?¡± Kaleb asked.
Shaggy shrugged. ¡°He was wandering downtown looking for some secret underground city. I told him and the others what you had said about Under-Town. The rest is history.¡±
Daivor patted Kaleb shoulder as the tunnel they were in curved to the left. The bright lights of the dumpster truck they were in lit the dirt tunnel up. The way ahead showed another long empty stretch of tunnel followed by a sharp turn right. Kaleb searched his memory for the route to the dump site, trying to remember the video he and Daivor watched.
¡°It¡¯s coming up here.¡± Daivor whispered in his ear.
¡°Kill the lights.¡± Kaleb said to Vlad. ¡°We are getting close and we have to deal with the gate guard. Best not to alert him.¡±
Vlad slowed the dumpster truck somewhat and hugged the right side of the tunnel as he switched off the lights. It left them in almost complete darkness. The only sources of light were from Daivor¡¯s hover chariot and soft white glow coming from the corner ahead. Vlad stopped the truck just before the turn, but left it hovering and turned to the others.
¡°So, vho is handling the guard?¡± Vlad asked.
Shaggy looked to Kaleb, but Kaleb just shrugged and pointed back to Shaggy. ¡°You all are more familiar with your abilities than I am. Which one of you guys can take a guard quick and quiet?¡±
Shaggy seemed to think about it for a few seconds before he responded. ¡°Vlad, it¡¯s you or Slink. But I think with Slink they might have time to yell out.¡±
Vlad seemed to agree and opened his door, preparing to jump out of the truck. ¡°Yet another pup vho doesn¡¯t have control over his abilities.¡± Vlad said haughtily as he left.
Kaleb saw Shaggy roll his eyes as he moved over to the driver''s seat. ¡°His a bit much, huh?¡±
Shaggy chuckled. ¡°A bit much was when he wanted me to play the part of his werewolf guardian. Wanted me to watch over him when he slept. Now, he is just a kid overacting in a game. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen them before. Damn RPer¡¯s took over a whole server in Wondrous.¡±
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°Not really. I haven¡¯t played a full immersion game in a while. I was bored of all the medieval knights and magic settings. Tried Luminaries Dark and Twilight game for a while, but that one was boring. Hours on a virtual spaceship doing nothing.¡±
¡°Never tried that one.¡± Shaggy said. ¡°But, yeah the RPer¡¯s were all ov-¡±
*BANG!*
A loud metallic noise came from Shaggy¡¯s door causing the werewolf to jump in shock. Kaleb also jolted in surprise before he reached for his gun. Shaggy growled and swore in irritation before he rolled down his window and stuck his head out.
¡°What!?¡±
Kaleb heard Slink¡¯s voice ask. ¡°What the hell are we doing? Why are we just stopped in this dark tunnel?¡±
¡°We are waiting for Vlad to take care of the guard before we move forward.¡± Shaggy said still sounding annoyed.
¡°Well, how long is that going to take?¡± Slink asked getting annoyed himself.
Shaggy growled again through clenched teeth. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go find out.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t YOU go fucking find out.¡± Slink replied.
¡°Because you''re already out of the truck. Just go to the corner and see, okay?¡±
¡°Fine!¡± Slink said petulantly tubular protrusion on his face and neck pulsating angrily.
Shaggy rolled the window back up and watched the young teen dash away from the truck. Kaleb watched the young man run off, so he asked Shaggy a question about the teenager.
¡°Is that thing under his skin a¡?¡±
¡°A snake? Yeah, kinda obvious with a name like Slink, right? But he insists that it is not a snake. Apparently his race in the game form mental links with an alien animal that look similar to earth snakes. The stronger they are the more snakes they can control or they can control one powerful snake. Slink opted to control one powerful snake and two little ones. He uses the little ones for scouting.¡± Shaggy explained as they peered into the dark in front of the truck.
¡°That seems gross. How do they come out?¡± Kaleb asked shuddering somewhat.
¡°Ha! They come from small holes in his forearms. They skin around there is more elastic, so it stretches to let the snake out. But, if you think that is creepy wait until he brings one out.¡± Shaggy said smiling.
Kaleb almost asked why but he saw Slink running back to the truck. The young man ran back to Shaggy¡¯s window as the werewolf lowered it. Panting Slink let them know what he saw.
¡°There¡¯s just a guard shack. I didn¡¯t see a guard or Vlad. Maybe he¡¯s feeding?¡±
Shaggy nodded and looked over to Kaleb. Deciding to take the risk Kaleb nodded and waved for Shaggy to pull the truck forward. Slink ran around to Kaleb¡¯s side and hopped in as Shaggy pulled the truck away slowly. They turned the corner and were immediately lit up from the bright lights by the gate. They pulled closer to the slim yellow arm blocking entrance into the dump site.
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
As they pulled up level with the guard shack Kaleb could see the back of Vlad¡¯s cape as he crouched over the guard. His black cape shook this way and that as Vlad¡¯s head twisted near the man¡¯s neck. Kaleb could see a pool of blood forming on the white-tiled floor of the guard shack. Ignoring the gruesome scene of Vlad messily drinking the guard¡¯s blood, Shaggy leaned out of his window and hissed.
¡°Vlad! Damn it, dude, there¡¯s no time for that now. Raise the gate!¡±
Vlad seemed to stop for a few seconds, but soon went back to nosily slurping on the dead man¡¯s neck. Shaggy sighed loudly and turned to Slink who looked annoyed. The young man just shook his head and shot the werewolf the finger. His sigh turning to a growl, Shaggy got out of the truck and moved to the mutant vampire. Shaggy first flicked the switch for the automatic gate then went to grab his companion.
Shaggy had to pry Vlad off of the dead man. Vlad, blood drunk, struggled a bit before he settled down, allowing the werewolf to drag him off. Shaggy disappeared behind the truck for a few seconds then came back without Vlad. Shaggy moved the truck into the dump site and turned to Kaleb.
¡°Where are we going?¡±
Kaleb glanced around the well-lit dump site before responding. ¡°Not too far in and position the truck for a fast getaway. Here¡¯s good.¡±
Shaggy found a place to turn the large truck around then stopped the car. Kaleb waved for Slink to leave cab as Shaggy did the same on his side. They all gathered around the front of the truck. Including a swaying Vlad with blood dripping down the front of his shirt.
¡°They must have enhanced that guard. He was worth 5 points.¡± Vlad murmured loudly.
Kaleb ignored him as he gave orders to the Rhino-men and the others. ¡°Slink, you said you could do surveillance?¡± When the teenager nodded Kaleb continued. ¡°Okay, so why don¡¯t you do that while Ren and his pals find metal. Doesn¡¯t matter what kind, big, small or whatever. Just fill this truck. Daivor and I will look for specialized equipment.¡±
¡°What about me?¡± Shaggy asked when Kaleb didn¡¯t give him a job.
¡°You are sticking with me in case I need something heavy moved.¡± Kaleb grinned.
The group all nodded at their assigned jobs and moved to get to work. Slink moved a short distance away and spread his arms out by his side. The rhino-men quickly started filling the truck with random stuff and Daivor floated off on his chariot. Kaleb and Shaggy were moving past Slink when Kaleb heard the young man let out a long pleasure-filled moan.
¡°Ohhhhhhh, fuck yeah!¡±
A soft thump followed the moan as something bright orange and slithering fell out of Slink¡¯s shirt. Kaleb looked wide eyed at Shaggy as the young man moaned again. Shaggy was trying to keep himself from laughing as he continued to walk. Kaleb hurried after him as he tried to block out Slink¡¯s moans.
¡°Are you fucking serious?¡± Kaleb asked once they were far enough away.
Shaggy shrugged. ¡°Hey, a game company isn¡¯t about to make that process hurt, right?¡±
¡°I suppose not. But it seems like they may have gone too far the other way with that one.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡±
Kaleb just shook his head and tried to expunge the image and noises from his mind. Working from memory, Kaleb lead Shaggy toward the pile of robot arms he and Daivor had discovered on their last visit. It took a little back tracking here and there, but eventually he found it and loaded up the werewolf¡¯s arms with robot ones.
¡°Looking for spares?¡± Shaggy laughed.
Kaleb just shook his head. ¡°Upgrades, actually. The synth muscles on some of these can make an arm way stronger.¡±
¡°Got to get your edge where you can find it, huh?¡±
¡°Yep.¡± Kaleb answered as he placed another arm on the pile in Shaggy¡¯s arms.
Once he felt like he had enough Kaleb told Shaggy to head back to the truck. As Kaleb followed, he almost tripped on a silver colored object laying next to another pile of junk. Looking down at it, Kaleb saw it was a sliver helmet. He picked it up, surprised at how heavy it was. As he looked it over Kaleb found a spot for a power supply.
He couldn¡¯t see a visor or anything on the helmet though. He put it on, finding it a snug fit, and he discovered that he had a near perfect field of view. The helmet didn¡¯t obscure his vision at all. In fact, it seemed like the whole front of the helmet was some kind of see-through metal. Kaleb gave the front of the helmet a few taps before he shrugged his shoulders and followed Shaggy.
Shaggy glanced back at him a few times but otherwise the werewolf dutifully carried his load of arms to the truck. Once off-loaded the werewolf turned to Kaleb questioningly. Kaleb just shrugged and waved his arms around, gesturing to the massive piles of tech.
¡°Your turn.¡± Kaleb¡¯s voice came out muffled from under the mask. ¡°Find something interesting and we¡¯ll load it up.¡±
Shaggy looked dubious as he walked off in a random direction. Kaleb followed closely behind and kept a lookout for the odd piece of tech he could fit in his pocket or the big on his thigh. He found a few power sockets and few bits of tech, but nothing too world changing. Shaggy moved at a brisk pace only glancing at a pile a few seconds before moving on. Every once in a while he would ask Kaleb a question.
¡°So can you make swords?¡±
¡°Made a few low grade ones early on. But don¡¯t you have claws?¡± Kaleb answered.
¡°Yeah, if I ever get the damn transformation down.¡±
Kaleb picked up a what looked like a socket for a light bulb. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. After the first full moon I figured the change would be easier.¡±
¡°You changed during the full moon?¡±
¡°Yep, can¡¯t remember a damn thing about it though. Woke up in a field next to a dead cow in Bluff Springs.¡± Shaggy said dejectedly.
Kaleb grabbed more random tech and offered his own thoughts. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s tied to emotion?¡±
Shaggy shook his head as he scanned another pile. ¡°Tried that. Trust me, I got pissed. Didn¡¯t even grow hairy.¡±
¡°So how did you shift before your attempted mugging?¡±
¡°I wanted to look scary, I was almost there. But I got annoyed at that damn bitch for not letting go of her purse.¡±
Kaleb had a thought. ¡°Have you tried trying to shift outside of combat? When your nice and calm?¡±
¡°What good would that be? I can only wolf out when I¡¯m calm? That be a bitch in a fight.¡± Shaggy griped.
¡°Well, you tried emotions. Maybe it¡¯s like a zen thing, you know? No emotions, just picture your hand as a claw.¡± Kaleb said.
Shaggy wobbled his head from side to side as he groaned. ¡°I guess that makes sense. But I was looking for a more aggressive werewolf. Not some kinda zen-monk werewolf.¡±
Kaleb shrugged his shoulders and let the conversation drop. Shaggy kept moving between the mounds of junk. He would scan a mound and move on until finally he seemed to find something he was looking for. He bent over a large mound and reached for something slightly under the top layer of junk. Yanking hard, Shaggy pulled a small, short-nosed Bullpup rifle.
Kaleb gave the weapon a once over. Overall, it seemed to be in good shape. The barrel was slightly bent, and it didn¡¯t have a magazine. But otherwise it looked serviceable. Kaleb glanced at Shaggy who seemed to beam happily at his prize. He caught eyes with Kaleb and raised the weapon happily.
¡°What do you think?¡±
¡°It will take some work.¡± Kaleb said honestly. ¡°Are you looking for a ballistic rifle or would you be happy with a conversion to an energy weapon?¡±
¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Shaggy asked.
¡°Ammo, mainly. I could convert it into an energy weapon but it might overheat and warp the gun. Or I can machine a magazine and you will just have to find somewhere to buy ammo.¡± Kaleb explained.
¡°Well, let¡¯s stick to the second one for now. I know a guy who can get me some ammo. But do you think you can fix it up?¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Sure. Piece of cake.¡±
Shaggy smiled happily and walked back to the truck. Gun clutched in his hand. As they made their way back Kaleb reminded Shaggy to be on the lookout for more stuff. So they continued to scan the nearby mounds of junk. They were almost back to the truck when Daivor flew over a nearby mound and flew straight for them. The small Gnome looked annoyed as he came to a stop in front of Kaleb¡¯s masked face.
¡°You will not believe who is back.¡±
Kaleb eyes widened as he asked. ¡°The fucking cat lady?¡±
Daivor nodded. ¡°Yep. Her and four guys are coming from the north. There¡¯s a big elevator that travels the entire length of the cavern.¡±
¡°Who¡¯s cat lady?¡± Shaggy asked.
¡°K-Tech security.¡± Kaleb explained as he walked faster. ¡°She chased us out last time we were here. They must be checking on the missing gate guard. We need to get to the others and get out of here.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Shaggy asked, keeping up with Kaleb. ¡°She sounds like fun. Let¡¯s just kick their asses and keep looting.¡±
Kaleb smiled at the werewolf¡¯s optimism. ¡°We can¡¯t, because then K-Tech will step up security in this dump site. We need to get out and get out fast.¡±
¡°Oh, come on! We can find you a new dump site. The boys would like a nice rumble, the mission is going too easy.¡± Shaggy whined.
Kaleb just shook his head as they moved closer to the truck. As they passed a mound and entered where they had parked, Slink ran up to them. The teen looked sweaty and panted like he had just run a marathon.
¡°Trouble.¡± Slink gasped out.
¡°We know.¡± Kaleb interjected. ¡°Security from the north.¡±
Slink shake his head rapidly, looking confused. ¡°North? No, I wanted to warn you about the group of Phreaks coming from the gate we came through. They must have a tracker on the truck man. There¡¯s like thirty, man! We¡¯re fucked!¡±
Kaleb turned to Shaggy. Seeing a wide smile on the werewolf¡¯s face, Kaleb guessed that they were both thinking the same thing. Removing the silver helmet from his head, he showed Shaggy the same smile. They would not know what hit them.
Chapter 91 - Ass Kicking
Shaggy and Kaleb warned Ren and the rest of the rhinos while Daivor kept an eye on the oncoming K-Tech security. Slink had one of his snakes monitor the Phreaks. They all moved away from the parked dumpster truck and deeper into the stacks of garbage. Vlad had recovered from his blood-drunkenness and followed along behind although he still seemed a little woozy.
¡°So vhat¡¯s the plan again?¡± Vlad asked.
¡°Simple: We hide out here for a bit and let the Phreaks and K-Tech security rip each other a new one.¡± Kaleb said as he squatted down near a pile of junk and looked up for Daivor.
The soft blue glow of Daivor¡¯s floating chariot zigzagged through the air. He was floating high over the dump site. Kaleb tried to use the glow to get a good idea of where K-Tech security was. Unfortunately, there was no real way to tell with the Gnome zipping around up there. Slink, however, seemed to be in telepathic communication with his snake.
¡°The Phreaks have found the truck and boy are they pissed.¡± Slink said.
¡°Your lawn ornament tell you anything about the screws?¡± Shaggy asked.
Kaleb rolled his eyes and shook his head. ¡°Builder Gnome and he can¡¯t exactly talk right now.¡± Kaleb pointed up at the blue glow.
Shaggy squinted up at the glow. ¡°I meant to ask: What¡¯s the deal with that guy?¡±
Kaleb smiled. ¡°Daivor is one of two companions I¡¯ve gotten in the game. He gives some good bonuses while crafting. Plus, he is a wealth of knowledge.¡±
Ren and the others all looked up at the blue glow as Daivor dove closer to them. As he drew near, Kaleb could see that the Gnome was still smoking his pipe. Daivor pulled out of his dive and came to a stop in front of Kaleb and the others. Tapping the ash from his pipe, Daivor leaned in to speak to Kaleb.
¡°That cat-lady is spreading out her troops to create a kill-zone. She seems aware of the Phreaks, but they don¡¯t seem to know about her or her men.¡±
Kaleb let the others know what Daivor had said. Slink snorted after Kaleb finished explaining. ¡°She is willing to attack them?!¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Oh yeah, and they will probably kick their asses. We are talking about a heavily armed, highly trained group of troops vs a street gang.¡±
¡°Still¡¡± Slink said.
Vlad sway uneasily as he crouched down. ¡°50 credits on the troops.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll take that action.¡± Shaggy said excitedly.
¡°I¡¯m in too.¡± Ren said as the other rhino¡¯s raised their hands.
The group save for Kaleb turned to Slink waiting for him to throw in a bet. Slink seemed to be engaged in silent communication with his snake. When he came out of it, he excitedly yelped.
¡°Ha! They know about the troops. 50 on the gang.¡±
¡°Oh, come on! That can¡¯t be fair.¡± Vlad said angrily
¡°No backing out now, Vamps. Slink give us the play-by-play!¡± Shaggy said chuckling.
Kaleb sat nearby with Daivor hovering around him. The Gnome repacked and relighted his pipe as they listened to Slink explain what was happening a few dunes of garbage over. Apparently one of the bunny-eared Phreaks had heard movement from one of cat-lady¡¯s troops. They were now moving as a group toward the sound of the noise.
¡°Bad move.¡± Kaleb mumbled.
¡°Really?¡± Vlad asked worriedly.
The others all looked over at Kaleb. ¡°Hey, you didn¡¯t bet. No comments unless you''re willing to put money down.¡± Shaggy said.
Kaleb ignored him. ¡°You have thirty guys all heading one direction. What¡¯s the cat lady and the rest of her guys doing.¡±
Slink hissed as soon as Kaleb stopped speaking. ¡°His right. The other troops are moving toward the back of the mob of Phreaks. They are about to take out the¡¡± Slink cut himself off as he hissed again. ¡°stragglers.¡±
Slink described how the K-Tech¡¯s security started systematically and quietly take out the Phreaks. Kaleb knew eventually it would devolve into an all-out brawl. But K-Tech security would deal with as many of the Phreaks as they could first. He only hoped that the Phreaks would do enough damage to the security troop. Or at least that the cat-lady wouldn¡¯t call for more backup.
Speaking of which. Kaleb thought. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s the black cat lady?¡±
Slink paused his description of events to talk to his snake again. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know. She was with the troops for a bit there but now she¡¯s gone.¡±
¡°Shit! Daivor?¡± Kaleb said.
¡°On it, boss.¡± Daivor responded before flying up in his chariot.
¡°Worried about one little NPC?¡± Shaggy asked.
¡°I think she is head of the security team down here. She seemed powerful the last time I met her.¡± Kaleb explained as he watched Daivor zip this way and that above them.
Slink glanced over at him as he tried to concentrate on his snake. ¡°So let¡¯s just kill her and be done with her.¡±
¡°Well, if we do that then they will lock this place down and K-Tech will probably double security. It has to look like the Phreaks raided the dump site and injured the security team.¡±
Shaggy sniffed. ¡°Injured, but not kill, huh?¡±
¡°Not if we can avoid it.¡± Kaleb answered.
Shaggy said something in response but Kaleb ignored him as he glanced up to see Daivor rushing back toward them. The Gnome seemed to be waving his arms frantically. Kaleb glanced all over expecting that the cat-woman was close but he couldn¡¯t see her. However, soon an ominous purring sound came from the above him. Looking up Kaleb saw the bright yellow eyes of the K-Tech cat-lady.
Kaleb¡¯s movement caught everyone¡¯s attention, and they all glanced upward. The cat-woman stopped purring and spoke in a soft voice.
¡°I thought I smelled a little puppy.¡±
Before Kaleb or anyone else could react, she darted down the junk pile. She was a black missile as she ran down and slammed heavily into Shaggy. The werewolf yelped in surprise and grabbed her claws as she tried to claw at his face. Kaleb rose from his crouch and drew both his Cybar and Sun Gun. But before he could get a shot off, Vlad flitted forward and yanked the cat-woman off of Shaggy.
The woman yowled in surprise as she was lifted bodily and tossed aside. Kaleb smiled until he watched her shoulder roll out of the throw and get back to her feet. All three Rhino-men charged as Vlad went to check on Shaggy. Kaleb momentarily took his eyes off the fight to slam on his new silver helmet. On top of the added protection, it also hid his identity somewhat. Turning back to the fight, Kaleb swallowed hard as he watched the cat-woman climb up the body of a rhino-man and use his own horn as leverage to snap his neck.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Ren and the other rhino-man bellowed in anger as the simultaneously swung Kaleb¡¯s tiger claws at her. Kaleb saw the knifes dig into the armor she was wearing but he couldn¡¯t see any blood. He moved forward waiting for a shot. The cat-woman dodged a large swing from Ren and slammed her hands into his back sending him tripping into the other rhino. They both slammed into a nearby junk mountain and were buried under an avalanche junk.
Kaleb opened fire and watched the red blast of fire and the yellow energy collide into the cat-lady¡¯s chest. But the energy smacked into her chest armor and seemed to dissipate. It looked like it spread out the energy through her armor until it disappeared. Oh, I¡¯m stealing that armor. Kaleb thought as the cat-woman turned to him and stalked toward him. Luckily, Vlad and Shaggy rushed her at the same time.
Shaggy lunged at her as Vlad did that weird flitting thing again. Kaleb holstered both his guns and drew his Magic Gun. Meanwhile, Shaggy was losing a fight with the cat-lady as she kept moving to keep him in the way of Vlad. Kaleb focused his Mana into the gun and took aim, waiting for his shot. But she was just playing with Shaggy and Vlad. He wouldn¡¯t get a shot unless he did something.
¡°Line of Fire!¡± Kaleb shouted as he pulled the trigger.
Shaggy dove to the side at Kaleb¡¯s warning. But Vlad just stopped, directly in the path of Kaleb¡¯s lightning shot. Blue electricity slammed into Vlad¡¯s back and the mutant vampire froze up. The cat-lady grinned a wide smile and grabbed Vlad by his waist and casually tossed him aside. Kaleb charged his gun again. But, before he knew it she was in front of him and grabbing his wrist.
Kaleb blinked and suddenly he was on his back looking up at the panther-like face of his assailant. Nearby Shaggy rolled to his feet and charged back into the fight. Kaleb moved to stand and help, but she wrapped one hand around Kaleb¡¯s neck and jammed her other hand into Shaggy¡¯s throat. The werewolf choked and spluttered as he tried to catch his breath.
It surprised Kaleb at the strength of the cat-woman¡¯s grip. She had an arm like a steel bar. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t seem too concerned about Kaleb at the moment. Instead, she watched Shaggy with a strangely pleased look on her face. Shaggy still coughing, swung wildly at their attacker. But that just seemed to amuse her more.
¡°What¡¯s a matter little pup? Can¡¯t control your shift?¡± Cat-lady said in her soft voice as she smiled at Shaggy.
Kaleb reached up with his metal arm and slammed his metal fist into the crook of cat-woman¡¯s arm. The blow took the woman by surprise and Kaleb¡¯s helmeted head rocked forward and into her face. She let out another screech of surprise and annoyance, but her grip remained firm. In fact, her grip on his throat got tighter, and she glanced down at him angrily.
Oh great, we¡¯re back to being strangled. I¡¯m going to shoot her in the face. Kaleb thought to himself as his vision narrowed and he raised his metal arm again. This time he pointed his Spike Launcher up at her face and fired. Unfortunately as he fired, she batted his arm away with her other hand. The spike flew out and up, clipping the cat-lady¡¯s face and long gout of red blood poured from a large scrape above her eye.
She yowled in pain and surprise again looking at Kaleb pissed. Great, now she will squeeze harder. Yep, there she goes. Kaleb thought as he tried to fire another Spike, but she still had a firm grip on his metal arm. Suddenly, several things happened at once.
Shaggy¡¯s hands formed into claws and he lunged forward, Cat-lady released Kaleb¡¯s arm, and Vlad popped up behind the woman and bit down. Kaleb lurched backwards into Shaggy¡¯s legs tripping them both. The cat-lady struggled for a little, but soon her strength seemed to leave her completely. She collapsed backwards taking Vlad with her into the dirt.
Kaleb untangled himself from Shaggy¡¯s and rushed over to where Vlad was feeding on her neck. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare kill her! That¡¯s a headache we do not need right now.¡±
¡°Are you serious!¡± Shaggy screamed. ¡°She was kicking our asses, dude! Fuck her! Drain the bitch, Vlad!¡±
Kaleb glanced down to see that even Vlad¡¯s eyes were wide with incredulity. ¡°Vlad you kill her and we can¡¯t use this site anymore. No more dump site means no more materials for equipment. Drink your fill, but don¡¯t kill her.¡±
Vlad¡¯s eyes scrunched up in annoyance but eventually he opened his mouth and let his fangs shrink. Blood dripped down his chin again as he lay there mumbling, fake accent gone.
¡°Fine, but seriously, she is like worth 150 points and it¡¯s still going up.¡± Vlad went back to sucking at her neck after saying his piece.
Kaleb sighed as Shaggy grumbled to himself. Kaleb looked around for a bit confused. ¡°Where the hell is Slink?¡±
Shaggy shrugged as he looked down at his, now human, hands. ¡°I do not know. Little shit better not have run off.¡±
Kaleb nodded in agreement. One of the nearby junk piles shook and soon Ren and the remaining rhino-man excavated themselves from the avalanche of junk that had submerged them. Kaleb kept an eye on Vlad as Shaggy moved off to find Slink. Kaleb had to talk down the NPC rhino-man from smashing the prone cat-lady. Eventually though, everyone calmed down and the only sound was Vlad noisily drinking.
Soon Shaggy gave a shout. ¡°Ha! There you are, you little weasel.¡±
Shaggy had reached behind a pile of junk and pulled the tiny teen out. Slink looked more annoyed than scared. Shaggy dropped the teen onto the dirt and stood over him.
¡°Care to explain?¡± Shaggy asked placing his hands on his hips.
¡°What?!¡± Slink whined. ¡°You guys had it. You didn¡¯t need me.¡±
¡°Well, thanks for making things easier for us.¡± Kaleb said sarcastically as he turned to study Vlad. ¡°Hey! You''re not on a date! Wrap it up, Lugosi!¡±
Vlad grumbled annoyed, but he stopped feeding and wiggled out from under the black-armored cat-lady. Seeing the armor, Kaleb remembered his thoughts about taking it. Turning to Slink he asked.
¡°Are you still in contact with your snake?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a snake and yes, I can¡¯t just turn it off!¡± Slink whined.
Kaleb stared at Slink and when the teen offered no more information, he prompted. ¡°And?!¡±
¡°And what?¡± Slink asked confused.
¡°And hows the fight going, dumb-ass!¡± Shaggy yelled smacking Slink in the back of the head.
Slink grumbled and went into a trance-like state to talk to his snake. ¡°The Phreaks are on the run. Two of the security troop are down and they injured another one.¡±
*Hiccup!* Vlad hiccuped loudly and stumbled to get back to his feet.
Once up on his two feet, Vlad was back to being completely drunk on the blood of his victim. Kaleb sighed and tried to think of a plan of action. He wanted the K-Tech armor, but he wasn¡¯t sure how long the dangerous cat-woman would be unconscious. Turning to Shaggy and Slink, Kaleb said.
¡°Slink, why don¡¯t you show everyone else here where the other K-Tech security team is. Their armor seems like some high-end gear. I¡¯ll stay here with Vlad and see how long this bitch will be out.¡±
Shaggy shrugged. ¡°Whatever you say. Maybe we can have a proper fight where we don¡¯t have our asses handed to us.¡±
Slink looked ready to complain, but Shaggy dragged him away. The two rhino-men followed, both looked pissed at having missed the fight. Kaleb moved over to check on Vlad who was just standing and swaying on the spot. Kaleb waved his hand in front of the glasses-eyed vampire.
¡°Yo! You doing ok there, Vlad?¡±
Vlad shook his head and stared up at Kaleb. ¡°That blood was gooooood, man.¡±
¡°That¡¯s great, Vlad. How about you tell me how long your victims remain unconscious?¡±
¡°Um, forever? Drain them dry, man.¡± Vlad slurred through blood-red lips.
Kaleb rolled his eyes. ¡°And the ones you don¡¯t drain dry?¡±
Vlad groaned and swayed faster on the spot. ¡°I don¡¯t know, man. A few hours?¡±
Kaleb sighed loudly. ¡°Great, good to know you¡¯reon top of that.¡±
Kaleb left the inebriated vampire alone and focused on the collecting the K-Tech armor. He helped Vlad sit down next to another pile of junk and then moved over to prone form of the cat-lady. He checked over the black armor a few times before he removed the armor and set it in a pile to the side.
Chapter 92 - Vampires and Tinsel
Kaleb leaned the cat-woman on her side as he pulled off the last vestiges of her armor. Underneath she was wearing black jeans and a black shirt. How inventive. Kaleb thought sarcastically as he noticed the black of her shirt and pants was the same color of her fur. I wonder what her favorite color is. Kaleb shook his head as he moved away from her body and laid the armor out on the ground.
Like his own armor, they sectioned the K-Tech armor into several parts. A chest piece, shoulder and forearm pieces, and armor for the upper thighs. The metal was thin, machine made, and very tough. The long scratch marks the group¡¯s claws had made didn¡¯t fully penetrate the armor at all, leaving only large gouges in the metal. They padded the interior of the armor save for a small section in one forearm.
That piece had two strips of thin technology ran down the length of the forearm. Kaleb examined the piece of armor and found a touch display along the top. A quick test of some functions and Kaleb found that the armor monitored the health of the wearer. It also contained a small digital map of the area¡ and a radio.
¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!¡± Kaleb said as he moved back to the cat-lady¡¯s head and searched for an earpiece.
Vlad seemed to rouse at Kaleb¡¯s tone, but he soon settled back into his stupor. Kaleb quickly found a small black earpiece fitted into the cat-woman¡¯s ear. Holding it up to his own ear, Kaleb could hear the sounds of two people chattering on the line.
¡°Where¡¯s the captain?¡±
¡°Fuck! I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s not on comms.¡±
¡°Shit! It looks like the acid ate through your armor.¡±
¡°No shit!¡±
¡°But, looks like we got most off. We just need to get back to the lift and get reinforcements. Can you walk?¡±
¡°I think so. But I think we are okay. The last of those fuckers took off when Contar went nuts with his heat vision.¡±
¡°Poor bastard.¡±
¡°Okay. I¡¯m ready. Lets ge-¡± ¡°Shit! Did you hear that?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t hear a thing.¡±
¡°It was a¨CINCOMING! It¡¯s a Perinadon!¡±
Kaleb heard a loud thudding noise over the earpiece and the sounds of an energy weapon firing. Kaleb moved the comm away from his ear and breathed a sigh of relief. It sounded like they were on a squad wide channel only. Kaleb pocketed the earpiece and went back to looking over the armor. He found a mic embedded in the chest armor and what looked to be several tracking devices embedded in the armor''s lining.
Once he finished he looked up to see Daivor floating nearby looking over the armor. ¡°Not bad work. Metal¡¯s non-terrestrial, so I can¡¯t really judge its qualities, But it stopped the claws pretty effectively.¡±
¡°And my guns. It seemed to soak up the energy from both of my weapons.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°I saw. Think you should kill the power on it in case they can track the armor?¡± Daivor asked.
¡°I already found a couple of trackers.¡±
Daivor rubbed his beard. ¡°Yeah, but better safe than sorry. You should send a surge of Mana through it to kill any trackers you missed and pull the plug on whatever is powering the minicomputer.¡±
Kaleb just nodded as he did what the Gnome advised. He focused about 30 points of Mana through the separate armor pieces and pulled the small, slim, battery-like power supply that was in the forearm piece. Nearby Kaleb heard movement and glanced up to see Vlad shaking his head and standing.
¡°Is that gibberish the mini-elf talking?¡± Vlad asked with his regular voice.
¡°ELF!¡± Daivor yelled angrily.
¡°Gnome.¡± Kaleb corrected as he nodded. ¡°You should cut down the time on that blood-drunkenness or whatever that is.¡±
Vlad nodded and stretched. ¡°Mmmmm, yeah. But I figured power and speed would be more helpful in the early game. Plus the more powerful the enemy, the longer it lasts. She gave me like 250 points, dude! That is more than I¡¯ve gotten from any single normal NPC.¡±
¡°Grats.¡± Kaleb said doing his best to pick the pieces of armor. ¡°Any idea how long she¡¯ll be out?¡±
¡°Depends on how willful she is. But once she gets up, it will wipe the last hour of her memory.¡± Vlad explained.
¡°That¡¯s helpful.¡± Kaleb said.
Vlad smiled. ¡°One of the many ways the vampire is a mysterious predator of the night. I can increase the length of the memory loss with points, but I never saw the need.¡±
Kaleb glanced down at the cat-woman before he started walking back to the dumpster truck. ¡°Huh, get that stupor thing fixed, and you¡¯d make a great thief. Break in, drink a little blood, steal some shit, and no one will remember you were there.¡±
Vlad followed Kaleb giving Daivor a wide berth as the Gnome was still staring daggers at the pale man. Vlad seemed to think on Kaleb¡¯s words for a few steps before he shook his head.
¡°Nah, the strength and the speed are what I wanted. Plus the mythos of the vampires has always interested me. But I should spend some points on the blood stupor. That shit¡¯s gonna get me in trouble.¡±
¡°They arrested you.¡± Kaleb reminded Vlad.
¡°Yeah. But the first tier is 100 points. It seemed like a pain in the ass. I figured I could just get a good group to watch my back after I fed.¡± Vlad explained.
¡°A good group? Of players playing villains in a super hero game?¡± Kaleb asked as he walked around a pile of junk and saw the dumpster truck.
¡°Sure, when you say it like that it sounds crazy.¡± Vlad laughed.
Kaleb just shook his head and picked up his speed. Once at the truck in threw in the black armor pieces and looked around. A few of the Phreaks were laying dead in the dirt. Someone burned a few Phreaks beyond recognition, others had weird branch like stakes sticking out of their bodies, and others were just plain shot. Vlad glanced around the battlefield before he sniffed and shook his head.
¡°Doesn¡¯t look like they left any alive.¡±
¡°Hoping for a snack?¡± Kaleb asked as he examined a nearby pile.
Vlad laughed again. ¡°I just bought an ability that allows me to smell prey. I wanted to test it out. All I got was you. The Gnome doesn¡¯t even count as a juice box.¡±
Daivor puffed on his pipe angrily. ¡°Just you try it, jackass.¡±
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Kaleb snickered before he looked back up at Daivor. ¡°Did you find anything useful? I got the mechanical arms we saw.¡±
Daivor shrugged his shoulders and pointed with his pipe. ¡°I wanted to grab more repulsors and there is a large pile off in that direction.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Why don¡¯t you lead Vlad to where they are and I¡¯ll stay here and deal the armor from the other K-Tech guys.¡±
Daivor begrudgingly nodded but Vlad complain. ¡°Why do I have to follow the flying lawn decoration?¡±
¡°Because you are the one with the strength and speed. Just follow him to the pile he leads you to and grab as many repulsors as you can carry.¡±
¡°What¡¯s a repulsor?¡± Vlad asked.
¡°Blue disk thing. On the bottom of Daivor¡¯s chariot.¡± Kaleb said as Daivor leaned his chariot back showing off the repulsor on the underside.
Vlad looked at the small device before he shrugged his shoulders and waved a hand at Daivor. ¡°Well after you, you floating chimney.¡±
Daivor just blew another large puff of smoke and flew off. Vlad flitted away after the small flying Gnome. Kaleb went back to digging through a nearby junk pile and kept an ear out for any surprises. It was a few minutes of quiet digging before he heard footsteps approaching. Looking up, he saw Shaggy and the rhino-men walking toward him. Ren and the other rhino-man were carrying the bodies of the four other troops.
¡°They dead?¡± Kaleb asked standing up and brushing dirt off his knees.
¡°The ones the Phreaks killed, yes. But the other two were just knocked out. Although Ren and Tinsel might have broken a few bones.¡± Shaggy said dropping a pair of energy rifles on the ground.
Kaleb flinched as the guns hit the ground. ¡°That¡¯s a good way to set off a weapon, and Tinsel?¡±
¡°Yeah!¡± Said the second rhino in a deep loud voice, sounding a little angry.
Kaleb nodded his head. ¡°Okay then. So I will strip these guys if y¡¯all want to get back to loading the truck.¡±
¡°You that lonely, dude?¡± Shaggy asked chuckling.
¡°What?¡± Kaleb asked before his mind caught up with the joke. ¡°No, damn it! Stripping them of their armor. Where¡¯s Slink.¡±
Ren snorted. ¡°Dumb ass took one of those energy blasts to the face. He is probably wandering through Deathville right now.¡±
Kaleb sent a pulse of his magic through the armor of one of the dead troopers as he asked. ¡°Deathville?¡±
Shaggy put one rifle to his shoulder and stared down the sights. ¡°You don¡¯t read the forums much, do you?¡±
Kaleb shook his head as he removed the armors power supply. ¡°Not really. I like to discover the world while I¡¯m in it. Forums can contain too many spoilers.¡±
Shaggy pulled the trigger on the rifle and three tiny green balls flew out of the barrel in rapid succession. The junk pile he was aiming at had a perfect hole burned deep into it. ¡°I¡¯m keeping this. Deathville is what players are calling the world where non-HLO players go when they die.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a pain in the ass.¡± Said Ren as he stopped helping Tinsel load the truck. ¡°It¡¯s this weird black and white city with its own NPCs. But none of your powers or equipment will work right while you are there. You have to find your way out and sometimes that''s easy and sometimes it''s freaking stupid.¡±
Shaggy nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Yeah, my first trip there I had to chase down this ghost-wraith-thing. Once I caught it I found myself in an alley in Downtown Austin. Shit was weird.¡±
Kaleb threw the set of armor into the back of the truck and started work on another trooper. ¡°Your first time there? Was there a second?¡±
¡°Yes! And it made just as much sense.¡± Shaggy said using the rifle''s strap to sling it around his shoulder. ¡°I was ready to look for the ghost-thing again but this time I appeared in a locked windowless room. I had to find a way out. Took me hours.¡±
Tinsel kept working, oblivious to their conversation as Ren moved closer and mumbled. ¡°There¡¯s a rumor on the boards that AGE is using old psychological tests as puzzles for the death world. It¡¯s really weird.¡±
Kaleb mulled that over in his mind for a while as he worked. It was interesting for sure, but he had no plans on visiting Deathville anytime soon. Ren and Tinsel shifted pieces of junk into the dumpster truck and Shaggy played guard with his new energy rifle. Kaleb removed all the armor and communication gear from the K-Tech security team, save for one melted thigh piece. Afterward he grabbed anything interesting from nearby piles he could find until Vlad and Daivor returned.
The vampire had a grumpy look on his face as Daivor flew around just over his head. But Vlad was carrying a good number of repulsors, each a different size. After he had dropped off what he was carrying into the truck, Vlad moved to Kaleb and whispered.
¡°Your damn Gnome is picky as hell. I couldn¡¯t just grab any old thingy, noooo. I had to grab the ones he specifically pointed out.¡± Vlad complain.
Kaleb just shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Eh, I trust him. If he wanted you to grab certain parts and pieces, it was probably for a good reason.¡±
¡°No.¡± Daivor said from nearby blowing out another smoke ring. ¡°I was just fucking with him.¡±
Kaleb did his best to not burst out laughing at Daivor¡¯s admission. Luckily Shaggy saved him, the werewolf moved over to Vlad and threw an arm around his shoulder. He forcibly steered the vampire over to the second rifle that was still on the dirt floor of the junkyard.
¡°Me and the others decided that since you won the bet, you can take this energy rifle.¡± Shaggy said proudly.
Vlad adopted his weird accent again and asked. ¡°Vhy vould I vant a peasant veapon such as this?¡±
¡°Well, Slink¡¯s dead, Ren doesn¡¯t have 50 credits on him, Tinsel said he is not paying, and I¡¯m not covering for everyone else. It was 250 credits, the rifle is worth way more than that, just take the equipment and call it good, Vamps.¡± Shaggy explained.
Vlad shook his head. ¡°Just give me the money. The lizard can have the veapon.¡±
Shaggy frowned, but Kaleb shook his head, saying. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the value of a good ranged weapon. Some things can¡¯t be done with just your fist or in your case claws. This is already turning out to be a good haul for me, anyway. Take it and consider it a bonus. You all can settle your bet later.¡±
Vlad seemed to ponder it for a few seconds before he bent over and picked up the weapon. But as soon as he picked it up he walked it over to Kaleb.
¡°Fix it up for me?¡± Vlad said smiling.
Kaleb study the short rifle. It would be a good way to see how K-Tech made their guns. Kaleb reached out and took the rifle slinging it over his shoulder. ¡°Sure, I can look at it. I¡¯ll hand it off the next time I¡¯m in Under-Town.¡±
¡°You getting chummy with more criminals, professor?¡± Shaggy grinned still playing with his own rifle.
¡°Helping my clan. We kicked the Faceless out of the north and we¡¯re setting up shop.¡± Kaleb bragged.
¡°Oh, so you already have your own little empire, huh?¡± Shaggy grinned.
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°Nope, that¡¯s all the Brute Clan. I¡¯m just helping.¡±
Kaleb explained about his misadventures with the Brute Clan and what they had gone through. Vlad listened politely, but Ren and Tinsel kept mindlessly working, and Shaggy pretended to not be listening, but Kaleb was sure the werewolf had his ears open. It didn¡¯t take that much longer for them to fill the back of the truck as they worked and chatted. Daivor and Kaleb even found several decent looking pieces of equipment. Kaleb was sure he could do a lot with the stuff that he found.
¡°Ve good to go, doc?¡± Vlad asked as they moved around the truck.
Kaleb nodded rapidly. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to push it with the crazy cat-lady about to wake up at any moment.¡±
Ren and Tinsel wordlessly got onto the sides of the truck while Shaggy, Vlad and Kaleb got in the cab. Vlad powered up the truck, and they hovered slightly higher. The vampire grimaced as he struggled with the wheel while turning the truck. Even Kaleb could feel how heavy they were now.
¡°Ve are not light, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Vlad said as they made their way to the exit.
Kaleb and Shaggy just nodded as they kept their eyes out the window for any threats. Luckily the ride out was a smooth one. We only lost two. Kaleb thought as they made their way into the dark tunnel. Vlad tapped the steering wheel of the truck for a few seconds before he suddenly stopped and turned to Kaleb and Shaggy.
¡°I have to ask.¡± Vlad said dropping his accent again. ¡°That fucking rhino¡¯s name is Tinsel?¡±
Chapter 93 - Burning Bridges
The ride through the tunnel was uneventful, after a long ride they arrived at Under-Town. Kaleb paid and dropped off Vlad and the others while he and Shaggy took the dumpster truck to the surface. It took some explaining, but Kaleb just didn¡¯t want another group of players know the location of his and his friend¡¯s lair. It was also his way of showing a little trust in Shaggy. As the two of them followed a map to one of the vehicle exits, Kaleb asked.
¡°Is Slink going to make a fuss about being killed?¡±
Shaggy shrugged his shoulders as he drove. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The kid may whine a bit and try to get some equipment off you. But it won¡¯t be that bad.¡±
¡°Yeah, I can see that. What about the rest of you? What are you all going to be doing?¡± Kaleb asked genuinely curious.
¡°Not real sure. Tinsel said he would be down for any more work we could find for him. Me and Ren got an affinity of Friendly with him. Did you?¡±
¡°No, but I didn¡¯t really spend much time with him, neither did Vlad.¡±
¡°Guess that makes sense.¡± Shaggy said turning the truck around a small corner. ¡°What are you doing after this?¡±
¡°Sleeping.¡± Kaleb said smiling. ¡°After that, I have to inventory everything we got and see what I can make for it. Thanks to Ren and Tinsel I should have more than enough spare metal. The real trick is specialized equipment.¡±
¡°Like what?¡±
Kaleb scratched his head in thought. ¡°Like an actual smelter or forge, decent communications equipment, computers, things like that.¡±
Shaggy grinned. ¡°You know, there is an easier way to get those things. There¡¯s a computer store a few blocks from where the tunnel lets out.¡±
¡°I¡¯m trying to avoid overt theft from legal stores.¡±
¡°HA! But you''re more than ok with stealing from a massive corporation?¡±
Kaleb shifted in his seat. ¡°Hey, we stole their junk. Nothing wrong with that. It¡¯s not our fault their security forces extort prices from criminal gangs to shop there. We just circumvented all that.¡±
¡°So stealing from criminals is fine?¡± Shaggy said thoughtfully.
Kaleb nodded. ¡°I think at this point it¡¯s almost mandatory for me. Got to fund me vigilantism somehow and who better to help me than some local criminals.¡±
¡°I think we can help you there.¡± Shaggy said glancing over at Kaleb.
¡°Haha, I was hoping you would say that. Just don¡¯t mess with the Brute Clan or the Quinica and we¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Shaggy nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fair. But make us that equipment you promised, keep making us credits, and keep Vlad full of blood. He really got a massive boost from that cat-woman.¡±
¡°Yeah, he told me. But, how does that work for you and Ren?¡±
Shaggy shook his head. ¡°No idea about Ren, I think he is an Alien. But for me, I gain Evolution points when I¡¯m using my werewolf abilities in combat.¡±
Kaleb smacked his forehead with his hand. ¡°That¡¯s right you¡¯re a Mutant. I forgot about that.¡±
¡°Yeah, but something cool happened when we fought that cat bitch.¡± Shaggy intoned.
¡°You mean when you partially transformed your hands?¡±
¡°Yeah, after the fight was over I got a notification saying: Partial Transformation Unlocked. It makes it easier for me to transform parts of my body.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Okay, doesn¡¯t sound to ground breaking.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Shaggy agreed. ¡°But I also got a huge bonus to my stats for unlocking Partial Transformation first. Apparently werewolves should get the full transformation down before they try a partial transformation.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s face scrunched up in confusion. ¡°How were you supposed to know that?¡±
¡°I checked online and apparently there are Natural and Mutant werewolf packs in the game. Normally one is supposed to approach you shortly after you start, but there was a bug and a lot of Therianthropes missed out. Then when they got it patched, I was in prison and then in Under-Town. So I¡¯m expecting a werewolf Sensei to show up any time now.¡± Shaggy explained.
¡°Damn, that sucks. But, hey, you got a decent bonus from their screw up.¡± Kaleb said.
Shaggy nodded saying excitedly. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s so sweet how in-depth they made this game. I mean there¡¯s even a lot of shit going on with the two werewolf factions. Natural werewolves dislike Mutant ones, they call us mutts. They just went so deep with this stuff.¡±
Kaleb just smiled and nodded along as Shaggy explained about how Natural and Mutant wolves differed. He brought up the different factions online players had found and even talked about creating a pack with other players. Kaleb listened happily, glad to see another gamer enjoying a game so much. He had gotten used to players gushing about a game in the early days and even with a few technical hiccups; it looked like MAO was doing fine.
They approached what looked to be a dead-end. But as Shaggy drove closer, the wall of dirt in front of them slid upward. Once they drove through, they found themselves in an underground parking structure. Shaggy followed the arrows on the ground leading up to the main floor of what was a decently sized parking structure. As they moved to the exit, two large wheeled trucks moved to block their way.
Kaleb peered at the drivers of both vehicles as Shaggy looked on confused. ¡°Shit! Back up!¡±
Shaggy threw the large dumpster truck into reverse asking. ¡°Who are they?¡±
¡°The Quinica.¡± Kaleb said as their truck backed up and turned toward another exit.
¡°I thought they were your friends. Fuck!¡± Shaggy said as another truck moved to block their path.
¡°Eh, friends is a bit much. But that was their tunnel we used to get to their dump site. So they might lay claim to some junk.¡± Kaleb said as he looked down at Daivor who was sleeping on the cab¡¯s large seat.
¡°Wake up!¡± Kaleb said poking Daivor on his side.
Daivor merely grumbled and swatted at his hand. Shaggy tried to move the truck into reverse again but the other trucks had moved to block them in. A crisp voice echoed loudly throughout the parking garage.
¡°Hallo, mein Freund der Eidechse. May I have a word?¡±
Kaleb head snapped up at the sound of Blutschl?ger¡¯s voice. The older space vampire was standing by the truck blocking their way to the front. Next to him were three other Quinica, including Deiter. Kaleb could see another three exiting one truck behind him. Shaggy reached down for the rifle he had stolen from the K-Tech security.
¡°I¡¯ve got two on this side.¡± Shaggy said setting his gun on his lap.
¡°Three on this side and four ahead.¡± Kaleb said tapping Daivor on the face.
The Gnome grouchily roused himself as Blutschl?ger shouting again, sounding annoyed. ¡°Please, professor, spare us any attempts at heroics. We just want to talk with you. The help can stay where he is, though.¡±
¡°Help?¡± Shaggy asked angrily. ¡°I¡¯ll show you help, asshole.¡±
Daivor smacked his lips loudly and looked up at Kaleb in annoyance, Kaleb shrugged and whispered. ¡°Can you fly to the hangar and get help?¡±
Daivor activated his chariot and flew above the dashboard to get a look at the situation. ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t know where we are or how far we are from the base. On top of that, no one there can understand me.¡±
Kaleb grit his teeth and glanced around the cab. Soon Blutschl?ger would stop asking and they would be drag them from the car. They had Vlad¡¯s rifle, Kaleb¡¯s guns and Shaggy¡¯s own rifle. Daivor had his chariot but no weapons. They had a truck full of tech but no way to reach it or time to build anything.
Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
¡°I will count down from 10, Professor!¡± Blutschl?ger yelled.
A sudden idea popped into Kaleb¡¯s head and he rummaged in his pockets. As Blutschl?ger counted, Kaleb felt the thin pen-like object in his pocket and passed it to Daivor. ¡°Use that to cut into the truck and find the repulsors. You know what to do with them. I¡¯ll buy us some time.¡±
Shaggy waved his hand at Kaleb as Blutschl?ger got to 7. ¡°Plan?¡±
Kaleb nodded and moved to his door. ¡°Daivor will hand you something. When shit goes south, you throw it and shield your eyes.¡±
Kaleb quickly threw himself from the truck as Blutschl?ger got to 4. Putting his hands up in defeat, the three Quinica on his side rushed him and shoved him toward their leader. Blutschl?ger sighed contentedly and placed both hands on his black cane in front of him. Kaleb was made to stand in front of the shorter man and surrounded by the six other Quinica.
Blutschl?ger shook his head in mock sadness. ¡°Oh Mein Freund, why did you have to steal from me?¡±
Kaleb¡¯s eyes widened in his own mock surprise. ¡°From you? I don¡¯t think I stole from you tonight. I stole from the Phreaks, stole from K-Tech, I might have gotten a steal on some rat burgers earlier tonight. But I did not steal from you.¡±
Deiter hissed at Kaleb angrily, But Kaleb continued to pretend confusion. Blutschl?ger for his part, just shook his head regretfully. He nodded to a Quinica behind Kaleb and Kaleb felt a hard punch smack into his back armor. Surprisingly, the blow wasn¡¯t too bad, but Kaleb squinted in pain and sucked in a breath.
*Cough* ¡°Whoa, Blutschl?ger.¡± Kaleb said, pretending to groan. ¡°You brought the big boys out with you today, huh?¡±
Kaleb could see the smirks on the other Quinica¡¯s faces, But Blutschl?ger just sighed. ¡°Sadly, no. you don¡¯t warrant such attention and the sun will soon be up. So I called upon the younger generation. They haven¡¯t been a part of us for long and they haven¡¯t adjusted to a completely nocturnal lifestyle. Not like poor Deiter here. He gets so angry when he doesn¡¯t get his sleep.¡±
Kaleb glanced into the anger eyes of the tall, bald Quinica. They were blood-shot, and he looked aggravated.
¡°Well, we all need our beauty sleep.¡± Kaleb joked, adding quietly. ¡°Some more than others.¡±
Deiter hissed louder, showing off his large fangs that seemed to lengthen the longer he hissed. Blutschl?ger put a hand on his larger friend¡¯s shoulder saying a few words in German. After he had calmed his friend down, Blutschl?ger turned to Kaleb again and sighed loudly.
¡°Listen, we know of what you did. You stole a truck from those loathsome lab experiments, used OUR tunnel to travel to OUR salvaging grounds, came back and dropped off the hired help and then came to the surface. Now how is that fair to us?¡±
Kaleb pretended to mull it over, playing for time. Another sudden punch to his kidney¡¯s jolted him into speaking. ¡°Well, I was unaware that you had such an arrangement with the K-Tech salvage yard. Seeing how last time we went there you and yours were all chased off.¡±
Blutschl?ger grit his teeth audibly. ¡°That was an oversight. Some jumped up security captain trying to double her bribe. I will deal her with in time. However, that site is ours! It has always been ours! And we will not let some lizard with an inflated ego take and profit from what is ours!¡±
Blutschl?ger had started at a normal volume but by the end he was shouting in Kaleb¡¯s face. Kaleb attempted to look cowed. ¡°Well, I was unaware that was the case. How would you like to solve it?¡±
Blutschl?ger smiled for the first time, nodding amicably. ¡°Good, professor. Now you understand how things will be working. We will take 50% of your salvage.¡±
Kaleb couldn¡¯t help himself as his eyes almost bulged out of his skull. ¡°50!?¡± He shouted in surprise.
Blutschl?ger narrowed his eyes at Kaleb. ¡°Yes, 50% that will our standing going rate whenever we work with you from now on.¡±
Kaleb bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to bargain. ¡°Come on! Give us a break. We almost died tonight. How about 25%?¡±
Blutschl?ger sighed loudly again and placed a hand on Kaleb shoulder, mumbling. ¡°Now it¡¯s 60% and we leave those giant lizard friends of yours alone.¡±
Kaleb stiffened and stared into the grinning face of the old Quinica. There must have been a change in his posture cause the other Quinica seemed to grow extra quiet. Kaleb could almost feel the atmosphere grow much more tense as he leaned forward with his metal hand and placed it on Blutschl?ger¡¯s own shoulder. Matching the older man¡¯s tone Kaleb whispered.
¡°5% and I let you live.¡±
Blutschl?ger¡¯s eyes widened in surprise before the old man laughed loudly in Kaleb¡¯s face. Kaleb just calmly watched and smiled back at the laughing man¡¯s. Blutschl?ger tried to say something multiple times but he couldn¡¯t keep himself from laughing. The other Quinica all stared at them, confused as their boss laughed into Kaleb¡¯s face.
*Honk*
Suddenly a loud honk came from the dumpster truck. Blutschl?ger stopped laughing and looked at a grinning Kaleb. Before the old man could do anything Kaleb shifted his metal arm and fired his Spike Launcher sending a railroad spike into the center of Blutschl?ger¡¯s head. The old man¡¯s head jerked backward from the impact and he crumpled to the parking garage floor. Most of the Quinica stared on shocked, But not Deiter.
¡°AAAAHHHH!¡±
The large space vampire shouted angrily at Kaleb and shoved him hard. The blow lifted Kaleb off his feet and sent him into a younger Quinica, but Kaleb didn¡¯t stop. The force of the blow carried the two of them and sent them careening into a concrete wall. Kaleb moved so fast he didn¡¯t have time to close his eyes from the oncoming repulsor flash grenade.
He heard it go off as he and the unfortunate Quinica slammed into the wall. Luckily for Kaleb the other man cushioned the blow a little. But his metal arm still smacked into his upper body and his head snapped harshly into the wall. Should have kept the helmet on. Kaleb thought as he fell to the floor.
¡°HAHAHAHAHA! Come get some, motherfuckers!¡±
Kaleb snapped out of his stupor to the sound of Shaggy cackling madly over the sounds of his energy rifle firing. Shaking his head and rubbing his ribs over his armor Kaleb stood and took the situation in. Shaggy had left the truck and was wielding an energy rifle in each hand as he cut down the Quinica that had surrounded Kaleb. Deiter however had moved out of the line of fire and was crouched down behind some cars across from Kaleb.
The energy weapons seemed effective against the Quinica. It burned through them leaving large round holes in their bodies. But Kaleb could see that Shaggy wasn¡¯t giving the guns enough time to cool down between shots. They would overheat any minute now.
*HISSSSS*
Sure enough, the sounds of gun firing cut off and was replaced by the sound of the barrels hissing with heat. Shaggy stared down at his guns then looked up at the remaining two Quinica that had somehow survived his onslaught. Dropping the guns Shaggy grinned wide and shrugged his shoulders. Kaleb drew his gun and moved to help the werewolf but Deiter moved too.
The older Quinica made a beeline for Kaleb and tackled him to the ground. Kaleb lifted his metal arm to guard his face as Deiter moved into a mounted position and punched down into Kaleb¡¯s stomach and body. Raising his Sun Gun Kaleb sent two shots into Deiter stomach before the large man swatted at Kaleb¡¯s hand sending the gun flying out of his grip.
Taking more heavy blows to his armored midsection Kaleb switched arms guarding his face and tried to shoot with his other gun. But Deiter was ready for it, as soon as Kaleb tried to switch arms Deiter grabbed onto his lab coat lapels and slammed his head down into Kaleb¡¯s. Kaleb¡¯s head slammed back down hard onto the concrete floor and for a moment he saw stars. Deiter said nothing as he leaned his head back and prepared to headbutt Kaleb again.
Kaleb shook his head to clear it and slammed his metal arm down hard on Dieter¡¯s elbows. The blow brought Dieter¡¯s head closer and Kaleb reached up and poked the man in the eye with his free hand. Deiter howled in pain and Kaleb wriggled out from under him. Once he was back on his feet Kaleb turned and fired his Cybar into Dieter¡¯s body as he clutched at his eye.
Kaleb fired all nine shots into Dieter¡¯s upper body and face. But when he stopped to vent his pistol, he saw that all he had done was leave large red burn marks on Dieter¡¯s body. The large man glared up at Kaleb with murder in his eyes and tried to stand up. Kaleb quickly vented his gun and stomped down on Dieter¡¯s face. The blow caught the man off guard and Kaleb swapped his gun to his free hand.
Kaleb lined up his metal arm with Dieter¡¯s head and fired a spike. The spike jammed itself into the back of Dieter¡¯s head and the man fell to the floor. But to Kaleb¡¯s surprise the large man started to get up again with the black spike sticking out from his skull. Kaleb jolted in surprise and fired another three spikes into Dieter¡¯s head until his Cybar had vented, then he emptied another nine shots into the space vampire.
Kaleb panted loudly as he stood over Dieter¡¯s body. He let his gun vent and waited to see if the big man would move again. Kaleb glanced around real quick to see if Shaggy needed his help. But the werewolf was doing fine. He had crushed the head of one of his adversaries in the wheel well of a nearby car. The other one he had lifted above his head and Shaggy was repeatedly slamming him down on the hood of another car.
Kaleb shook his head in wonder and looked down at Dieter. The pale man had four spikes sticking out of his head and severe burns marks on his skull. Kaleb could just see the white of the other man¡¯s skull. Getting closer and aiming carefully Kaleb put another spike straight into the spot where he could see the skull. The spike jammed down further into the skull and, Kaleb hoped, punctured the bastard¡¯s brain.
Kaleb collected his Sun Gun and looked around. The two Quinica on Shaggy¡¯s side were by his door large holes in their bodies, one was crushed into the wall, and Shaggy had cut the others down with his rifles. The werewolf finished pummeling his opponent and joined Kaleb, panting and smiling widely.
¡°Dude, it is never a dull moment with you around.¡± Shaggy said scratching behind his ear.
Kaleb exhaled loudly and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m lucky like that. But, seriously if these guys had been older they would have killed us.¡±
Shaggy waved him off and went to collect the rifles he had dropped. ¡°Not if these babies had kept working. What the hell happened.¡±
Kaleb snorted and shook his head. ¡°Dude, they overheated. You have to-¡±
*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
¡°HA HA HA HA HA! Du bist gut, kleine Eidechse. Ohhhh, I was not expecting that.¡± Blutschl?ger¡¯s voice echoed from where his body lay.
Kaleb and Shaggy snapped their attention over to where the smaller man¡¯s body had fallen. He was still there, but he had his hands clasp over his stomach. Slowly Blutschl?ger rose to his feet like a vampire rising from his coffin. Kaleb flinched as he stared into the eyes of the older man. They had turned bright red with deep black slit irises, like a cat. As he stood Kaleb watched the spike he had launched into the man¡¯s forehead push its way out and fall to the floor.
¡°You will wish you did not do that.¡± Blutschl?ger said smiling and showing off his growing sharp white fangs.
Chapter 94 - Massive Damage
Kaleb and Shaggy stared on in fascination as Blutschl?ger¡¯s body expanded. The old man¡¯s bespoke suit stretched and grew as his body contorted and changed color. Blutschl?ger¡¯s pale skin started turn silver and take on a glossy sheen. His pants and shirt ripped audibly as his muscles bulged and he grew to eight feet tall. His hands grew large and his fingers turned to metallic looking claws.
¡°What the fuck?¡± Shaggy yelled as they watched Blutschl?ger¡¯s body change.
Shaggy lobbed his second rifle to Kaleb and fired his own. The green orbs of energy exploded from the weapon and collided with the Blutschl?ger¡¯s now fully silver body. The blast seemed to impact the body and then reflect off bouncing and exploding into nearby walls and even some cars. Kaleb caught the thrown rifle and fired his own salvo with similar results.
¡°You have got to be fucking kidding me!¡± Shaggy shouted.
The now towering behemoth roared in answer and charged. Blutschl?ger made a direct charge for Kaleb swiping his large claws at Kaleb¡¯s midsection. Kaleb jumped back, narrowly avoiding the swipe and fired up into Blutschl?ger¡¯s face. The balls of energy bounced off at odd angles a few even ricocheted toward Shaggy. The werewolf rolled forward, letting the rifle hang from its strap as he came up with both claws extended.
The werewolf swiped his own claws at the large silver monster¡¯s side. But Blutschl?ger didn¡¯t even seem to recognize the blows as he casually flicked his arm out, batting Shaggy away. Shaggy tumbled end over end as he was batted aside until he crashed into the front windshield of a nearby car, crushing it.
Kaleb dashed around the Blutschl?ger and ran a short distance before turning and letting his own rifle hang off his shoulder. Blutschl?ger coolly turned to follow Kaleb, clear indifference on his face. Drawing his Magic Gun, Kaleb focused his Mana into the mental image of an icicle piercing Blutschl?ger¡¯s skin. The large behemoth¡¯s silver face sneered in contempt as Kaleb felt his Mana flow into his gun.
Kaleb mentally pulled the trigger and sent the large spear of ice flying. Blutschl?ger¡¯s hand snapped up grabbing the spear from the air. But Kaleb saw that the tip had punctured into the large vampire¡¯s chest. Kaleb thought he could even see blood, but as he watched Blutschl?ger crush the spear of ice, the silver skin grew over the puncture wound. A deep rumbling laugh echoed throughout the parking garage as Blutschl?ger¡¯s eyes squinted in delight.
¡°Ha Ha Ha! Give it up! Thanks to the gift of the Quinica I am invincible.¡± Blutschl?ger chuckled in a deep growling voice.
Kaleb¡¯s mind spun as he tried to think of something. The energy rifle was useless, his Magic Gun was too slow, and he didn¡¯t like his chances up close. Blutschl?ger strolled forward leisurely as he brushed the shards of ice off his hands.
¡°You should have submitted to the will of the Quinica. Soon all of Under-Town will be under our control. In a matter of days I will have all the proof I need to show the elders that how profitable it would be to conquer the lesser gangs. When that happens droves of my brethren will fall upon Under-Town, cleansing it of the riffraff and other- ARGH!¡±
Blutschl?ger¡¯s speech was cutoff when a shadow flew behind his back. Shaggy rolled out of his dash into a crouch, one of his claws dripping with blood. Blutschl?ger convulsed in pain and reached for his back as his silver skin seemed to quiver. Kaleb gaped in surprise at Shaggy¡¯s bloody claw.
¡°Glowing weak spot!¡± Shaggy said pointing at Blutschl?ger¡¯s shivering skin.
Kaleb moved his gaze to Blutschl?ger¡¯s skin which was shifting and twisting. A yellow mass of veins slithered over the vampire¡¯s shoulder and traveled down to his lower stomach. The yellow mass had a red orb-like center with clear claw marks along its surface. Kaleb almost laughed, it really was a glowing weak spot.
¡°BASTARD! You will regret that!¡± Blutschl?ger snarled as finished shaking in pain and dashed toward Shaggy.
Shaggy dashed away and Kaleb brought up his rifle again and aimed at the mass of veins. Blutschl?ger stopped his charge and crossed his arms over his stomach, guarding his obvious weakness. Kaleb stopped firing his rifle and put more distance between him and the large vampire. He heard stomping coming from behind him as Blutschl?ger gave chase.
Kaleb dashed between cars as he glanced over his shoulder. Blutschl?ger was shouldering cars out of the way as he covered his midsection. Shaggy was following behind both of them dodging around the flipped over cars. Deciding on a course of action, Kaleb turned and waited for the charging Blutschl?ger banking on his dodge skill. Unfortunately Kaleb proved too slow.
As Blutschl?ger swiped his claws downward at him, Kaleb tried to dodge to the side. But the vampire¡¯s large claws raked across his chest and the blow sent Kaleb flying. Kaleb heard and felt Blutschl?ger¡¯s claws shred through his armor and rend flesh from his chest. Kaleb gasped as he flew across the parking garage and slammed into a nearby car. He felt his blood trickle down his body as he took a few seconds to gather himself.
¡°ARGHHHHHH!¡±
Kaleb heard Blutschl?ger scream in pain again and looked up. Shaggy had taking advantage of the large vampire swatting Kaleb and slashed the mass of veins again. Blutschl?ger¡¯s silver skin quivered again, and they watched as the mass of veins traveled down the front of Blutschl?ger¡¯s leg. It disappeared behind Blutschl?ger¡¯s pants before it reappeared further down his leg. Shaggy dashed forward to strike the yellow mass again, but he was bounced backward as his claws connected.
¡°It¡¯s invulnerable while it¡¯s moving.¡± Kaleb shouted as he got to his feet unsteadily.
Shaggy moved away from Blutschl?ger¡¯s convulsing form and shouted. ¡°You okay?!¡±
Kaleb placed his hand to his chest and looked down. His armor had three large claw marks in it. Luckily, only one had cut through the Kevlar and Ifrit skin. The cut stung like Hell, but didn¡¯t seem that deep.
¡°Yeah! Almost smacked the green off of me though.¡± Kaleb shouted back as he looked up.
Blutschl?ger seemed to come out of his convulsions, But Kaleb couldn¡¯t see the yellow mass. Shaggy visibly tensed as he watched the large vampire shake himself out of his stupor. Kaleb got ready as Blutschl?ger gave another deafening roar and charged Shaggy.
¡°Where is it?!¡± Kaleb asked putting his rifle to his shoulder.
Shaggy dodged Blutschl?ger¡¯s claws far better than Kaleb had and responded, annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s on his fucking foot!¡±
Blutschl?ger seemed to have heard the exchange, and he spared a glance toward Kaleb. The large vampire snorted in contempt and casually batted a car toward Kaleb. The car¡¯s tires squealed as it skidded across the parking garage and rapidly closed with Kaleb. Kaleb rolled to the side away from the oncoming car and looked up at Blutschl?ger¡¯s back.
The vampire¡¯s back was to Kaleb as he got back to his feet. Kaleb could see a yellow glow coming from the bottom of Blutschl?ger¡¯s left foot. We need to get to the weak point. Kaleb thought as he reached for his Magic Gun again. He had a clear line of sight and a large target. He focused on another icicle and channeled his Mana as he walked forward.
Shaggy was dodging and swiping at the silver behemoth¡¯s legs with no success. Kaleb aimed for a spot between the old vampire¡¯s shoulders and picked up the pace. Mentally pulling the trigger, Kaleb flew into a full run. The icicle sped across the parking garage as Kaleb raced after it. His aim was a little off and the spear of ice punctured Blutschl?ger¡¯s silver armor at his right shoulder.
Blutschl?ger screamed in pain and turned around. Kaleb deployed Shocky and jumped on top of the trunk of a nearby car. Running along the top of the cars Kaleb waited until he was close enough before he leaped and slammed into Blutschl?ger¡¯s turning back.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Kaleb activated Shocky¡¯s stun effect as he slammed into the large back. Blutschl?ger¡¯s spun harshly as Kaleb hit him, but he didn¡¯t fall. Shaggy, seeing a chance, grabbed at Blutschl?ger¡¯s left leg and used his considerable strength to lift it up. As Blutschl?ger tilted back, he flailed about and his arm smacked into Kaleb sending him flying into another car.
Eventually Shaggy toppled Blutschl?ger, and he quickly slashed his transformed hands across the yellow-red weak spot. Blutschl?ger let out another choked scream as his skin quivered and he convulsed. Shaggy backed up and watched and Kaleb pulled himself to his feet again. This time the silver skin around Blutschl?ger receded and his size returned to that of an old man.
Kaleb breathed a sigh of relief as he smiled at Shaggy. The werewolf relaxed his posture and smiled back at Kaleb. The two were both surprised they had survived such an encounter. Blutschl?ger had been far more powerful than either of them had expected. They had really lucked out with that glowing weak spot thing.
Before they could celebrate their victory, a blur of movement slammed into Shaggy. With a sudden stop Blutschl?ger, now in his human form, jerked Shaggy¡¯s body toward him and delivered a headbutt that rocked the werewolf¡¯s whole body. Kaleb watched in shock as Blutschl?ger slammed Shaggy¡¯s head into a nearby car faster than he could see. Shaggy tried to fight back but his face was covered in blood and Blutschl?ger was too fast.
Finished with Shaggy, Blutschl?ger tossed the werewolf aside. Shaggy¡¯s body slammed onto the hood of a car and he lay there motionless. Kaleb didn¡¯t have time to worry about his friend as Blutschl?ger turned toward him. He tried to raise the K-Tech rifle but before he could Blutschl?ger was in front of him. Blutschl?ger gripped Kaleb¡¯s right arm and twisted it brutally.
*Crack*
Kaleb felt his arm pop out of its socket as pain shot through his body. He didn¡¯t even have enough time to scream before Blutschl?ger used his other hand to grip the back of Kaleb¡¯s head. The old man¡¯s sharp nails dug into his skull as Blutschl?ger forced Kaleb to look him in the eye. Kaleb punched the old man in the face with his metal arm, but Blutschl?ger barely flinched from the blows.
Gripping the back of Kaleb¡¯s head even tighter, Blutschl?ger hissed. ¡°You may have caused the Quinica to go dormant. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I am without its gifts.¡±
Kaleb slammed his hand into Blutschl?ger¡¯s face and fired a spike. The spike punctured the side of the old man¡¯s head and crushed his left eye. But Blutschl?ger¡¯s hold remained firm. Staring into Blutschl?ger¡¯s remaining blood-shoot eye Kaleb tried to fire another spike, but all he got was the pneumatic release of air. He was out of spikes.
Blutschl?ger grinned. ¡°You have proven little more than an annoyance. Once I have killed you, I will shall march on your people¡¯s little settlement and slaughter every man, women, and child I find!¡±
Kaleb struggled feebly against Blutschl?ger¡¯s hold, but it was useless. Blutschl?ger smiled wide and pulled him closer slowly. Kaleb stared at the grinning face of the old vampire. He wanted to smash those pointed teeth. Teeth! Kaleb thought suddenly.
Without thinking, Kaleb allowed Blutschl?ger to draw him closer. The move surprised Blutschl?ger and Kaleb opened his mouth wide and sink his teeth into the old man¡¯s throat. Kaleb felt the warm blood flow over his lips as he sunk his teeth as deep as he could. Blutschl?ger screamed in pain and threw Kaleb off of him and to the floor.
Kaleb felt a chunk of meat come with him as he hit the floor. Blutschl?ger reached up in disgust to his bleeding throat and looked down at Kaleb clearly pissed. Kaleb wasted no time and used his metal hand to draw his Cybar and fired into Blutschl?ger¡¯s legs. The old man screamed as the red burst of energy hit his knees. Kaleb scrambled to his feet, right arm hanging feebly from his side, as Blutschl?ger fell over. Kaleb fired the rest of his shots into Blutschl?ger¡¯s torso as quickly as he could.
The gun burned away Blutschl?ger¡¯s clothes and his pale skin from its shots. Kaleb moved away as he vented his Cybar pistol. But Blutschl?ger was still on his knees and trying to stand. Kaleb panted in panic as Blutschl?ger started to stand. But before he could get to his feet, a green orb of energy flew through the middle of his chest.
Looking past the old man¡¯s shoulder, Kaleb could see that Shaggy was back on his feet and firing his rifle into Blutschl?ger¡¯s back. The poor werewolf¡¯s face was still battered and bloody, but apparently he could see fine as he sent multiple shots into the vampire. Blutschl?ger fell forward as the green energy balls left large holes in his body. Shaggy trailed a line of shots up Blutschl?ger¡¯s legs and back until his gun hissed from overheating.
Kaleb gulped and glanced between Shaggy and Blutschl?ger. ¡°Dude, you are resilient as fuck.¡±
Shaggy just nodded as he stared at Blutschl?ger¡¯s back. ¡°When I couldn¡¯t get my powers to work right. I put most of my evolution points into Regeneration.¡±
¡°Looks like it has come in handy.¡± Kaleb said as he watched Shaggy¡¯s nose reset itself and the cuts on his face reseal themselves.
Shaggy just nodded as he waited for Blutschl?ger to do something. Kaleb also waited, but it looked like they had finally killed the bastard. As Kaleb went to put his pistol away, Blutschl?ger¡¯s body suddenly shivered.
¡°Nooooo!¡± cried the old man in a weak and croaky voice.
Shaggy pulled the trigger on his rifle but the gun was still too hot to fire. Kaleb aimed his own pistol at the prone form of Blutschl?ger but the vampire wasn¡¯t doing anything.
¡°No. Please! Don¡¯t leave me! I can still win! We can still conquer the world!¡± Blutschl?ger cried pitifully.
Kaleb thought he could hear the old man sob. Shaggy twisted his head in confusion as he asked. ¡°Who the hell is he talking to?¡±
Before Kaleb could answer, yellow veins appeared on what remained Blutschl?ger¡¯s skin. The veins pulsed with energy and moved. They collected near one wound on Blutschl?ger¡¯s body. Blutschl?ger¡¯s body turned gray and his body disintegrated as a small mass of something pink with yellow tentacles crawled its way out of Blutschl?ger¡¯s wound.
¡°What the hell is that?!¡± Shaggy screamed, disgusted.
The werewolf raised his weapon to shoot, but Kaleb stopped him. ¡°Wait! Wait! I think I know what this is.¡±
The yellow tentacles wrapped around the pink blob of muscle. Shaggy and Kaleb watched on as the mass of veins and tentacles wrapped itself into a large ball. Once in ball form the thing shrank, smaller and smaller until it was the size of a gumball. Kaleb moved to pick it up as Shaggy shouted.
¡°You¡¯re gonna touch it?!¡±
Kaleb ignored him as he crouched down and grasped the small pink ball in his hand. Turning to look at the pile of ash that had been Blutschl?ger, Kaleb felt a little sad. In his last moments Blutschl?ger¡¯s Quinica had abandoned ship. Kaleb thought a symbiotic relationship would be more secure than that. Holding the small pink orb for Shaggy to see, Kaleb said.
¡°Say hello to Blutschl?ger¡¯s Quinica.¡±
Shaggy looked confused for a few seconds before he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°As far as loot goes: that sucks.¡±
Kaleb gave a half-nod. ¡°Maybe. Then again, who knows what secrets are in this thing. It can make its host faster, stronger, and live for quite a long time.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not joining up with them are you?¡± Shaggy asked disgusted.
Kaleb snorted. ¡°No. But I can use this somehow.¡±
Shaggy shook his head. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s yours. But I get all the credit sticks.¡±
Kaleb smiled and nodded. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go loot the others and then get out of here.¡±
¡°Well, yeah. About that¡¡± Shaggy trailed off as he scratched his head awkwardly.
¡°What?¡±
¡°I already looted mine.¡± Shaggy said grinning.
¡°Dude! You were looting while I was fighting for my life?!¡± Kaleb shouted.
¡°What?¡± Shaggy asked back, unapologetic. ¡°It¡¯s quicker that way, and you had the old guy handled.¡±
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°No way, dude. Party foul! I call a party foul!¡±
Shaggy smiled. ¡°There¡¯s just the two of us. It¡¯s a stalemate. Besides it¡¯s a smart move. You never know when the po-¡±
The sounds of police sirens cut Shaggy off as he was speaking. Apparently you can¡¯t fight a bunch of space-vampires in a parking garage without someone calling it in. Kaleb and Shaggy looked at each other swearing in unison in equal parts annoyance and anger.
¡°FUCK!¡±
Chapter 95 - Skills and Gnomes
¡°This isn¡¯t exactly the high-speed car chase I had in mind.¡± Kaleb grumbled, disappointed.
Shaggy chuckled as he maneuvered the large dumpster truck down the dark tunnel. ¡°Dude, we are in a dumpster truck. How far do you think we would get? No, it¡¯s better for us to lie low in the underground tunnels and find another exit.¡±
Kaleb scanned the map of the tunnels he had bought. ¡°Maybe, but if any of the other gangs are as territorial as the Quinica, then we will have a problem.¡±
¡°You mean more problems.¡± Shaggy quipped. ¡°Have you found us another exit.¡±
¡°Kind of.¡± Kaleb said hesitant. ¡°But it¡¯s not new. It¡¯s the first exit I wanted to use, but it let out a little too close to my hideout.¡±
¡°Wait, there¡¯s an exit closer to where we are going? Why didn¡¯t we take that one in the first place?¡±
¡°Well, I still need to get my car and another gang controls the tunnel. Chances are small that we would run into them, but still¡¡± Kaleb explained before trailing off.
Shaggy nodded in understanding. ¡°Well then, what''s the plan?¡±
¡°For now, lets go get my car.¡± Kaleb said pointing to a spot on his map that should be a few blocks away from his car.
It was hard to gauge exactly on a paper map, but they had a general idea of where they were. Kaleb gave Shaggy the directions, and they traveled in silence for several minutes. As they drove Kaleb looked over the notifications he had gotten from the fight with Blutschl?ger¡¯s. The golden exclamation point was flashing in the corner of his vision. Clicking on it, Kaleb gasped in surprise.
*Conditioning Skill level up*
Health increased by 13%
Stamina increased by 13%
Incoming physical damage decreased by 7%
*Toughness Skill level up*
Health increased by 8%
Incoming physical damage decreased by 4%
*Endurance Skill level up*
Stamina increased by 13%
*Gadget Mastery Skill Level up*
Current Gadget Failure Rate decreased by 3%
Current Blueprint Drop Rate Increased by 5%
*Dodge Skill Level Maxed*
Movement speed while dodging increased 5%
*Shield Mastery Skill level maxed*
Defense while wielding shields +5
Kaleb smiled wide at his status page. Endurance and Toughness were one level away from being maxed out for the beginner level. Soon he could push them up into Intermediate. Also Shield Mastery and Dodge had both leveled to max. Dodge was a combinable skill but Shield mastery wasn¡¯t so he mentally clicked on Shield Mastery.
*Notice*
Shield Mastery is at Max Beginner level.
Upgrade to Intermediate level 1?
[Yes/No]?
Kaleb clicked yes and immediately got another notification.
*Shield Mastery Skill raised to Intermediate*
Defense while wielding shields +7
Speed while shield equipped raised by 2%
Kaleb blew out of breath as he finished looking over his skills. The fight against Blutschl?ger had been a pain in the ass, but you got to love the gains. Shaggy glanced over at Kaleb a question clear in his eyes. Kaleb grinned and said.
¡°My skills got a huge bump from our fight with Blutschl?ger.¡±
¡°Really? My hand-to-hand skill got a bump, But mostly I just got a fantastic amount of Evolution Points. I even got the chance to evolve my claws into bone claws.¡±
Kaleb squinted in thought at the idea of bone claws. ¡°What are the advantages of that?¡±
¡°They would be denser and tougher to break. But the damage would go down slightly.¡± Shaggy explained.
Kaleb nodded and looked at Shaggy¡¯s human hands. Shaggy laughed at his gaze. ¡°HA! I didn¡¯t do it. I just evolved sharpness again.¡± He raised one hand off the steering wheel and concentrated on it. The hand twisted and shivered before becoming a larger and furrier werewolf''s hand with five large claws.
¡°When I¡¯m done with these babies, they¡¯ll cut through titanium. Plus those bone claws would be heavy.¡±
¡°Even with werewolf strength?¡± Kaleb asked.
Shaggy nodded. ¡°I gave that a little boost too. Strengthened my muscles, but that and werewolf speed aren¡¯t cheap in points.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he looked back at his long list of skills. He shook his head at the difference between a Mundane and the other archetypes. Here he was: happy at raising six skills, but Shaggy had been adjusting his Super-Strength and evolving his claws to cut through metal. He quickly pushed those thoughts out of his head. He was still kicking ass and taking names. Plus, he had a decent library of genetic material to work with back at his base.
¡°Now what?¡± Shaggy asked looking at Kaleb¡¯s face.
¡°Huh?¡± Kaleb said confused.
¡°You look like I just took your Popsicle.¡±
Kaleb snorted. ¡°I was just marveling at the difference between the archetypes. I only raised six skills and you-¡±
¡°SIX?!¡± Shaggy shouted surprised. ¡°What the hell man?! I¡¯ve never had six skills level at once.¡±
Kaleb laughed. ¡°Hehehe, Yeah. Mundane¡¯s raise skills faster than the others. It¡¯s not Super-Strength or bone claws, but it works for me.¡±
¡°Not to mention you can make your own claws, anyway.¡± Shaggy said.
Kaleb nodded his head in agreement and they both fell back into silence again.
A short while later as they hovered down the tunnel a small clattering came from the hole Daivor had made between the cab and the dumpster. The Gnome was using his time to look over all the junk they had gathered.
¡°Some of this stuff could actually be useful.¡± Daivor¡¯s voice said from within the dark hole.
¡°Oh yeah? What are the highlights?¡± Kaleb asked.
A small clamor came from the dumpster. ¡°Uh, we have several PCB¡¯s and motherboards that seem like they are in good shape, large pieces of non-terrestrial metal, different scanners, few old-fashioned screen monitors, a broken radio dish, and a boatload of other stuff.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°That¡¯s not bad at all. Any ideas for the metal?¡±
¡°We will have to melt it down and see. It looks like steel but it¡¯s got an outer coating. Like plastic or something.¡±
¡°Any weapons?¡±
¡°Other than what you gathered from the security team? Not much, a couple of broken stun batons, two canister-type weapons without canisters, two Cybar pistols, and a grappling-hook without the hook,¡± A short shuffling noise came from the hole as Daivor moved something. ¡°or a line.¡±
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°Wow, we really did well. What¡¯s wrong with the Cybar pistols?¡± Kaleb asked.
Daivor grumbled. ¡°Can¡¯t really tell. I¡¯m working by repulsor light here. But they look bulkier than the one you have. I think they are K-Techs discarded prototypes.¡±
Kaleb unconsciously rubbed his hands together as he thought about what he could build. He saw Shaggy glance over at him worriedly. The Werewolf had remained quiet as he conversed with Daivor. But now it seemed like he had something to ask.
Clearing his throat Shaggy said. ¡°Ahem, you know it''s weird only hearing half of a conversation. How the hell do you understand that thing?¡±
¡°THING?!¡± Daivor screeched from inside the dumpster followed by the sound of shifting junk.
¡°You shouldn¡¯t of said that.¡± Kaleb winced as Daivor¡¯s chariot came flying out of the hole in the dumpster.
Daivor angled his vehicle to be just within eyesight of Shaggy. Shaggy looked unimpressed, but he spared a glance toward Kaleb who just shrugged at him. Daivor took a long drag off his pipe before he spoke. Quietly at first but growing in volume and anger as he went along.
¡°Listen,¡± Said Daivor. ¡°I am not an it, or a thing, or an elf, or any other damn blasted thing your tiny little doggy brain can come up with. I AM A GNOME! IT¡¯S NOT THAT HARD, DAMN IT! POINTY HAT! BEARD! GREEN TUNIC! RED PANTS! A GNOME!¡±
Shaggy looked over at Kaleb who was staring fixedly out the window. Daivor didn¡¯t seem concerned that Shaggy couldn¡¯t understand him and continued to berate and curse at the werewolf. Shaggy looked equal parts nonplussed and annoyed. The Gnome was floating just inside his line of sight and blabbering at him in an unknown language. Eventually Daivor finished his tirade which had devolved into just swearing at the man in creative ways.
Floating back into the dumpster, Daivor looked up at Kaleb. ¡°You tell him what I said, you got it?¡±
Kaleb just sighed and looked back at Shaggy who still had a confused look on his face. Several seconds of silence passed between them before Kaleb answered his original question.
¡°Magic dust. He sprayed me with magic dust and now I can understand him.¡±
Shaggy nodded absently. ¡°I feel like I was just cursed at. What was that about?¡±
¡°Daivor is a Gnome, and you just called him a thing. So he reprimanded you¡ at length.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not what I said.¡± Daivor¡¯s voice echoed from the dumpster.
¡°Oh, come on! I don¡¯t even know some of those words.¡± Kaleb complained.
¡°Not my fault, you people don¡¯t know how to swear!¡±
¡°You people?¡± Kaleb asked in mock outrage.
¡°Oh, shut up and tell him already!¡±
Kaleb sighed and looked back to Shaggy. ¡°He is a Gnome, and he is touchy about people not getting that right. Please don¡¯t do it again or he¡¯ll won¡¯t help me build stuff for you.¡±
¡°How essential is he?¡± Shaggy asked.
¡°Dude, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but he is the brains of this operation. He jury-rigged a flash bang in like 3 minutes. Just stay on his good side the stronger he grows, the better stuff he can make.¡±
¡°How does he grow?¡± Shaggy asked.
Kaleb thought about for a few seconds until he realized that he still hadn¡¯t worked on his summoning magic. If he remembered right that was the only way to increase Daivor¡¯s abilities as a familiar. Thinking about all the time he had wasted, Kaleb leaned forward and bashed his head against his side of the dashboard.
Shaggy watched him for almost a full minute until he asked. ¡°Now what happened?¡±
Kaleb stopped and shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just an idiot.¡±
Kaleb remembered seeing Daivor¡¯s status page in his Spell Book tab. But he wasn¡¯t sure if that meant he could level the Gnome up. He quickly brought up his menus and looked at his Spell Book tab. He had fireball, ice spear, electricity, all the spells he had cast through his gun and several pages over was Daivor¡¯s page. But his level up buttons were still gray.
Kaleb was about to go back to bashing his head against the dashboard when Shaggy spoke up. ¡°Ok so his is a Gnome that helps you build things that can level up. How did you get him?¡±
¡°A lot of luck.¡± Kaleb said, shaking his head.
Shaggy seemed to realize that Kaleb would not say any more, and the two fell into silence again. The hover dumpster floated down the tunnel and Kaleb occasionally checked the map. He gave directions to Shaggy, and they made a sharp turn into a tunnel that seemed to be a dead end. As they approached, though a large section of the ceiling bent downward creating a ramp leading up.
Following the ramp up to the city streets, Kaleb and Shaggy drove up into an abandoned car wash. But before they left the car wash¡¯s tunnel, Shaggy put the car in park and turned to look at Kaleb. Kaleb just stared back.
¡°What?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°We are in a dumpster painted in a known gang¡¯s colors.¡± Shaggy stated. ¡°Do you WANT me to drive through downtown Austin like that? If the people don¡¯t call the cops, the overhead drones will spot us and call it in as suspicious for sure.¡±
Kaleb sat back in his seat and thought. ¡°You have any ideas?¡±
Shaggy shrugged his shoulders. ¡°A couple.¡±
When he didn¡¯t elaborate Kaleb sighed loudly. ¡°Well?¡±
¡°Number 1: you make multiple trips in your car. It may seem suspicious but less so than a dumpster in gang color.¡±
¡°That would take to long. The sun is already rising as it is.¡±
Shaggy nodded. ¡°Number 2: We steal another dumpster and then transfer things over. We¡¯d have to be quick about it though.¡±
¡°Same problem as number 1, plus we¡¯d be drawing more attention to ourselves.¡± Kaleb said shaking his head.
¡°Then number 3: we steal some paint and go over this monstrosity.¡±
Kaleb wobbled his head. He didn¡¯t like the idea of stealing paint. But then he thought about it. What difference would it make if he stole paint to cover his stolen dump truck full of stolen junk? He was ready to agree with Shaggy¡¯s proposal when Daivor spoke up from the back of the truck again.
¡°There is a fourth option.¡±
Kaleb twisted in his seat as Daivor flew his chariot out of the hole. ¡°And what is that?¡±
¡°Your magic, you daft lizard. Cast a glamor over the truck. You would have to use a rune seeing as how you don¡¯t know the actually spell though.¡±
¡°Or the Glamor Rune.¡± Kaleb said helplessly.
Daivor picked up the pen laser that had been on the seat and floated over to the dashboard. As soon as he was floating over the black dashboard, he held the pen in both hands and pointed it downward.
¡°Wait! Don¡¯t-¡± Shaggy said as Daivor used the pen laser to draw a shape on the dashboard.
Leaning forward Kaleb saw that it was a rune. Smiling at his Gnome friend Kaleb studied the rune as Daivor drew over it a couple more times. Probably more than he needed to judging from the looks he threw back at Shaggy. Shaggy covered his nose and lowered his window, trying to escape the smell of burning plastic while staring back angrily at Daivor.
Kaleb studied the rune for a few minutes after Daivor finished. Once he thought he had it memorized, he grabbed his pen laser and got out of his side of the truck looking for a good place for the rune. Deciding on a spot on the large body of the dump truck Kaleb drew as Shaggy¡¯s voice came from inside the truck.
¡°So what did YOU decide on?¡± He asked emphasizing the ¡®you.¡¯
Kaleb shook off the werewolf¡¯s tone and answered. ¡°A magical glamor. It should keep you well hidden while you follow me back to my base.¡±
¡°Magical glamor.¡± Shaggy said sounding dubious.
But he allowed Kaleb to finish his work. Once done Kaleb placed his hand on the rune and imagined a large standard green dump truck. He felt his magic flow into the vehicle and he could see the Rune light up as it accepted his magic. Kaleb turned to smile at Daivor who was watching from the truck¡¯s cab. But soon Kaleb¡¯s temples throbbed, and he felt a stabbing pain behind his eyelids. He maintained his focus and tried to push back the pain, but he felt like it was getting to be too much.
As thoughts of giving up floated through his head, the pain and the magic suddenly stopped. Kaleb squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples as he leaned his forehead against the truck. Checking his Mana he saw that he was down to 3 MP left. Almost knocked myself out again. Kaleb thought as he stepped away from the truck and looked at it.
Thankfully, the Rune worked. A brand new dark green version had replaced graffiti, and the old faded color. Shaggy drummed his fingers against the steering wheel as he called out.
¡°Did it work?¡±
¡°Yeah, it worked we should be ready to go.¡± Kaleb said as he climbed slowly back into the truck.
Shaggy didn¡¯t seem to believe him as he stuck his head out his window. ¡°Well, son of a bitch, it worked. What else can that little symbol do?¡±
Kaleb was in no shape to answer the werewolf so he just waved him off. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. Let¡¯s just get to my car and get out of here. It¡¯s been a long day.¡±
¡°Ha!¡± Shaggy cackled. ¡°Dude, the day has just started.¡±
Kaleb just shook his head and closed his eyes as he slowly felt his Mana come back to him. Shaggy asked Kaleb the occasional direction and eventual they arrived at the block where the cemetery was and where Kaleb had parked.
¡°Well, shit.¡± Shaggy said.
¡°What?¡± Kaleb asked sitting up and taking his head away from the coolness of his window.
Looking ahead of them along the same street Kaleb saw his car and across the road from his car was a black sedan. Leaning against the sedan drinking something from a small paper cup were two men dressed all in black with black sunglasses. Kaleb looked away from the main road and smacked his head back into his window.
¡°Great¡.¡± He moaned.
Chapter 96 - Interrogation
Kaleb sighed as he glanced out the front window of the dump truck. He had to deal with the two suits watching his car. The two men were drinking their coffee and waiting for him. Kaleb guessed that the HLO wanted to talk to him again. Sighing again, he removed his weapons and armor. If he had to talk to them, it couldn¡¯t look like he had been off doing any vigilante work.
Shaggy watched Kaleb take off his armor and weapons until a thought seemed to spark in his mind. Reaching into a large pocket on his cargo pants, Shaggy pulled out a tiny flask. Saying nothing, Shaggy reached over and dumped the flask''s contents on Kaleb¡¯s front and pants.
¡°What the hell?!¡± Kaleb asked as jolted from the cold liquid.
¡°You¡¯ve been out drinking.¡± Shaggy said screwing the cap back on the flask. ¡°What do you want me to do while you''re dealing with them?¡±
Kaleb rubbed a hand over his wet pants and sniffed it. He recoiled from the sharp stench and blinked his eyes. ¡°What is that?¡±
Shaggy shrugged. ¡°No idea. I found it in the truck.¡±
¡°Of course. You looted the truck.¡± Kaleb rolled his eyes.
¡°Seriously, what do you want me to do? I can¡¯t stay parked on the side of the road like this.¡± Shaggy asked again looking worriedly out the window.
Kaleb glanced down at Daivor who was looking between Kaleb and the mass of weapons and armor he was leaving in the truck. ¡°Can you lead him to the base?¡±
¡°Yeah, I think so.¡± Daivor said before ducking back into the hole in the cab that lead into back-end of the truck.
¡°You¡¯re leaving me with him?¡± Shaggy asked surprised.
¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Just follow where he points or floats or whatever. Once you are there park outside the fence. Don¡¯t enter, my gate guard will obliterate this truck and all our work would go down the drain.¡± Kaleb explained moving over to his door.
¡°Got it.¡± Shaggy said.
¡°Hold on, boss!¡± Daivor said as he floated out of the hole and up to Kaleb holding something.
Kaleb reached out and grabbed what Daivor was offering discovering that it was another repulsor flash bang. Daivor nodded and floated back down to the seat saying.
¡°Just in case.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡± Kaleb said pocketing the device and exiting the car.
Kaleb kept his head down and moved to the sidewalk as Shaggy pulled the truck away from the curb. The truck pulled off down a nearby alley and headed off toward the south. Kaleb jammed his hands in the pockets of his lab coat and trudged forward thinking about how he would play this. He wasn¡¯t confident in his skills as an actor so acting drunk was out. But maybe he could claim that he slept it off somewhere.
He made it around his car and to the driver-side door when one suit shouted. ¡°Professor!¡±
Kaleb turned trying to look exhausted, which wasn¡¯t too hard. ¡°Yeah?¡±
The two men in black suits approached and stood shoulder to shoulder in front of him. Kaleb noticed that they were similar height, similar build, and even had similar haircuts. The two men could have been twins. Or clones. Kaleb thought amused.
¡°Sir, we are representatives of the HLO.¡± Said the one on the right. Kaleb decided to call him number 1.
¡°We got a report that you disappeared around here last night.¡± Said the one on the left. Number 2. Kaleb thought.
¡°Yeah,¡± Kaleb said squinting between the two men. ¡°I was going to Under-Town.¡±
¡°Is there a reason you entered a known refugee camp heavily armed?¡± Number 1 asked.
Kaleb snorted. ¡°That question answers itself doesn¡¯t it?¡±
Neither man looked amused and Number 2 said. ¡°Answer the question, sir.¡±
¡°Well, giving my recent LACK of employment it has forced me to liquidate some of my assets.¡± Kaleb said heatedly.
¡°Sir?¡± Number 2 asked confused.
¡°I sold my shit!¡± Kaleb shouted loudly.
Number 2 shifted on his feet. ¡°And the large green tub we saw you carrying?¡±
Kaleb glared back at Number 2. ¡°Is the HLO that bored? Keeping tabs on a Mundane lizard?¡±
¡°We keep track of certain elements within the city.¡± Number 1 said coolly.
¡°Certain HOSTILE elements.¡± Number 2 amended.
¡°Hostile to the HLO?¡± Kaleb smirked. ¡°You fellas must be busy as fuck.¡±
Number 2 silently fumed as Number 1 just smirked back at Kaleb. Kaleb licked his lips, trying to pretend that his lips had gone dry. He tried to remember the last hangover he had in the real world. He remembered a getting a dry mouth, a massive headache, and wanting to kill every lamp in the world.
¡°The tub, sir?¡± Number 1 prompted Kaleb again.
¡°AHEM!¡± Kaleb cleared his throat loudly. ¡°Excess junk from my lab.¡±
¡°You sold that as well?¡± Number 1 asked.
Kaleb just nodded and leaned his back against his car tiredly. He noticed that Number 2 was still fidgeting and clenching his fist. Number 2 took a step forward and asked.
¡°And what did you plan to do with your newfound wealth?¡±
¡°Oh you know, take over the world one corrupt bureaucrat at a time.¡± Kaleb grinned at them.
Number 2 sneered and tried to move closer to Kaleb. But Number 1 placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled back at Kaleb. Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure he liked Number 1. Number 2 seemed more prone to fly off the handle, but Number 1 was still cool as a cucumber. Kaleb liked to taunt people into being stupid, But Number 1 seemed annoyingly immune.
¡°Where did you go after selling your items?¡± Number 1 asked.
¡°Couple of bars in Under-Town. Made some new lifelong friends, got into a bar fight with some assholes. Forgave them and then went a strip joint with them. Bought some lap dances, but human woman aren¡¯t really my thing, y¡¯know?¡± Kaleb tried to be flippant but believable as he lied.
For the first time Kaleb saw a reaction from number one. When he mentioned going to a human strip club, the damn guy blushed. Kaleb was taken aback momentarily, and he almost forgot to look bored. Number 1 coughed awkwardly before he continued his line of questioning.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
¡°Is that where you got that injury?¡± He said pointing at Kaleb¡¯s chest.
Kaleb looked down. He had forgotten about the claw wound on his chest. He reached a hand up to touch the wound and winced at it. It was still tender, but his Regen skill was doing a good job of healing it.
¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± Kaleb said, wincing as he pulled his shirt away from the wound. ¡°I don¡¯t remember getting it though.¡±
¡°How do you not remember!¡± Number 2 shouted finally stepping into Kaleb¡¯s personal space.
Kaleb saw Number 2¡¯s nostrils flare as he took in the stench of alcohol on Kaleb¡¯s cloths. He smirked as Number 2 hesitated in taking a step back. Number 2 didn¡¯t want to back down after stepping forward.
Kaleb smiled. ¡°There was a lot of liquor involved.¡±
Number 2 glared at him as he hissed. ¡°Did you bathe in it?!¡±
¡°I won at Foosball.¡± Kaleb shrugged. ¡°You gotta dunk the winner.¡±
Kaleb thought he could hear Number 2 clench his teeth. Number 1 pulled Number 2 away from Kaleb and nodded his head amicably. He patted Number 2 on the shoulder and asked.
¡°And where are you headed now? It¡¯s our understanding that you have moved away from your home.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his face as he tried to think of something. Exhaling loudly he said. ¡°I got an offer from a friend to watch over some of his property. I figured since I can¡¯t do any real work I might as well take him up on his offer.¡±
¡°Who would this benefactor be?¡± Number 1 asked.
Kaleb thought it over again. On one hand, he didn¡¯t really want to hide behind Obadiah Nova, but it might be a nice little headache for the old cyborg. ¡°Obadiah Nova deeded me the property temporarily.¡±
Number 2 sucked in a breath in surprise, but Number 1 was back to being unflappable. ¡°You are serious?¡± Number 1 asked.
Kaleb nodded as Number 2 glanced at Number 1. Number 1 smiled amicably. ¡°We were unaware your relationship was so good. We know you went to visit him but no one informed us that he had given you any property.¡±
Kaleb shrugged again when suddenly both men straightened up and went silent. Both men seemed to tilt their heads to the side and nod slowly. Kaleb realized that they must be communicating with someone. After a few seconds both men snapped out of it and Number 2 took a half step forward.
Number 1 looked like he was about to say something. But Number 2 beat him to it. ¡°You will allow us access to the property immediately!¡± Number 2 ordered.
Kaleb could hear Number 1 sigh loudly as he stared at Number 2. Kaleb shook his head. ¡°Sorry fellas, I have strict instructions to keep people off the property. I know how serious the HLO is on violating private property.¡±
Number 2 took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he glared at Kaleb. Number 1 moved over again and placed a hand on Number 2 arm. Kaleb swore that Number 2¡¯s irises changed color as he stared back at the man.
¡°Cas.¡± Number 1 said warningly
Number 2, or Cas¡¯s, body relaxed, and he turned to look at his partner. ¡°You heard what they said, Pol.¡±
Pol nodded, but kept quiet as he looked over at Kaleb. Kaleb studied the two men as they seemed to hold a silent conversation with their eyes. Eventually Cas backed down and moved back further into the street and paced. Pol moved over to stand directly in front of Kaleb and smiled amicably again.
¡°Forgive my brother he lacks tact of any kind. They have informed me that the HLO will be eternally grateful if you could give us access to the property. You will be well compensated and HLO upper management will handle any trouble with Mr. Nova.¡± Pol said.
Kaleb nodded as he pretended to think about it. It surprised him at how adamant they seemed to access the property. He didn¡¯t think there was anything in the hangar that warranted such fervor, but then he thought about the generators. Could that be it? Kaleb thought as he went over everything in the hangar.
Pol stood in front of him smiling warmly until Kaleb eventually shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really don¡¯t want to make the old man mad. This may be my main source of income for the foreseeable future. I can talk to Obadiah for you. See if he will let you on the property.¡±
Pol frowned in thought for a few seconds, but soon a smile reappeared on his face. Kaleb thought that this smile was far less genuine than the others had been. Pol adjusted his black sunglasses and nodded good-naturedly.
¡°Of course, we understand. Please discuss things with Mr. Nova.¡± Pol stuck his hand out and Kaleb took it and the two shook hands. ¡°We will let you get home, Professor. Have a nice day.¡±
Kaleb nodded and smiled back as Pol moved back to his black sedan. ¡°Will do, you two have a nice day too.¡±
Pol waved as Cas glared. Kaleb turned to get into his car, but Pol called out to him. ¡°Oh, I forgot. Do you happen to know the whereabouts of Roy Nova? He has gone missing.¡±
Kaleb spun on his heel and stared at the two men. They both stood by their doors and looked at Kaleb. Both of them seemed completely serious. Kaleb shook his head slowly and asked. ¡°How long has he been missing?¡±
Cas shrugged, but Pol actually answered him. ¡°Less than a day, but given his identity the HLO is very interested in his health.¡±
Kaleb nodded as Cas added menacingly. ¡°We WILL find him.¡±
¡°I hope you do.¡± Kaleb said turning back to his car and trying to maintain a straight face.
He got into his car and pretended to fuss around with something on his passenger seat. Cas and Pol got into their black sedan and drove off. Kaleb watched them go through his rear-view mirror and as soon as they turned the corner Kaleb got back out of his car. He gave them another few minutes before he popped his hood and his trunk.
He swept over his car with his eyes and hands. He didn¡¯t for a second believe that the HLO wouldn¡¯t bug his car somehow. He had left it out in the open for several hours. They definitely did something to it. He searched the interior of the trunk and inside his hood and found nothing. He checked the undercarriage and the area around the gas tank, still nothing. He went over the entire outside of the car twice and found nothing.
Eventually he gave up and closed the hood and the trunk. Opening the door to his car he went over the inside. He ran his hands over the car¡¯s interior, doing as thorough a search as he could. Still, he found nothing. He ran his hands over the steering wheel as he thought about how the HLO would hide something. They had some kind of advanced stealth system but he would still feel it, wouldn¡¯t he?
Thinking of the glamor he had placed on the dump truck, Kaleb considered magical means to hide something. He focused his Mana in his hands, but he didn¡¯t know how to cast the spell he wanted. Instead, he focused on the result he wanted and held his hands over his dashboard. The yellow glow around his hands pulsed as he moved his hands around the car. He wasn¡¯t sure it was working until he got to the radio.
The yellow aura around his left hand shot out and attached to something. He followed the trail of Mana with his eyes and found a glowing yellow aura shining from behind where his radio was sitting on top of the unit. Kaleb looked at the screws around his radio, but they appeared to be the same as ever. He wasn¡¯t sure how they placed it there but at least he knew it was there.
Kaleb stopped the flow of his Mana and stared at the disappearing glow. He thought about removing whatever the thing was, but that would alert the HLO and they would probably place another, anyway. But he couldn¡¯t think of how to make use of the device. His instincts told him it would be a microphone of some kind. They already knew where he was so a GPS would be useless. Eventual he left it alone and decided to discuss it with the others when he got back to the hangar.
Kaleb exhaled loudly and started his car. During the drive out to the airfield Kaleb thought about where Roy would have gone. He thought maybe the boy would make his way to Under-Town. The Brute Clan was a sure way to find Kaleb, if that was Roy¡¯s goal. But then again, Roy might have something else in mind. Kaleb tried to remember if he every told Roy the location of the hangar, but he didn¡¯t think so.
Kaleb turned onto the dirt road to the airfield and saw the green dump truck stopped across from the gate. Bob, Shaggy and Daivor were all standing beside the truck and seemed to be talking as Kaleb pulled up behind the truck. Getting out and moving to the others Kaleb waved at Bob.
¡°It¡¯s fine Bob, he is with me.¡±
Bob nodded slowly as he glanced at Shaggy. ¡°Yeah I know, boss, but¡¡± Bob trailed off as he moved closer to Kaleb. Putting his face near Kaleb¡¯s ear he whispered. ¡°We have a visitor¡ in the guard shack.¡±
Kaleb glanced over at the small shack and gulped audibly. Damn it, Roy. How did you find me? Kaleb thought as he held a finger at Shaggy and moved to the small shack. Bob and Daivor followed as Kaleb entered the air-conditioned shack. The shack was relatively empty except for a chair and a desk facing out onto the street. There was also a door leading to what Kaleb assumed was a bathroom.
As Kaleb entered the shack, he let out an involuntary gasp. The person seated in Bob¡¯s chair by his desk wasn¡¯t Roy. Then man wrung his hand together as he gave Kaleb an awkward grin. Kaleb stared curiously at the worried man.
¡°Hi, Professor.¡± Said Hank Nova. ¡°We need to talk.¡±
Chapter 97 - Missing and Found
Kaleb looked at Hank Nova and sighed loudly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hank, but I don¡¯t know where Roy is.¡±
Kaleb guessed what the hardware store owner had wanted to ask him. Hank deflated in the chair he was sitting in. Apparently he had guessed right. Hank exhaled loudly, bowing his head and clenching his fists on top of the desk in front of him. The man was clearly upset and worried glancing back up at Kaleb, Hank asked.
¡°Do you have any idea where he is?¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°I think he went to Under-Town. I have friends there and he might have tried to contact them.¡±
¡°So you¡¯ll look for him?¡± Hank said hopefully.
Kaleb sighed again. ¡°I could but know that the HLO has ordered me not to contact Roy.¡±
Hank looked confused. ¡°What? Why?¡±
¡°Because I got him hurt and let him take part in what essential a gang fight.¡± Kaleb explained.
Hank¡¯s confused face scrunched up in further confusion. ¡°He had a shoulder wound when he came home. We figured he got it working with you. But he is working with a Super, we expected him to get hurt at some point.¡±
Kaleb step up closer to the table and heard Bob close the door behind him. ¡°The HLO didn¡¯t tell you what happened?¡±
Hank shook his head. ¡°No, we just assumed he got caught up in something. Is that why you weren¡¯t at your house? I had to call in a few favors to find you.¡±
¡°How did you find me?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°I know some people from when I was preparing to be a Super. It never panned out, but some old family friends pointed me out this way.¡±
Kaleb momentarily wondered about who could track him down. But looking at Hank¡¯s concerned face he put it on the back burner for now. He leaned his hands down on the desk and explained what had happened. He told him about going to Under-Town to work a job, about Wulkun being captured, about the fight with the Faceless and the Phreaks, and about the fallout that happened at the HLO.
When he was finished Hank sat back in his seat and rubbed his hands over his face. ¡°That¡¯s a load of horseshit. The HLO can not restrict who you come into contact with, they shouldn¡¯t have that power. Maybe for their own people, but definitely not civilians and they especially can¡¯t restrict you working as a Super. You just have to work with one of the freelance guilds.¡±
Kaleb leaned his back against the guard shack window and crossed his arms. ¡°I keep hearing about these other associations and guilds but I don¡¯t know where they are or how they work.¡±
Hank got up from the desk chair and moved around the desk. ¡°The HLO holds the biggest contract in the city. They are government sanctioned to work in the greater Texas area and the city offers them the biggest benefits to work in Austin. But there are smaller businesses that work on a contract by contract basis. City hall allows them to work within the city, but getting contracts is a crap shoot.¡±
Hank walked to a nearby water cooler by the door to the shack and got a drink before he continued. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you weren¡¯t made aware of the alternatives. Then again, I guess it''s understandable the HLO wants you working for them or no one.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Kaleb asked.
Hank sipped his water. ¡°Because they get a subsides from the government based on how many people the HLO have working for them. The smaller guilds don¡¯t.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°So it¡¯s the difference between working for an international business or a mom and pop store.¡±
¡°Kind of.¡± Hank agreed. ¡°But smaller guilds most submit a manifesto to the city. Sort of their guidelines for how they want to work in the city. Such as working to decrease the amount of demons in the city, or helping to clean up after a villain wrecks the city.¡±
¡°So like the DAD?¡±
¡°Exactly. They are, technically, a small guild working in the city.¡± Hank nodded.
¡°So what you are saying,¡± Kaleb said moving to stand in front of Hank. ¡°is that the HLO is the biggest dog in the yard. But I can still work in the city if I jump through the right hoops?¡±
Hank nodded. ¡°Yep, although I¡¯d expect some push back from city hall. Especially if the HLO throws its weight around. But if you go through the proper channels and submit the right paperwork, then there¡¯s nothing legally they can do. The hard part after that is getting the contracts to work in certain parts of the city. Plus, you won¡¯t have the HLO¡¯s support systems.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°It also means I can find and talk to Roy and there¡¯s nothing they can do about it.¡±
Hank smiled. ¡°Yes. Although it concerns me that the HLO thinks they can restrict private citizens like that.¡±
¡°Yeah, but maybe they have started to get too big for their britches.¡± Kaleb said patting Hank on his shoulder.
¡°So will you head out to find Roy now? I want to help, Marie is worried sick about the boy.¡±
Kaleb scratched his head. ¡°How was she, after Roy came back wounded?¡± He asked worriedly.
¡°She was livid. But we calmed her down. I think deep down she was already prepared for something like that to happen. At the end of the day though, you brought our boy home. A little banged up, but alive.¡± Hank said.
Kaleb glanced out the window and saw Shaggy still standing by the dump truck. ¡°I have to drop off the dump truck and I want to talk to a few friends at the hangar. They may want to help.¡±
Hank nodded and waved a hand at the door. ¡°Well, lets get to it then.¡±
Kaleb nodded back and walked out of the guard shack. Bob was standing by the door and approached Hank as the pair left. Shaking the man¡¯s hand Bob said.
¡°Don¡¯t worry Hank, we¡¯ll find him. I will place some calls to some of my old friends and we¡¯ll have some people out and searching the city.¡±
Hank gave his thanks and moved with Kaleb over to the dump truck. Shaggy stepped forward and frowned at Kaleb.
¡°I hate to rob and run, but I have to log off for a few hours.¡±
¡°It¡¯s no trouble. Thanks for the help. You know where to find me if you need anything and I¡¯ll visit Under-Town soon to deliver you guys some weapons.¡± Kaleb said sticking a hand out.
Shaggy shook his hand before disappearing in motes of light. Kaleb glanced around at the others, but the all didn¡¯t seem to register the short man vanishing in front of their eyes. Shrugging he asked Hank to drive his car while he took the truck. Once he accepted, Kaleb passed over the keys and the two made their way onto the airfield.
After making the short trip Kaleb parked in front of the large hangar doors and got out. Hank parked next to him and did the same. Hank¡¯s eyes stared up at the hangar as Kaleb made his way around the side of the building.
¡°What is this place?¡± Hank called out to him. ¡°It looks familiar.¡±
¡°It was a gift from Obadiah.¡± Kaleb responded smiling.
¡°From my dad?!¡± Hank asked surprised. ¡°When did you meet him?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Last week, he contacted me once he heard I was working with Roy. Well, one of his people contacted me. So I went down to Galveston to talk to him. Roy didn¡¯t tell you?¡±
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Hank chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s an unspoken rule in our house to not discuss what Roy is out doing with you.¡±
Kaleb opened the side door chuckling too. ¡°That¡¯s probably a good idea.¡±
Once he entered he saw Two Gun, Claire and Abby standing in the office. He waved at all of them as he and Hank joined them. The trio looked to be discussing something as Kaleb walked in.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Hey, Professor. We were just talking about what to do today. We¡¯re kind of at a loss without the HLO giving us directions.¡± Two Gun said.
¡°Oh, I may have something for us there.¡± Kaleb said smiling and moving toward the door controls.
¡°You might not want to do that, dear.¡± Claire said drawing a curious look from Kaleb.
¡°Your bunny-girl NPC in leather is asleep downstairs.¡± Abby clarified.
Kaleb shook his head as he opened the main doors. The loud whirring of the doors echoed through the hangar. Kaleb just grinned as he turned to the others. They all just sighed at his antics as Kaleb moved to exit the hangar. Claire even smacked the back of his head making his head snap forward violently.
Kaleb rubbed his head and was about to say something when he was blinded by a blue flash of light. Suddenly he was held against a wall and an anger woman was staring daggers at him.
¡°Morning, Farrah.¡± Kaleb said happily.
Farrah just stared at him angrily as the noise from the doors died down. Kaleb could see Farrah¡¯s ears twitch at the noise. He smiled at the bunny-woman as she tightened her grip on his lab coat and shook him. Kaleb¡¯s head smacked against the wall a few times before he tried to break free. Farrah¡¯s eyes demanded an answer as she maintained her grip.
¡°I have a bunch of equipment I need to bring in and then we have to go find Roy.¡± Kaleb explained.
Farrah snorted loudly and released her hold on him. ¡°How did you lose Roy?¡±
Kaleb readjusted his lab coat and explained. ¡°I didn¡¯t lose him, he¡¯s gone missing and we have to find him.¡±
¡°That the job you had in mind?¡± Two Gun asked.
¡°Yeah, I think he might have gone to Under-Town to look for me. But first I want to bring in the dump truck so Daivor can get a better look at what we got.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°The quicker we move the better.¡± Hank said giving Farrah a short wave.
¡°Well, let¡¯s get the thing in here.¡± Said Claire moving toward the large opening.
Kaleb passed the keys to Abby as she followed Claire outside. Two Gun asked Hank something, so Kaleb leaned forward and whispered to Farrah.
¡°Kind of overacting there aren¡¯t you, Farrah?¡±
¡°They think I¡¯ve been asleep since I got back early this morning. I¡¯m supposed to be an NPC so they don¡¯t know I can log out, which means I sleep in-game. How would you react if someone woke you up with a loud, obnoxious noise?¡±
¡°Less violently.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°You know hiding this will be a pain in the ass.¡±
Farrah nodded. ¡°Yeah, but hopefully it won¡¯t be much longer. We can manage for now.¡±
Kaleb sighed as the large green dump truck moved into the hangar and stopped nearby. Claire backed the truck up near the wall with Abby providing help. Daivor flew out of the truck window and moved over to Kaleb.
¡°You mind going over this stuff with Farrah?¡± Kaleb asked the Gnome.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s no trouble at all.¡± Daivor said tracing his eyes up and down Farrah¡¯s body.
¡°You know I can¡¯t understand him, right? What kind of help can I be?¡±
Before Kaleb could answer Daivor moved his chariot closer to Farrah. ¡°I can give her a dusting. I should have enough for a such a cute woman.¡±
Kaleb winced at the Gnome¡¯s tone and spoke to Farrah. ¡°He says he can fix that. Then you two can get some stuff divided out for us.¡±
Farrah shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Sure, I can do that. I¡¯m kind of useless until you get a proper communication array set up.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I know, but I think we might have some of what we need. Maybe even get you a few drones.¡±
¡°You must get the permits if you want to fly drones over the city.¡±
Kaleb agreed. ¡°Yeah, I see a lot of paperwork in my future.¡±
The others all walked over having completed their conversations. Kaleb nodded his thanks to Claire and Abby. Abby even handed over his armor and weapons. Kaleb put on his gear as Two Gun walked over with Hank. Two Gun patted Hank¡¯s back comfortingly as he addressed the group.
¡°Seems that the boy disappeared sometime last night. Neither of his parent¡¯s have seen him all morning. They contacted all his school friends, when that didn¡¯t pan out they contacted the police. But Roy hasn¡¯t been missing long enough. Plus, he is a 17-year-old boy about to graduate, so they probably assume he is out with a girl somewhere. Now the Professor seems to think that Roy went to Under-Town to look for him. So I assume that¡¯s where we are headed?¡± Two Gun explained before looking to Kaleb for confirmation.
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Well put. I have some friends in Under-Town, so he might have tried to contact them.¡±
Two Gun wiped his hands on his pants and waved outside. ¡°Then let¡¯s get to it. I haven¡¯t been, but I¡¯m willing to bet that Under-Town isn¡¯t a friendly place.¡±
Kaleb waved at Daivor and Farrah as they all moved to leave. Hank spoke up as they were walking. ¡°That is something else: He took his bag with him, the one with all the equipment the two of you built.¡±
Kaleb moved to the driver side door and opened it. ¡°So he has his weapons wherever he is.¡±
¡°That could be good and bad.¡± Abby said opened the back door to get in.
¡°Careful.¡± Said Kaleb. ¡°This is an old cop car, so the back doors don¡¯t open from the inside.¡±
They others all nodded as they got in. Kaleb started the car and pulled away from the hangar driving toward the gate. As he drove toward Bob¡¯s guard shack, Two Gun who was in the passenger seat pointed a finger out the front window. A yellow hover taxi was zooming down the road along the gate followed by two black sedans.
¡°Now what?¡± Kaleb asked as he pulled the car to the gate just as Bob walked out of his shack.
Bob¡¯s was watching the approaching taxi which was slowing down. As the car passed in front of the gate, the back door opened and a person threw themselves out of the taxi. Rolling on the dirt road a few times the brown-haired person rose to his feet and made a mad dash for the gate. He had a large rucksack over his shoulder and was moving as fast as he could.
¡°Roy?!¡± Hank yelled from the back seat, trying to open his door and slamming his head against the window.
¡°I told you.¡± Kaleb said as he and Two Gun got out of the car and let the others out. ¡°That¡¯s Roy, Bob!¡±
Bob looked like he was ready to throw his power around. But he stopped at Kaleb¡¯s words. Instead, he switched his gaze to the two other incoming cars. The two cars pulled over to the side of the road and four men got out of both cars. One man pulled a long-barreled weapon from the back seat of one sedan and aimed it at Roy.
Before anyone could react, the man fired. A large brown net launched from the end of the barrel and rocketed toward Roy. Kaleb moved to help as the net got closer to Roy¡¯s back.
¡°Down!¡± Kaleb shouted.
Roy ducked as Two Gun fired at the net and Bob clapped his hands lightly. The bullets shredded the net as the vibrations from Bob¡¯s clap pushed it back through the air. The eight men in black suits gathered in front of the gate and stared at them as Roy got back up and moved across the gate. Hank hugged his son as the others watched the black-suited men across the street.
One man stood next to the driver side door of his car and spoke into the mic attached to his car. An amplified voice echoed across the street.
¡°Attention! This is the HLO Guard Services! We are in pursuit of a runaway! Please disperse and hand over the juvenile into our custody and we will not harm you!¡±
Hank moved his son aside and marched forward angrier than Kaleb had every seen him. ¡°THAT IS MY SON! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING SHOOTING HEAVY ORDNANCE AT A CIVILIAN! I SHOULD SUE YOU BASTARDS!¡±
The man with the microphone paled noticeably as Hank shouted across the street. They hadn¡¯t expected one of Roy¡¯s parents to be here. They all looked at each other confused until the leader spoke into the mic again.
¡°Sir, your son¡¯s safety was our main concern. We wished to stop him before he stepped onto private property and got hurt by their security.¡±
Bob snorted as Hank growled. ¡°He was coming to visit his friend you dipshits! Besides haven¡¯t you heard of necessary force?!¡±
The leader coughed into the mic before he continued talking. ¡°Sir, the Professor is no longer a member of the HLO. We can not guarantee his safety while your son is in his vicinity. We have warned the professor to stay away from him. This violates -¡±
Hank cut the man off harshly. ¡°What? The HLO? Since when can the HLO decide who we meet and talk to? What¡¯s next? Curfews and checkpoints in the streets? Get the hell out of here! I will take this incident and the HLO¡¯s craziness to city hall!¡±
The leader sighed helplessly before suddenly straightening up. All the men tilted their heads and had the same posture as Cas and Pol had. They were talking to whoever was giving them their marching orders. After a while all the men glanced between themselves and moved back into their cars.
The HLO cars turned around and disappeared down the road. Kaleb and the others turned to Roy who was panting and leaning against Kaleb¡¯s car. Roy gave them all a small wave smiling awkwardly.
¡°Hi.¡±
Kaleb sighed and rubbed his temples as Hank moved to check on his son. Claire clapped her hands suddenly surprising everyone.
¡°Well, that¡¯s a job well done. What should we do next?¡±
Chapter 98 - Bars and Summoning
Kaleb sighed and glanced over and Roy. Giving the boy a curious look Kaleb asked. ¡°How did you find me, anyway?¡±
Roy smiled wide and pulled a necklace from his under his shirt. ¡°Paid a witch in Under-Town for a locator spell.¡±
The silver and gold necklace disintegrated in Roy¡¯s hand as he spoke. Kaleb thought he could see a bright glow of Mana as the necklace turned to dust and blew away. Hank walked over still huffing from his angry rant. Luckily he avoided the cloud of dust that came from Roy¡¯s necklace.
¡°How did you pay for that?¡± Hank asked pointedly.
Roy shuffled his feet awkwardly. ¡°I¡ uh, traded it for an Ifrit spike. She said it was good alchemic material.¡±
Kaleb nodded understandingly as Hank blew out a breath. ¡°Well, we still have plenty of bones left. So that¡¯s fine.¡± Kaleb said.
Hank wiped a hand over his face as Bob handed him a cup of water from his shack. Once he finished drinking, he poked Roy harshly in the chest. ¡°What the hell were you thinking?!¡±
¡°I thought the K-Tech, or the HLO did something to the Doc! I tried going to his house but there were people watching his house. When they spotted me they followed me so I ran.¡±
¡°And you didn¡¯t think to run back home?!¡± Hank barked.
Roy shook his head. ¡°Lead whoever they were back to you and mom? Not going to happen. So I tried to find the Doc.¡±
Hank looked like he wanted to argue more, but he saw Roy¡¯s point. Two Gun took the opportunity to say. ¡°Gentlemen, do you mind if we have this conversation back at the hangar? it ain¡¯t exactly cool out today.¡±
Abby and Claire both nodded their heads in agreement, but Kaleb just shrugged his shoulders. Hank glanced between them all before he nodded and waved toward Kaleb¡¯s car. He placed a hand on Roy¡¯s shoulder and lead him to the car. Kaleb moved over to Bob and thanked his gate guard for helping and then got into his car.
As Kaleb turned the car around, Abby asked from the back seat. ¡°Now what do we do today?¡±
Kaleb sighed. ¡°Well, it turns out that we can still legally work in Austin as long as we fill out the right paperwork. We¡¯ll get paid by contract, so money will probably be tight for a while. But, I figure if we also register as a Super Group we will draw in some decent work.¡±
¡°Do we have the money for that?¡± Claire asked.
¡°I think we do. Although it will be a large chunk of our money and I think we are a member short.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°So more paperwork and some headhunting.¡± Two Gun said. ¡°Can¡¯t we count Farrah as a member or even Roy or Daivor?¡±
Kaleb shrugged and turned to look at Roy and Hank who were crammed into the front seat with him. Both men shrugged their shoulders unsure. Looking into the backseat Kaleb saw that Two Gun had seen the gesture and was back to thinking about the problem. Kaleb parked his car outside the hangar and said.
¡°For now, we should just carefully build up contacts with other NPCs. People who can help us once we get off the ground. Make sure they are in this local area because that will be where I recommend we work for now. Then if we grow larger, we can cover larger areas of Austin.¡±
Hank nodded his head as they all got out of the car. ¡°Smart this area is a little anti-HLO since the Hunter¡¯s Association used to be based out here. They have a few bands of Hunters in the area but nothing big. Trevino Park in the west and Long Park in the north are both known hunting spots for magical creatures.¡±
¡°There¡¯s also a junkyard a couple of miles to the south.¡± Roy said taking his bag from the car. ¡°We can purchase some stuff from there. You know, doc, instead of running to Under-Town every time we need scrap.¡±
Kaleb slapped his head. ¡°I forgot your dad worked with a bunch of junkyards.¡±
Roy shook his head, but Abby spoke up. ¡°But K-Tech has to have better stuff, right?¡±
Kaleb glanced back at his car wondering if the device in his tape deck could hear them. Instead, he just nodded and moved over to where Farrah and Daivor were working, near the back of the hangar. Halfway to them Hank gripped Roy¡¯s arm and forcefully dragged him into the nearby office. Claire and the others smirked as Roy looked at them pitifully.
Kaleb moved to where Daivor was working on something, Farrah standing nearby watching. The Gnome was cutting down several long metal pieces and placing them on the table. Kaleb guessed that Daivor was getting pieces for a frame cut up and ready. A frame for what, he didn¡¯t know. So he turned to ask Farrah.
¡°Apparently you have the pieces for an old fashion computer, but not a case. So Daivor offered to build one. Plus, we can use the radio dish you found for a D-Net hook-up. We¡¯ll have to hack our way onto the D-Net since we don¡¯t have access but it should be fine. Few people use it anymore, anyway.¡± Farrah explained.
Kaleb frowned. ¡°I was hoping to keep things somewhat legitimate.¡±
¡°He says after coming home after a night of stealing junk.¡± Two Gun muttered.
Kaleb shrugged and smiled. ¡°Yeah, but we will have to do things the right way if we want to file the paperwork for being a group of independent Supers. I imagine the HLO will use its influence to make our life difficult.¡±
¡°You mean your life.¡± Claire said.
Kaleb looked at her surprised until Claire clarified smirking. ¡°I mean, what if your name isn¡¯t on any of the paperwork? We may have left the HLO, but we were still in good standing with them.¡±
¡°It might work.¡± Kaleb said looking at the others.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Farrah nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea, but I¡¯d recommend using D34d-I or Mass. They have had the least amount of interaction with you. The others came in to register with you.¡±
Two Gun clapped his hands in agreement as Abby walked up to Farrah and marveled. ¡°The level of sophistication on these NPCs is amazing.¡±
Kaleb glanced at Farrah who was maintaining a straight face as Claire and Two Gun nodded. He didn¡¯t think Farrah could react while they were discussing game mechanics. He almost wanted to see how long she could stay like that, but he signed an NDA. So instead he smiled at Farrah and asked.
¡°Do you know anything about this area?¡±
Farrah gave him a grateful look before she responded. ¡°A little. The SPPD didn¡¯t do much out here because the Hunter¡¯s Association had a good grasp on things. When the HLO outbid them for the contract, they would assign random people out here to deal with monster incursions from the parks.¡±
Two Gun asked. ¡°So the HLO already holds the contract for out here?¡±
Farrah nodded. ¡°They did for a time, but a lot of the old HA members culled the parks themselves. Once they bought the contract back, they retired out here and they now take care of things themselves.¡±
Abby sighed and threw up her hands. ¡°So we still can¡¯t get the contract!¡± she shouted annoyed.
Kaleb scratched his jaw. ¡°Maybe we can, all we have to do is let the community know that giving us the contract will piss off the HLO. Besides dealing with a bunch of retired Supers has got to be better than dealing with the HLO.¡±
The others all nodded their heads in agreement and Kaleb asked Farrah another question. ¡°Think you can find D43d-I and Mass I forgot to write them letters the first time.¡±
Farrah smiled. ¡°I noticed, so I asked Chip to find them and explain the things from your letter.¡±
¡°So where are they?¡± Two Gun asked.
Claire shrugged. ¡°Maybe they didn¡¯t want to come.¡±
¡°Or maybe they aren¡¯t logged in.¡± Abby added.
¡°At least they know.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°And D43d-I can handle all the paperwork. Which leaves me to work on getting Farrah setup to run over-watch for us.¡±
Two Gun nodded in understanding. ¡°Then we get to go gallivanting off in this heat checking out the area and meeting the locals.¡±
Abby patted his shoulder consolingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our first stop can be that bar that is a couple streets north of here. Bars always have good info.¡±
¡°Only in some games, darling.¡± Claire said. ¡°Here, they may just be houses of drunken frivolity.¡±
Two Gun clapped his hands and rubbed them together. ¡°Both are good. So let¡¯s get to it. Professor, Ma¡¯am, we will be going.¡±
Kaleb smiled as he watched Abby and Two Gun hurrying toward the red hover car followed by Claire who was shaking her head at the pair. Farrah shook her own head before turning to watch Daivor magically cut another length of skinny metal. Seeing the Gnome Kaleb was reminded that he urgently needed to learn Summoning Magic.
¡°Is Jar-Lock here?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°No, he hasn¡¯t logged in yet.¡± Farrah said absently.
¡°Do you know where he put his books?¡±
Farrah turned to him curious. ¡°In his room. Why?¡±
¡°I really need to learn Summoning Magic. Otherwise Daivor will stay a Level 2 Builder Gnome.¡± Kaleb said as he moved toward the stairs.
He spared a glance toward the office and saw and Hank and Roy smiling and talking. Apparently whatever they had to talk about wasn¡¯t as dire as the rest of them had thought. Then again, they might have finished talking about the heavy stuff. Either way Kaleb was happy to have his assistant back. The boy would be a welcome helper.
Kaleb descended to the second floor and checked the rooms. Almost every room had a few items placed in them. But when he found Jar-lock¡¯s room he found an almost fully furnished room. Kaleb almost wanted to curse the Mage¡¯s dimensional magic. Kaleb guessed that Jar-lock had brought a lot of stuff from home with his magic. Kaleb moved to one of the many shelves and looked for a book on summoning.
Kaleb was engrossed in the various titles when a sudden booming voice startled him. ¡°WHO DARES ENTER MY ALMIGHTY SANCTUM!¡±
Kaleb jumped up and reached for his gun while turning toward the voice. As he turned, he stared into the grinning face of Jar-lock. Motes of light were still cascading off the large man showing that he had only just logged in. Kaleb exhaled loudly and shook his head at Jar-lock¡¯s antics.
¡°Funny, jackass. Where¡¯s your book on Summoning?¡±
Jar-lock¡¯s chuckling echoed deep into his chest and he kept smiling as he walked over to another shelf and pulled out a book. Kaleb took it gratefully and then left the room followed by a beaming Jar-lock.
¡°Almighty Sanctum, my ass.¡± Kaleb grumbled as he climbed the stairs.
¡°If you had been a cat, I would still be trying to pry you off the ceiling.¡± Jar-lock chuckled from behind him.
Kaleb ignored the man and marched over toward Farrah and Daivor. He found Hank and Roy watching the Gnome with interest. Daivor was welding the pieces of the frame together using a magical flame from his finger. Somehow the Gnome had conjured a tiny pair of goggles and he was staring straight at his work as the others hovered nearby. Kaleb thought the Gnome looked annoyed at all the attention he was getting.
¡°Hey, Professor.¡± Hank said pulling his eyes away. ¡°I think I will head home and let the missus know what¡¯s been going on. Roy has elected to stay but the same old rules still apply: No Super work until he is 18.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fair. I don¡¯t know how long the paperwork will take, anyway. Until then he can make himself useful here.¡±
Kaleb glanced around at the assorted junk Daivor and Farrah had dragged off the dump truck. Roy looked around at it too an odd mix of excitement and horror on his face. Kaleb thought Roy knew what his first job would be. Hank asked Roy to drive him to the gate so he could get a taxi and Jar-lock and Kaleb turned back to Daivor and Farrah.
¡°Ok so the first step is¡¡± Kaleb trailed off as he flipped through his book.
¡°The Familiar contract.¡± Jar-lock hopefully provided.
Kaleb nodded agreeably. ¡°Which we have already, so the next step¡¡±
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°Is to charge your link with Mana.¡±
¡°Yes¡ our link.¡± Kaleb gave Jar-lock a pleading look.
The large mage sighed and took the book back from Kaleb. Flipping through a few pages, Jar-lock eventually found the one he wanted and read from its pages. ¡°Once you have established the link between Master and Familiar, the Master must send a pulse of his power through the link.¡±
Closing the book Jar-lock added. ¡°So all you need to do is use your Mana Vision or Astral Eyes to see the link then charge it with your power.¡±
Kaleb nodded along and placed his hands on his hips. When Jar-lock finished explaining Kaleb asked. ¡°Mana Vision, yeah. How do I do that?¡±
Jar-lock sighed and placed a large hand on Kaleb¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Ok, seems like you need the beginners Intro to Magic crash course.¡±
Kaleb gulped as Jar-lock steered him toward the office and laughed. ¡°Magic School is in.¡±
Chapter 99 - Gnome Ding
Kaleb sat in the office being lectured by Jar-lock. Kaleb had been running on the idea that intention plus Mana equals Magic. Turns out he wasn¡¯t far off. According to Jar-lock, Jack-Mages could learn any spell but could not increase the power of that spell. They had to create and cast a whole new spell every time.
So for a normal Wizard, Warlock, or other type of Mage they would cast an Icicle spell then level that spell up. For Jar-lock and himself they would have the normal icicle spell than multiple other spells based on the icicle spell.
¡°So like a small icicle, a medium icicle, and then a large icicle spell?¡± Kaleb asked.
Jar-lock gave a halfhearted nod. ¡°Kind of, but say a Warlock spends SP to add spikes to his Icicle Spell. We can do that without having to spend SP, all it cost us is a small MP increase. Other Mage types spend SP to enhance or change spells, Jack-Mages can just do it. With an increase in Mana consumption so I recommend leveling the Mana Manipulation Skill ASAP.¡±
¡°Yeah, so uh¡ that¡¯s a lot of spells to keep track of.¡± Kaleb said trying to gloss over him not having the Mana Manipulation skill.
Jar-lock didn¡¯t look like he was fooled but he let it slide. ¡°That¡¯s what your Spell Book is for.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he surreptitiously tried to open his status window. He tabbed over to his Spell Book and his eyes widened in surprise. It saved every variant of spell he had used in the book. Fire Ball, Fire Bullet, Explosion, Icicle, Electricity, and a few others. They were all saved in the book, and each had a small bar next to them.
¡°Take it out.¡± Jar-lock said.
Kaleb just gave him a strange look causing Jar-lock to sigh and explain. ¡°Reach your hand toward the tab then click yes.¡±
Kaleb did as Jar-lock instructed and got a window asking if he wanted to pull the tab out as a book. Clicking yes, a small tome popped into existence in his hands. Kaleb thumbed through the pages seeing the same information he saw in the tab. Jar-lock moved around behind him and looked at the book over Kaleb¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Wow, not a lot of variety. Just a bunch of elemental spells.¡±
¡°They work best with my Magic Gun.¡± Kaleb said defensively.
Jar-lock gave Kaleb a curious look, so Kaleb reached into his lab coat pocket and pulled out the bulky Magic Gun. Jar-lock picked the gun up and looked it over as Kaleb asked his own question.
¡°What¡¯s the bar next to every spell?¡±
¡°Mastery. Each time you fill the bar you get a star, three stars means you¡¯ve mastered the spell.¡± Jar-lock answered weighing the Magic Gun in his hand.
¡°We have to master each spell?!¡±
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°Not really, but each level of mastery gives a damage boost and decreases the amount of Mana needed. What is this made of?¡±
Kaleb looked up and saw Jar-lock spinning the large bone white cylinder of the Magic Gun. ¡°Ifirt bone. So as we come up with new spells and use them the book records them?¡±
Jar-lock pointed the gun out the window and squeezed the trigger, when nothing happened he frowned. ¡°Yep. We can either come up with the spell ourselves or read spell books for normal spells. The key to the Jack-Mage is its versatility and ability to combine various spells.¡±
Kaleb took the gun away from Jar-lock, giving him a dirty look. ¡°Don¡¯t fire that inside!¡± Pocketing the gun he asked. ¡°What combinations?¡±
Jar-lock grinned and tilted his head toward the door. ¡°Let¡¯s head outside. I¡¯ll explain and you can show me how that gun works.¡±
Kaleb nodded, and the pair exited the office then the hangar. Traveling a short distance away they found a small hill that would work as a backstop. Kaleb drew his Magic Gun, aimed at the small hill, and fired. He had pictured a small fire bullet as he poured Mana into the gun. The amplifier in the gun''s chamber spun loudly before a red blur exited the barrel and slammed into the dirt hill.
¡°Picture the spell you want, focus your Mana into the gun, then pull the mental trigger so to speak.¡± Kaleb explained.
Jar-lock took the gun and grinned. ¡°And fire and ice spells are all you can come up with? Dude, expand your horizons.¡±
Jar-lock aimed a little over the nearby hill and stayed still for a few seconds. Kaleb heard the amplifier spinning up as Jar-lock¡¯s arm suddenly lurched back. He heard a small thump come from the gun as a large brown stone was launched from it and arced over the hill. Just as he fell around the back of the hill the brown stone exploded sending chunks of earth everywhere.
Kaleb turned and stared at Jar-lock questioningly. Jar-lock laughed and handed the gun back over to Kaleb. ¡°It¡¯s a custom spell I made up called Earth Grenade. It¡¯s a standard Stone Spell with an Explosion Spell inside it. We get bonuses if the spell we create hasn¡¯t been done before and since we are the only two Jack-Mages in the game so far¡¡±
Kaleb nodded understandingly as Jar-lock trailed off. ¡°But that can¡¯t be the first time someone has exploded a stone spell.¡±
¡°NPC spells don¡¯t count, only other player¡¯s spells. Warlock¡¯s can get an Exploding Stone Spell, but that¡¯s purely an Earth type spell. I combined that with the Fire type Explosion spell and boom!¡± Jar-lock smiled.
Kaleb raised his Magic Gun and tried to copy Jar-lock¡¯s spell. He focused on a stone with an explosion inside and channeled his Mana. Once he was sure of his aim and he had poured in enough Mana, he pulled the trigger. The small stone flew almost the same arc as Jar-lock¡¯s shot exploding just over the top of the hill. But when it did Kaleb double over in pain and gripped his head in his hands.
¡°FUCK!¡± Kaleb screamed.
He quickly checked his MP as he tried to breathe through the pain. His Mana had dropped to 10 out of 110. 100 hundred Mana! Kaleb thought as the pain slowly subsided and his MP came back. Jar-lock put a hand on his shoulder consolingly.
¡°Dude, your MP must suck.¡± Jar-lock said.
¡°100 points!¡± Kaleb screamed indignantly.
Jar-lock nodded. ¡°It¡¯s only 45 for me. But that¡¯s with me having one star in it and having created it. Plus the little bonuses from Mana Manipulation.¡±
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Kaleb stood and inhaled deeply as the pain in his temples disappeared. ¡°How do you already have a star in mastery?¡±
¡°I created the spell so mastery is easier.¡± Jar-lock said shrugging. ¡°But, picture and Icicle spell on fire or an Electricity spell that froze people! And that¡¯s just offensive spells, imagine the possibilities for defensive ones.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he tried to remember the various spells he had seen. For some reason, Diana Torero¡¯s fire whip spell came to mind. He wanted to try it but thought he should wait a few minutes for his MP to recover. Jar-lock fired off a few more spells from Kaleb¡¯s Magic Gun as Kaleb waited.
¡°I think this thing takes the spell up a tier.¡± Jar-lock said as a Fire Ball flew into the dirt hill. ¡°If I try a small Fire Ball it shoots a medium one. Try a medium-sized Icicle Spell and I get a large one. It takes some getting used to.¡±
¡°Want me to build you one?¡± Kaleb asked, but Jar-lock shook his head.
¡°I enjoy tossing the spells with my own hands. It¡¯s a great feeling.¡±
Kaleb nodded and checked his MP. Deciding that he had enough, he stepped away from Jar-lock and focused his Mana into his hand and pictured a whip made of fire. The yellow Mana in his hand turn red and coiled outward in the shape of a rope. Kaleb smiled as the fire whip solidified in his hand, pulling his arm back he got ready to flick the whip out. But suddenly his vision darkened and pain flared in his head. Next thing he knew he was looking up at the blue sky from his back.
¡°Fuck Magic!¡± Kaleb said massaging his temples.
Jar-lock grinned staring down at Kaleb. ¡°You just need to raise your Mana Pool and stop trying to do spells that are beyond your current Mana capacity.¡±
¡°How am I supposed to guess that?¡± Kaleb whined as he stood back up.
¡°I got a skill called Magical Knowledge by reading through some of my Magic books. It lets me gauge how powerful a spell is. Not in any specific terms but I get a general idea. Add to that the big MP increase Mana Manipulation gives you and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±
¡°Damn it, Jar-lock, I¡¯m an inventor not a squishy Mage.¡± Kaleb joked before asking. ¡°So how do I learn this Mana Manipulation skill?¡±
Jar-lock sighed. ¡°First off: none of this is squishy.¡± He said waving at his large frame. ¡°Second: Mana Manipulation comes from¡ well, manipulating your Mana.¡±
¡°Both of those sentences sound dirty.¡±
¡°Dude, I¡¯m serious. All you have to do is control your Mana outside of using spells. Shape your Mana into different forms, circulate it throughout your body, don¡¯t push it or force it, just let it flow throughout your entire being.¡± Jar-lock explained.
¡°Fine, next chance I get, I¡¯ll focus on getting the Mana Manipulation skill. For now, I¡¯m going back inside and building something.¡± Kaleb groused.
Jar-lock shrugged his shoulders and passed back Kaleb¡¯s Magic Gun. The pair headed back toward the hangar. On the way Kaleb spotted his parked car and remembered the device the HLO had planted in it. He tapped Jar-lock¡¯s shoulder and lead him over to the car. Once they were next to the driver side door Kaleb whispered.
¡°I forgot to mention: I think the HLO bugged my car. Can you figure out what kind of device it is?¡±
¡°Maybe, if I¡¯m familiar with the device or its common. But if it¡¯s a rare device, the Identify spell may fail. Where is it?¡± Jar-lock whispered back.
Kaleb pointed just above his tape deck. ¡°It¡¯s inside the console sitting just on top of the radio.¡±
Jar-lock nodded and got into the driver seat placing his hands on top of the console. He closed his eyes and Kaleb thought he felt a pulse of Magic tremor through the air. Jar-lock held that pose for almost a minute before he drew his hands away and got out of the car.
¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s high tech and draws power from the radio. It¡¯s powered down right now though, so it must only turn on when the car is on.¡± Jar-lock said in a normal tone.
¡°But no idea what it is?¡±
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°None.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Looks like I will have to take it out of there then.¡±
Jar-lock looked like he agreed and the pair went into the hangar. They found Roy helping Farrah and Daivor build their computer. Daivor was giving instructions to Farrah who passed them to Roy. They had the frame built, and they were now toying around how everything would fit inside. Seeing Daivor reminded Kaleb of why he and Jar-lock had started their lesson to begin with.
Kaleb saw that the thought had just occurred to Jar-lock as well. The big Mage turned to Kaleb and said. ¡°Focus your Mana in your eyes.¡±
Kaleb was a little gun shy after his last two tries at new magic. But he trusted Jar-lock and focused his Mana. He felt the Mana in his body pass up through his stomach and chest until he settled near his face. Opening his eyes he found that the world looked much the same except now a rainbow of colors cascaded around Daivor. Jar-lock must have sensed Kaleb had done what he asked because he said.
¡°Now look at the link that connects you and Daivor.¡±
Kaleb found the link, it was a white rope that seemed to connect to a point from just above his naval to Daivor¡¯s chest. Kaleb glanced at Jar-lock for the next set of instructions.
¡°Now grasp it in your hands and send a pulse of Mana through it.¡±
Kaleb did as Jar-lock instructed and sent a small pulse of his yellow Mana through the white line. With his new Mana Vision he watched as his Mana traveled through the line and right into Daivor. The Gnome jolted as the Mana hit him and he looked over at Kaleb narrowing his eyes.
¡°Oi! By a Gnome dinner first.¡±
Farrah chuckled as Kaleb shook his head. A blue window popped up into Kaleb¡¯s vision after the Mana hit Daivor.
*Congratulations*
You have confirmed the link between you and your Familiar.
You can now level up your Familiar on its Character Page.
You can now banish or summon your Familiar.
The number of Summons is limited by your Summoning Skill.
Summoning Skill Unlocked.
Summoning Skill Beginner Lvl 1 ¡ª You can summon or bind magical beings to work for you. Success depends on the Summoners MP and disposition of the being summoned or bound. Some magical creatures may try and trick the Summoner into granting it even more power. Others may acknowledge the Summoner willingly.
Number of Summons: 1/1
MP increased by 15
*Daivor Leveled up*
Crafting increased to 3
Alarm increased to 2
Please select a new Skill: [Alien Knowledge 1], [Build Speed 1], or [Gnome Workshop]
Kaleb looked at each skill, the first two were obvious. But he wasn¡¯t sure what Gnome Workshop was. As he pondered his choices, the selections slid apart, and the system gave him a tool tip about each.
Alien Knowledge 1 ¡ª The Gnome is granted basic knowledge on the Alien races machinery and equipment. They can identify and build simple items from across the stars.
Build Speed 1 ¡ª It increases the speed at which the Builder Gnome can build things. It also grants them a bonus to their endurance so they can stay awake longer to build things.
Gnome Workshop ¡ª The Gnome Home is upgraded into a Gnome Workshop. Once every 12 hours a simple item will be generated from the workshop. It will design the item to help the Builder Gnome do his job more efficiently. The player can tear duplicate items down for parts or put back into the Workshop.
Kaleb grimaced. It was a tough choice. He wanted the speed or Alien upgrade, but Workshop could also be a huge help to Daivor. He also didn¡¯t know if he could choose this upgrades again. Turning to Jar-lock he asked.
¡°Can I pick a skill for Daivor later if I don¡¯t choose it now?¡±
¡°He already leveled up?!¡± Jar-lock asked surprised. When Kaleb nodded Jar-lock rubbed his chin in thought. ¡°If I remember right, the skills will shuffle with each level up. But eventually you should be able to get them all. But that was for the Lesser Ifrit. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same for a Builder Gnome.¡±
Kaleb frowned and reread the entries for each skill. If he could eventually get them all anyway, then his choice didn¡¯t really matter. But if not then he would have to be happy with what he got. Sighing loudly, Kaleb went with his gut and made his selection.
Chapter 100 - The Price of Business
Kaleb kept his eyes on the Daivor¡¯s Gnome Home, waiting to see what would change. The small brick house remained the same for a few seconds before a bright white light engulfed it. The light faded, and the house looked almost the same, except now there was a large metal conveyor belt strapped next to the chimney. Kaleb grinned and moved past Jar-lock as the belt started up. He was about to get his first item from the Gnome Workshop.
Kaleb crouched down as the chimney smoked and the conveyor belt whined. A small hatch opened on the side of the chimney and it spit out a small brown paper package onto the conveyor belt. Kaleb caught the package before it fell off the belt and stood back up.
¡°Whoa! Things kind of heavy.¡± Kaleb said as he moved over to Daivor and the others.
Farrah and Roy had stopped working as the Workshop turned on. But Daivor was still fiddling with a few bits of copper tubing on the workbench. Kaleb placed the package in front of Daivor who looked up surprised. He grinned up at Kaleb through his bushy beard.
¡°Aww, you shouldn¡¯t have.¡±
Kaleb smiled back and moved to take the package back. ¡°Oh? Okay then.¡±
Daivor batted Kaleb¡¯s hand away and grumbled. ¡°Smart-ass lizard. It ain¡¯t polite to take back a gift.¡±
Daivor tore at the brown paper packaging and pulled out its contents smiling the whole time. Kaleb¡¯s own expression went from delight to confusion as he saw what was in the package. It looked like a rigging vest used for mountain climbing crossed with a tactical vest.
The vest had multiple pockets, metal loops, small cabling over a shoulder, and even reflector panels. Daivor looked like he couldn¡¯t be happier but Kaleb was still trying to suss out what the thing was. It didn¡¯t look like he was the only one, Roy, Farrah and Jar-lock all moved closer to get a better look at the vest. As Daivor put it on, Roy asked what they were all wondering.
¡°What is it?¡±
Daivor looked up at them still smiling as he worked his arms through the straps. ¡°It¡¯s a rigging vest, it stores all my equipment and makes it easier for me to work on big projects.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t your little chariot already do that?¡± Kaleb asked after he repeated Daivor¡¯s answer for the others.
Daivor waved the question off. ¡°Bah! That thing is for travel, this vest is for work. The cabling has been enchanted, so it will grow to what I need and¡¡± Daivor took a running leap off the side of the table. Halfway through his fall he shot out a tiny arm, sending a line of cable up and attaching itself to the top of the table. Daivor swung from the cable, using his momentum to carry his small frame back up and on top of the workbench.
¡°I can do that.¡± Daivor finished.
¡°So grappling hook, and tool chest? It¡¯s neat, but are you sure you want to keep it?¡± Kaleb asked.
Daivor squinted up at Kaleb as he adjusted the vest¡¯s straps. ¡°Of course.¡±
Kaleb shrugged, to him the vest wasn¡¯t that great a pull. But luckily, in another 12 hours he would get another bit of equipment. Plus, Daivor seemed happy, so he was fine with letting things be.
Kaleb stretched his arms above his head and yawned. Now that things had calmed down somewhat, he realized he was running on 3 hours of sleep. He needed to crash then he could wake up and start on making more rooms for their base. Jar-lock, Farrah, and Roy gave him odd looks but Daivor seemed understanding.
¡°Go get some sleep boss. Me and the kid can handle things for a few hours.¡± Daivor said still playing with the straps on his new vest.
Kaleb nodded and told the others. ¡°I¡¯m gonna crash in the office for a few hours.¡± Turning to Roy he added. ¡°Just help Daivor get Farrah¡¯s command center set up for now.¡±
¡°That will be difficult with you and her being the only two who can understand him.¡± Roy responded sounding a little miffed.
Kaleb gave an exasperated sigh and looked down at Daivor. The Gnome shrugged his shoulders and looked unapologetic.
¡°What?! She¡¯s a hot bunny, and he¡¯s a young boy. Who would you choose?¡±
Farrah smirked, but said. ¡°Pig.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his eyes. ¡°Okay, just make sure that Roy gets your next¡ dusting.¡±
Daivor huffed and went back to his copper pipes. Jar-lock smiled at them all before turning to Kaleb. ¡°I¡¯ll go to city hall and grab any paperwork we need to legitimize this whole thing. It will go smoother if we have a better idea of the hoops we have to jump through.¡±
¡°Thanks, Jar-lock. Could you also get the paperwork for establishing a Super Group? Best to get it all out of the way at once.¡±
¡°Sure. But, I¡¯m taking your car.¡± Jar-lock smiled.
¡°Go ahead. That just may confuse the fuck out of the HLO for a few minutes.¡± Kaleb laughed as he moved toward the hangar office.
Once he was inside the office, he closed the large window¡¯s blinds. As he bundled up his lab coat to use as a pillow, Kaleb thought. Next step is setting up my room, and a damn bed. Suddenly, Kaleb remembered something and jumped up and grabbed the office phone.
¡°Yeah, boss?¡± Bob asked when he picked up.
¡°There¡¯s a duck and a strongman coming to join our little party. Please let them in when they get here.¡± Kaleb explained.
Bob chuckled. ¡°Sounds like the start of a joke, but I¡¯ll keep an eye out.¡±
¡°Thanks, Bob.¡± Kaleb said before they exchanged goodbyes and hung up.
Kaleb went back to his spot on the floor and laid down, closing his eyes letting sleep take him.
He awoke some time later to the sounds of rustling papers coming from the desk. He took a few seconds to get his bearings as he momentarily forgot where he was. Rubbing his eyes he heard a familiar noise followed by a mechanical voice.
*Quack*
¡°Oh, good. you¡¯re awake. I have some things to discuss with you.¡±
Kaleb rolled his tongue around his mouth and barely listened to D34d-I¡¯s mechanical voice. He stood and scratched his head, seeing that the duck had made himself at home at the office desk. Kaleb sniffed and rubbed his face, freezing in place when a rich aroma wafted through his nose. Quickly searching the room, Kaleb¡¯s eyes locked on a small black mug set in front of D34d-I.
Seeing his gaze, D34d-I pointed to a nearby corner where someone had set up his coffee maker. Kaleb made a beeline for it as D34d-I spoke.
*Quack*
¡°I¡¯ve been going over the paperwork we need to create our Business and it is fairly straightforward. We apply for a State License and a Business Permit and then go from there.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he poured himself of hot coffee. D34d-I continued when Kaleb didn¡¯t interrupt.
*Quack*
¡°I recommend we go with an LLC just to protect each member from any liabilities we may incur during our work. We will also need to have a general meeting where we can all agree on an Operational Agreement and a name for the LLC.¡±
Kaleb blinded nodded again as he tilted his head back and took a gulp of the steaming liquid. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡± Kaleb sighed loudly.
D34d-I just shook his head and shifted the papers on the desk.
*Quack*
¡°All of that will require a hefty sum. But I think we can roll it into one when we create our Super Group and get a lot of those fees waived temporarily.¡±
Stretching his arms above his head, Kaleb moved to the desk and looked at all the paperwork spread out on the desk. D34d-I had been busy as he had written notes on all the documents.
*Quack*
¡°That leads me to our finances. With the 8 of us all chipping in we have a sizable nest egg, no jokes please, of around 75k. Now 20k of that will go to getting the correct permits and licenses all squared away along with the Super Group fee. Once we complete those, I recommend we spend another 30k on getting our Headquarters up to code. Leaving another 25k for emergencies.¡±
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Kaleb frowned. ¡°Will thirty be enough? The Command Center alone was twelve thousand.¡±
*Quack*
¡°Thank you for joining the conversation. For the bare minimum¡ 30k should just about do it. We need to prove that we can house, train, and care for our members all while providing coverage for our selected district.¡±
¡°How will we make money? Per crime or a monthly sum?¡± Kaleb asked taking another sip of coffee.
*Quack*
¡°That choice is up to us. Any large sum of money we find, goes to the city. But they can pay us on a per crime stopped basis or as a monthly sum based on the size and crime rate of our district.¡± D34d-I said sipping his own coffee and following Kaleb with his eyes.
Kaleb rubbed the back of his head and asked, conspiratorially. ¡°And the small sums?¡±
D34d-I set his coffee down and gazed hard at Kaleb before speaking.
*Quack*
¡°I recommend we turn those over to the city. After filing the papers they will give us a 30 day temporary permit to work our district. After the thirty days an Overseer from city hall will visit us. They will go over our facilities and our finances with a fine-tooth comb.¡±
Kaleb sighed loudly. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money to just give up. Especially if we aren¡¯t sure how much we¡¯ll get paid for our district.¡±
D34d-I shook his head.
*Quack*
¡°There¡¯s a bigger problem.¡± When Kaleb gave him a curious stare D34d-I continued. ¡°Anyone can see that they designed this pay structure to give businesses like ours less money as crime goes down. Choking us financially. We need to grow and take on more districts quickly which will overwork our members and we will flounder.¡±
¡°Why would they do that?¡±
*Quack*
¡°It didn¡¯t use to be this way. The pay structure changed when the state granted the HLO the rights to all found money and equipment at crime scenes. No other company has that right. If we want to stay in business, we have to change the law or have the same rights granted to us.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure that will be easy.¡± He said sarcastically opening the window blinds and looking out at the hangar.
D34d-I shuffled some papers on the desk before he stood.
*Quack*
¡°Some good news: Being a Super Group will garner us a decent amount of press and we can use that to ingratiate us to the community, which will help. On top of that: Two Gun and the others found out a lot of interesting things about our little neighborhood.¡±
¡°Such as?¡±
*Quack*
¡°Well, that bar they went to is apparently run by biker group called The Demons. According to Abby they are named accurately. And later when they traveled around there was a Monster Rush from the park in the north. Several players and people in the community quelled it but it appears to be a common problem.¡±
Kaleb nodded as D34d-I stood next to him. ¡°So the neighborhood will keep us busy at least.¡±
D34d-I nodded and moved to back to the desk. Kaleb saw the bone white revolver he had made for the duck in D34d-I¡¯s hip holster as he moved. He smiled as he moved back to the coffee machine to get another drink. D34d-I gathered a few documents and held them up for Kaleb.
*Quack*
¡°I filled these out as much as I could but some things we need to go over with the rest of the group. Company name, Super Group name, Team colors, Hierarchy. Things like that.¡±
Kaleb filled his mug and took the papers giving them a cursory glance. ¡°Ok then, lets get to it.¡±
D34d-I nodded his agreement, and the pair left the office together. Kaleb had seen Roy and Farrah working on something on the other side of the Mechanic¡¯s Room. As they exited the office Kaleb saw Abby, Claire and Jar-lock standing around eating sandwiches. He was about to ask about Mass when a loud sound drew his attention outside.
*Boom*
A small dust cloud kicked up in the afternoon sun as Kaleb watched the large Mass Jump and spin in the air. The over-sized muscle-man was throwing himself in the air and spinning around like a top. Kaleb could see that Mass was also wearing his new armor and gloves. Following Kaleb¡¯s gaze D34d-I quickly turned back to him and quacked.
*Quack*
¡°That reminds me, we have to talk about the equipment you made.¡± Kaleb tilted his head as D34d-I grinned with his duck¡¯s bill. ¡°Mass gets weapons AND armor!? All I got are two heavy ass guns.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°He is bigger than you.¡± Turning to Claire he asked. ¡°Where¡¯s Two Gun? We need to have a company meeting.¡±
Claire swallowed the piece of sandwich in her mouth before replying. ¡°He is downstairs rearranging our new furniture in our room. Which reminds me: We must discuss the room sizes as soon as possible. I fear our room is too small for two people.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll put it on the list.¡± Kaleb said sighing, turning to Jar-lock he asked. ¡°And Vivienne?¡±
The big man shrugged. ¡°She hasn¡¯t logged in today yet.¡±
¡°Well, we have enough for a quorum.¡± Kaleb said as he moved around the large pile of junk that was in front of the Mechanics Room.
¡°Quorum?¡± Abby asked.
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, my dad used to say it.¡±
*Quack*
¡°It means that we have enough members to have a valid meeting. Surprisingly, he used it correctly.¡± D34d-I¡¯s robot voice said as they all followed Kaleb.
Claire took off toward the stairs to get Two Gun. As the group moved past the Mechanics Room Kaleb saw Farrah, Roy and Daivor all hovered around a small monitor. Roy was holding a small radar dish as Daivor and Farrah watched the monitor¡¯s screen, murmuring quietly. Kaleb could see the small metal computer, the trio had built humming away just beneath the monitor.
¡°No twist it back the other way.¡± Farrah commanded looking up to Roy.
The boy gave a long-suffering sigh and twisted to his right. Daivor tapped a few keys on a keyboard that was missing a good deal keys already. The keyboard looked to be on the very edge of the computer case. Farrah watched lines of code trickle down the screen until she saw something that made her jump and scream.
¡°YES! That¡¯s it! Hold it there, Roy.¡±
¡°Can you hack through it before the signal moves again?¡± Daivor asked.
Farrah nodded, her long ears wobbling excitedly. ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡±
¡°AHEM!¡± D34d-I coughed loudly. The trio turned, including Roy, which caused the other two to yell at him. But D34d-I cut them all off.
*Quack*
¡°Please refrain from any illegal behavior while we are trying to create a legitimate business please. We can file the paperwork for a subscription to the city¡¯s D-Net.¡±
Daivor stuck out his tongue as Farrah crossed her arms and grumbled. ¡°Sure, if you wanna pay the monthly charge.¡±
D34d-I rolled his eyes.
*Quack*
¡°We do.¡±
I didn¡¯t know ducks could roll theirs eyes. Kaleb thought as Claire returned with Two Gun. Seeing the group altogether Farrah got a curious look on her face. But it was Roy who asked while he was carefully putting the radar dish down.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
Kaleb rubbed his hands together as he addressed them all. ¡°We have some things we need to discuss as a group. Simple things, really. Team mascot, uniforms, how to conduct ourselves at picnics that sort of thing.¡±
D34d-I rubbed his temples and corrected Kaleb.
*Quack*
¡°We need to discuss our Operational Agreement, we need to name our LLC and our Super Group, we have to consider a hierarchy, and we have to discuss how we want to be paid by the city.¡±
Two Gun thrust his thumbs into the front of his pants and said. ¡°Well, only one of those things actually sounds important.¡±
Jar-lock nodded as Abby quipped. ¡°Everyone in favor of team Super Fluffy Fun Bears!?¡±
Abby grinned and raised her hand as Two Gun gave her a withering look. ¡°Ok. Two things on that list are important.¡±
*Quack*
¡°It¡¯s all important. Now everyone gather round so we can discuss things like adults.¡± D34d-I¡¯s mechanical voice rang out in the hangar.
¡°Including you!¡± He said to Daivor. The Gnome looked like he was about to use his new rigging vest to climb the wall into the Mechanics Room.
Daivor got a sour look on his face and grumbled as he changed targets and threw his cable at Kaleb¡¯s shoulder. The end of the cable spread out and grasped on Kaleb¡¯s shoulder like a spider¡¯s webbing and Daivor launched himself onto Kaleb¡¯s shoulder. Kaleb felt a slight tug from the cable but stayed upright as Daivor made himself comfortable.
¡°I blame you!¡± Daivor said as he sat down and crossed his arms.
Kaleb sighed and looked back at his circle of friends. Hopefully, the meeting wouldn¡¯t be too long. There was a lot to do.
Chapter 101 - Meetings and Emergencies
¡°For the last time!¡± Abby shouted. ¡°We are not calling our team The Cowboys.¡±
¡°Why not?¡± Two gun asked.
¡°Well, aside from most cowboys being giant racist, sexist, psychopaths. The other problem I have with the word cowBOYS is that three of us are women.¡± Abby huffed loudly.
*Quack*
¡°Maybe we should have left the team name for last.¡± D34d-I said as they all sat or leaned on something in the hangar.
They had been talking about things for almost two hours. They agreed on an Operational Agreement for their new LLC, a hierarchy for the group, and were currently discussing names for their Super Group. It was proving to be the hardest discussion to come to an agreement on. Some of them took the naming way too seriously. While others took it as an exercise in ridiculousness. Kaleb tuned out when Daivor wanted to name the team The Fancy Prancers.
Two Gun sighed in exasperation. ¡°Cowboy is a JOB! It has nothing to do with the gender of the person doing the job. Cowboys would tend to cattle and do a bunch of other menial task on a ranch.¡±
¡°So you admit they were racist and sexist!?¡± Abby yelled.
¡°I do, but that was a sign of the times. You grow up in a racist and sexist environment, you will be racist and sexist. I¡¯m not saying we all lose sense. What I¡¯m saying is we honor the memory of the people that helped build this state.¡± Two Gun said.
¡°Yeah, on the backs of the Mexicans and the Indians.¡± Abby muttered.
Two Gun looked ready to continue the argument. But Claire placed her green hand on his shoulder. ¡°Perhaps we should revisit this conversation at another time? Let''s move to the next item on our list.¡±
She glanced hopefully at D34d-I and Kaleb. D34d-I nodded his head and said one word.
*Quack*
¡°Pay.¡±
Kaleb rotated his shoulders. ¡°Okay, so we can take a lump sum once a month based on the crime rate in our district or they can pay us per crime.¡±
¡°Per crime.¡± Two Gun gave his vote still sounding angry.
¡°What¡¯s our district?¡± Jar-lock asked.
Kaleb looked to D34d-I who said.
*Quack*
¡°We are just barely inside the limits of Austin. So we have a smaller chunk of the pie, so to speak. Unfortunately, that does not include Trevino Park. But we get everything north of the 969 all the way to and including Metro park. That is the area I recommend and the one we placed on the forms.¡±
¡°Stretching to where?¡± Abby asked.
D34d-I seemed to search his memory before answering. ¡°Decker Lane and the 130 Highway¡±
¡°That¡¯s right next to Hornsby.¡± Kaleb said rubbing his chin in thought.
¡°So?¡± Asked Roy who sat on a large cylinder of metal from Kaleb¡®s junk pile.
¡°So, Maybe¡¡± Kaleb trialed off again before suddenly snapping his gaze to D34d-I. ¡°Can we take work in Hornsby?¡±
*Quack*
¡°Uhhhh, I don¡¯t know. Technically, that is under the jurisdiction of Bastrop not Austin. So the laws would be different.¡±
¡°Can you look into it? If it works out, we can work in Hornsby Bend.¡± Kaleb said, smiling.
Two Gun removed his stetson and wiped his forehead. ¡°Damn, son. We are only 8 people, we can¡¯t patrol two counties.¡±
Farrah nodded adding. ¡°Not to mention we have no way of monitoring the district we will have.¡±
¡°Yeah, but we have some stuff for a few basic drones and maybe a few monitors.¡± Kaleb said glancing around at his pile of junk.
He tapped Daivor with a finger. The Gnome had fallen asleep on his shoulder and as snoring loudly. When Kaleb woke him, Daivor rolled onto a shoulder and mumbled. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Got plenty.¡±
D34d-I stared for a second before shaking his head.
*Quack*
¡°To pull us back to the conversation. I recommend we go with the lump sum option. It will make our financials easier to track and we can watch it fluctuate. Tracking multiple payments from the city based on where and who we take down will be a nightmare.¡±
Jar-lock shrugged his massive shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to agree with our Financial Adviser.¡±
¡°Make sure you mark it down, HISTORIAN.¡± Abby groused.
She had been in a mood ever since Jar-lock won the vote to be the team Historian. It seemed like she wanted that job. Instead, she they voted her to be the head of Intelligence for the group. She didn¡¯t argue, but she didn¡¯t appear happy either. Farrah was communications, and Two Gun and Claire were in charge of Training both weapons and hand-to-hand. They voted Kaleb as the group mechanic and that left Vivienne stuck as the group medic.
Roy had initially raised a fuss about not being recognized as a part of the group. But D34d-I mentioned that he was still underage, so he had to be an intern for now. The group promised to make him their first full-fledged member once he turned eighteen.
Jar-lock just rolled his eyes at Abby¡¯s sniping and looked to the others. Claire nodded her head in agreement and Two Gun also raised his hands, not wanting to argue. Kaleb and the others all seemed to agree, So D34d-I marked something down on a piece of paper he had picked up.
*Quack*
¡°Okay, so that leaves us with¡¡±
Something cut d34d-I off as a rhythmic thudding approached them. Turning as one the group saw Mass running toward them, a lopsided grin on his face. The ground vibrations mirrored the large man¡¯s steps to a tee. Claire snorted a laugh as Mass skidded to a stop next to them.
¡°Was he skipping?¡± Claire asked Kaleb from the corner of her mouth.
Kaleb just nodded as Mass seemed to vibrate with excited energy. Mass scanned their group till he found D34d-I. Head bopping like and excited puppy the big man said.
¡°Duck, there is something funny happening to the ground.¡±
D34d-I groaned as he responded.
*Quack*
¡°Stop jumping around then. You''re the one making the ground shake, big guy.¡±
Mass got a confused look on his face before he ducked his head like a misbehaving dog. ¡°But¡ jumping is fun.¡±
*Quack*
¡°I know it is, but when you do the ground shakes. So you can do it, but remember that you are the funny thing that is happening to the ground.¡± D34d-I said, sighing loudly.
¡°I¡¯m funny?¡± Mass said a grin plastered on his tombstone of a face.
The group all nodded in agreement before the large man ran back outside. The ground vibrated with each step until Mass was far enough away. Kaleb and the others turned to D34d-I, who just shook his head and smiled. Coughing and readjusting his ammo belt, D34d-I tried to pick up where he left off.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
*Quack*
¡°So Group and Company name. As I said before: I think both should represent Texas and I think both names should inspire the community we are working in. We are trying to win hearts and minds. That is the only way we can win new districts and hopefully be granted the right to keep what we find.¡±
Two Gun crossed his arms and kept quiet as everybody exchanged glances. Kaleb coughed into his hand before offering his own suggestion.
¡°What about the Lone Star Hounds?¡±
¡°What?¡± Abby asked confused.
¡°Well, Texas is still the Lone Star state then you have a hound which is a dog bred for hunting. This community used to house the Hunter¡¯s Association.¡±
Claire nodded with a contemplative look on her face. Abby and Two Gun kept noticeably silent. Jar-lock seemed to think it over. D34d-I was the first to speak out against it.
*Quack*
¡°It works for a team name, but not really for a company. Sounds more like a sports team more than anything else.¡±
Everyone grimaced, and they all fell into silence as the thought about different names. Kaleb felt the ground under his feet shudder a little. The others must have felt it too, because they all turned to look outside. Assuming that Mass had jumped again, Kaleb just ignored it and went back to thinking about Company names.
¡°What about the Super League Association?¡± Claire asked.
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s a tautology. League and Association are the same thing. The correct way to say it would be the Super League or the Super Association.¡±
¡°Seems kind of simple.¡± Roy said.
Two Gun sighed and rolled his shoulders. ¡°This is pointless. We will never agree on a name.¡±
¡°Kaleb¡¯s name was okay.¡± Abby said heatedly.
*Quack*
¡°But not for a company name. Maybe the Lone Star League or Society. Then our sub teams can all have the prefix Lone Star and then maybe predator.¡±
The group all nodded, although a few faces still looked hesitant. They seemed to have to come to at least a tacit agreement. Claire sighed and put an arm around Two Gun, she looked happy that they finished the whole thing. Kaleb nodded and looked through the papers D34d-I had given him.
¡°Ok, so we will go with the Lone Star League for a company name and Lone Star Hounds as our Super Group name. It looks like we can file to change the company name later, but the Super Group name is permanent.¡±
Kaleb quickly wrote the names in the correct spots and then waved the documents at D34d-I. ¡°So what do we do with these?¡±
It was Farrah who answered; she took the papers from Kaleb and rifled through them at a blinding speed. ¡°They look like they are ready to go. I can run these to city hall and we can be working before nightfall.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his hands together and stretched his neck. ¡°Sounds like we will be good to go. I¡¯ll stay here and work on getting Farrah set up with some drones. What about the rest of you?¡±
Abby threw her hands up and said in a bored tone. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll take a harder look at the neighborhood and see what I can find.¡± Looking to Kaleb she added. ¡°I¡¯ll have to borrow your car.¡±
There was a sudden surge of wind and sparks of blue lightning as Farrah took off for city hall. Jar-lock stood and held up Kaleb¡¯s keys. The big man stretched his legs and said.
¡°I¡¯ll go with her and help. I have little to do right now.¡±
Two Gun eyed the big pile of junk. ¡°I¡¯ll go through that for weapons and see what we need to get a shooting range built.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± Claire said. ¡°We will need workout equipment if we want to get a gym going.¡±
Claire stared at Kaleb until he nodded. He still needed to build her some dumbbells. Kaleb thought about buying some training mats or something. Maybe he could find a retail store that sold workout rather than building everything from scratch. He was about to ask Abby and Jar-lock to keep an eye out when the ground shook unnaturally hard.
D34d-I cast a worried glance at all of them before he quacked.
*Quack*
¡°No way that was Mass.¡±
The others all agreed and hurried toward the large open hangar doors. Kaleb¡¯s rapid movements woke Daivor who had to grip Kaleb¡¯s shirt hard to keep from falling off. Turning his head to the Gnome Kaleb said.
¡°Daivor, you and Roy stay in here. Be ready to shut the hangar doors if there¡¯s any trouble.¡±
¡°I can¡¡± Roy said.
¡°No arguments, Roy.¡± Kaleb said harshly.
Daivor cabled over to Roy¡¯s shoulder as the kid sulked. Kaleb shook his head but rushed outside with the others. Outside the dirt airstrip was barren, with no sign of Mass anywhere. D34d-I placed a hand over his eyes shielding his vision from the sun. The others all scanned the flat plain until D34d-I pointed off to the south.
*Quack*
¡°There he is.¡±
Kaleb squinted in the direction D34d-I had pointed finding a large speck growing larger as Mass ran toward them. Kaleb glanced around as the ground shook noticeably again. Mass was too far away to be the source of the tremors and looking toward the others, Kaleb could see that they felt the same. The ground shook violently for a third time, this time almost throwing Kaleb off his feet.
Suddenly a large cone of dirt rose out from the ground just in front of the group. The large body of dirt shot out of the ground looking like a miniature volcano. It continued to grow until its peak was at least four stories tall. Jar-lock backed away from the large mound, a look of horror on his face.
¡°No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.¡± the 6¡¯3¡± linebacker built man backed away, Mana glowing in his hands.
¡°It looks like a giant¡¡± Abby started to say.
A burst of dirt exploded for the top of the mound and large ants poured forth onto the airfield. The ants were reddish brown and as soon as they crawled out of the mound they charged down the hill. The ants moved erratically, large heads twisting ever which way leading their bodies in odd patterns. As Kaleb looked stared in fascination and horror, he noted that the ants looked to be covered in some kind of shiny liquid.
A shot rang out, and a bullet passed through the head of a nearby ant. The group of Supers all jumped in surprise before the all turned as one to stare at Two Gun. The old cowboy had both of his guns raised and shrugged off their stares.
¡°Don¡¯t just sit there damn it. FIGHT!¡±
The ants seemed to sense a threat because they all made their way toward Two Gun. Jar-lock flung Stone and Fire spells, but the mass of ants didn¡¯t slow. Kaleb drew his Magic Gun and focused on an Explosion Spell. Claire moved forward and set herself between the ants and the rest of the group. Abby did the same as D34d-I drew his own pistol.
Kaleb released his spell sending a large red blast hurtling in to the midst of the ants. Unfortunately, the sizable chunk he took out of the horde of ants was quickly replaced. Bullets and magic fired upon the mass of ants in waves but the group barely made a dent as the ants replenished their numbers as they killed them. Abby and Claire hacked and ripped the ants apart but they continually had to move back or the ants would overrun them.
¡°We need to close the nest!¡± Jar-lock shouted nearly hysterical.
¡°How the fuck do we do that?!¡± Abby screamed as she cut the legs off a nearby ant with her shadow blade.
Kaleb looked up to the top of the mound. The mound was almost completely buried under a tidal wave of Ants. Turning to Jar-lock he screamed. ¡°We need to concentrate our largest spells at the top!¡±
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying. There¡¯s too many of them we have to make a hole somehow.¡±
Before Kaleb could respond Mass¡¯s large body leaped over the ant mound and rolled down the other side. Mass¡¯s large frame crushed and shoved ants away as he quickly tumbled to the bottom of the hill. He stood with that same lopsided grin on his face as he eagerly swatted ants. Kaleb breathed a sigh of relief, with Mass helping Claire and Abby their front line seemed secure but they still weren¡¯t making any headway.
¡°Running low here.¡± Two Gun said.
*Quack*
¡°Same¡± Confirmed D34d-I
Kaleb groaned. ¡°Whichever one of you runs out first should run to the office and call Bob. He can close this thing no problem.¡±
Claire shouted as she lifted and threw and nearby ant. ¡°It should be the duck. These ants look like they are aiming for Two Gun since he killed the first one. If he moves, they might encircle us.¡±
Kaleb shrugged and tossed his Cybar pistol at Two Gun¡¯s feet. The old cowboy looked down then nodded gratefully. He had been wondering why the damn ants hadn¡¯t tried that already. Moving forward he drew his Sun Gun and pelted the oncoming horde with Fire Bullets and energy blast. Their little group was being pushed back ever so slowly toward the hangar.
As Kaleb glanced back he sorely wished he had repaired the hangar defenses. But all they had to do was hold out until Bob arrived, then everything would be fine. Jar-lock kept hurling Fire Balls and Icicle Spells as fast as he could conjure them. But soon the large man jolted as a thought occurred to him.
¡°We need to hurry. These are just the workers, we are screw if the soldiers show up!¡±
Kaleb glanced over his shoulder to ask. ¡°Why!?¡±
A loud humming from the top of the mound answered his question. Winged ants started hover over their group. Kaleb swore as the flying ants flew behind their group and landed, menacing Two Gun and D34d-I with its large mandibles. More and more soldier ants flew from the top of the mound and landed behind their small group.
Mass, seeing his friend in trouble left the front line and charged the flying ants. Claire and Abby shouted at him not to leave, but their attention quickly returned to defending the front. Kaleb felt his head throb as his Mana was wearing down. Pocketing his Magic Gun he aimed his Spike Launcher before he remembered it was empty. Kaleb looked around helplessly as the ants closed in and his group of friends tired.
Two Gun and D34d-I were dodging dive-bombing ants as Mass swatted a few from of the sky. Abby and Claire were being slowly bitten apart. Jar-lock was visibly sweating and grimacing in pain as he tried to use every bit of Mana had. And Kaleb felt like he was out of tricks completely, He continually fired his Sun Gun as he stared at the top of the anthill. More and More ants poured forth covering the hill in their bodies as they charged Kaleb and his friends.
Chapter 102 - Crushing Ants
There was a loud humming coming from the hangar. As Kaleb turned to see what it was, he saw the Phreak¡¯s hover dump truck speeding toward them. Kaleb sighed as he guessed who would be behind the wheel. But, it was probably a good thing if they wanted to escape.
The dump truck hovered a little higher and barreled toward the floating soldier ants around D34d-I and Two Gun. Kaleb thought he could see Roy¡¯s figure in the driving seat. The truck spun at the last second swinging its large bed at the flying ants. Two Gun and D34d-I luckily dodged aside when the big truck battered the ants aside. Surprisingly, the flying ants didn¡¯t die.
Kaleb ran toward the dump truck, shouting. ¡°Our rides here.¡±
Two Gun and D34d-I were already moving toward the cab of the truck. Jar-lock threw a final Icicle spell and jumped into the bed of the dump truck. But, Claire, Abby, and Mass were to into their own fights to hear Kaleb¡¯s shout. Kaleb gripped one of the side handles near the back of the truck and hung on as the truck lifted back up into the air.
Kaleb continued firing his Sun Gun, and he heard D34d-I¡¯s rifle firing from the front seat. As the truck rose into the air, Kaleb could see the others on the ground were about to be surrounded. Roy turned the truck in a wide angle and aim for the worker ants around their friends on the ground. As the truck charged into the melee Kaleb saw a figure in the sky ahead of them. The person was falling through the sky toward the top of the anthill.
Kaleb gave a sigh of relief as Bob slammed into the top of the mound. Vibrations filled the air, and the ground shook as Bob unleashed his power. The horde of ants seemed to vibrate of the spot. The ants closest to where Bob landed shook until they came apart in a gooey mess. It disoriented the ones near the bottom of the hill and the fighting came to an almost complete stop.
Roy crashed through a few ants to get to Claire and the others. Kaleb shouted from where he stood on the side. ¡°Get in!¡±
Abby hesitated as the Claire and Mass dove into the truck¡¯s bed. ¡°What about the old guy?¡±
Before Kaleb could answer the giant ant hill sank back into the ground. Kaleb gaped wide-eyed as the four story tall mound of dirt rippled and quickly sunk into the ground. The ants seemed to shake themselves awake as their nest came under attack. Abby quickly moved around to the handle on the other side of the truck. Kaleb smacked the side of the truck twice with his metal hand and Roy took them back up into the air.
A stampede of reddish brown ants climbed toward the collapsing hill. However, the flying soldier ants seemed intent on stopping their truck. Kaleb fired a few rounds from his Sun Gun as Jar-lock sent Fire-Balls hurtling toward the ants. It took a few seconds, but Kaleb realized the truck wasn¡¯t moving. Glancing around he could see Roy¡¯s face as the boy stared in wonder at the sinking ant hill.
¡°Someone should tell Roy to keep us moving. The soldier ants can knock us from the sky.¡± Kaleb shouted over the noise coming from the collapsing hill, the hovering truck, and the buzzing ants.
¡°How?!¡± Claire shouted back from the bed of the truck.
¡°There¡¯s a hole between the cab and the bed!¡± Kaleb shouted as he blasted the wing off a flying ant.
Claire didn¡¯t respond, but soon the truck lurched into movement again. The truck was nowhere near as maneuverable as the ants but they stayed away. Unfortunately, Kaleb¡¯s Sun Gun ran out of juice and it left him just watching the various ants below. Holstering his gun he kept an eye on the anthill that had now almost fully collapsed in on itself.
He couldn¡¯t see any sign of Bob, but the ants were scuttling over the dead bodies of their comrades to get to the security guard. The crack of D34d-I¡¯s rifle and the sizzling of Jar-lock¡¯s spells snapped Kaleb¡¯s attention back to the still flying soldier ant that were following them. Kaleb drew his Magic Gun and focused on a Lightning Spell that would jump between.
He felt the flow of Mana charge through his body and out the gun as he fired. The lightning bolt of energy arced through the sky until it collided with the thorax of the nearest soldier ant. As the bolt jumped Kaleb felt a little more of his Mana drain away. Then again, when the bolt jumped to another flying ant. The lightning seemed to drop every ant it hit, but Kaleb¡¯s Mana was draining fast.
Soon he had to cut off the Mana before he fell off the floating truck. Jar-lock had also stopped firing from inside the dumpster truck. Mass and Claire were clearly taking a breather and Abby seemed more concerned with holding onto her handle on her side of the truck. Movement near the ant hill caught Kaleb¡¯s attention, and he moved to see Bob floating out of the ground.
Waves of vibration seemed to pour out of the man as the ants charged him. But every time they got close the ants would literally shake themselves out of their exoskeletons. Bob walked through the hordes of ants as his vibrations killed them by the score. The ant hill collapsed inward and the ants numbers dwindled.
Kaleb slammed his hand against the side of the van and pointed down. Roy somehow got the message, and the truck descended toward the old security guard. Kaleb looked into the truck''s bed and shouted.
¡°Get ready for round 2!¡±
Claire nodded as Mass just smiled. Jar-lock still looked a little sweaty, but he gave Kaleb a thumps up. Abby still seemed more concern with holding on then looking around. As Roy got the truck closer to the ground, Kaleb saw Bob stagger and the surrounding waves seemed to shrink closer to his body. Kaleb leaped down as the truck got lower and a charging ant immediately tackled him to the ground.
The ant gripped Kaleb¡¯s waist and shook its head like a mad dog. Kaleb felt its mandibles crunch into his armor and his breath caught. Without thinking Kaleb reached down and grabbed one its mandibles and wrenched it hard. Eventually the thing ripped free and Kaleb jammed it down into the ant¡¯s compound eye.
Kaleb fell down and moved away from the ant as it shudder and skittered around in pain. Claire and Mass jumped from the back of the truck and swung their fists into the bodies of nearby ants. Jar-lock slid from the truck behind them and lifted Kaleb from the ground. Abby put her feet on the ground wobbled slightly, it looked like she would need some time to get her feet back under her.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Kaleb moved over to cover for Abby as Jar-lock conjured and tossed a large rock. One of the nearby ants caught the small boulder in its jaws and tossed it back. Kaleb dove for Abby as Jar-lock dodged the oncoming boulder. Kaleb hit the ground with Abby before standing up again and looking around. Kaleb was starting to think he was useless without his weapons.
Abby seemed to have gotten her legs back under her as Kaleb lifted her up. Her arms turned pitch black and arm length blades grew from each one as she dashed to the nearest ant and carved it up. Kaleb looked around and found an ant¡¯s severed head, crouching down Kaleb ripped off its sharp mandibles with his metal arm.
Wielding the ant¡¯s jaws as large knives Kaleb moved next Abby and jammed one mandible into the skull of an ant. It took a couple of tugs to pull free but once it did, Kaleb attacked another ant aiming for this one¡¯s large eyes. The fight seemed to drag on as Kaleb and Abby stabbed and slashed at any nearby ants. Jar-lock and D34d-I provided covering fire, while Kaleb assumed Two Gun was on the other side of the truck helping Claire and Mass.
Soon the ant¡¯s numbers came down to a handful and Kaleb exhaled deeply gripping a stitch in his side. A Soldier ant dived for him as he stood still and D34d-I¡¯s rifle cracked again, shooting it from the sky. Unfortunately, it also made the ant¡¯s blood cascade down on Kaleb and Abby. Kaleb just stared at the duck, too tired to speak. But Abby seemed angry enough for the both of them.
¡°Damn it, Duck! That stuff itches!¡± Abby yelled wiping the blood from her skin.
Kaleb could see that her once pale arms were now red from some kind of skin irritation. Looking down at his own though, proved that whatever was in the ants blood didn¡¯t affect him. At least not visibly.
*Quack*
¡°Then you should move quicker.¡± D34d-I said shrugging his shoulders and taking aim at another flying ant.
Kaleb shook his head and looked around for any more ants but it looked like they were mostly all dead. Kaleb sighed and rubbed his bloody hands across his pants. He moved around to the other side of the truck to see Claire and Mass beating the last few ants on their side to a pulp. Looking around for Bob, Kaleb saw the old security guard stumbling toward them.
The old man looked like he had aged years and his face was covered in sweat. Bob looked like he was panting hard and as he got closer Kaleb thought he could hear the old man wheeze. Kaleb and Jar-lock ran over to help and Bob dropped whatever vibration shield he had been holding. When he did Bob fell forward and Jar-lock and Kaleb were just barely in time to stop his fall.
¡°Oh, I¡¯m too damn old to be doing stuff like that.¡± Bob wheezed heavily.
Kaleb and Jar-lock laid the old man down as Jar-lock chuckled. ¡°Maybe, but you sure showed those ants what an old man can do.¡±
Bob smiled weakly. ¡°That I did.¡± Turning to look up at Kaleb he added. ¡°Boss, I will have to request a few days off. This old body can¡¯t handle the vibrations like it used to.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Shit, take a month, Bob. You¡¯ve earned it.¡±
Bob nodded before he closed his eyes and fell unconscious. Kaleb panicked for a few seconds, thinking his old gate guard was dead. But then he saw that Bob was still breathing, and he calmed down. Mass finished the final ant with his large meaty fist and then glanced around. Roy finally exited the truck and grimaced at all the carnage.
The group just stared at each other, all breathing hard, and all tired from the battle. As Kaleb looked down at the mandible in his hand, a thought occurred to him. He looked up and met eyes with D34d-I asking.
¡°How about this stuff? Can we keep it? Or are we also supposed to turn this over?¡±
D34d-I gave him an incredulous look before he quacked.
*Quack*
¡°Considering we are still private citizens, we can make a case to keep the material, maybe. If we were under contract, then yes, we would have to hand over a portion to the city as payment for helping with the clean-up.¡±
¡°What if we do our own clean-up?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Pass!¡± Claire said out of breath.
¡°Ditto.¡± Two Gun muttered.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not doing clean-up.¡± Abby said.
¡°We already have enough stuff to work on, boss.¡± Said Roy.
¡°Yeah, plus I¡¯m still holding your damn flies.¡± Jar-lock griped.
Kaleb put up his hands and shook his head. ¡°Fine! Fine, I give up! But if we can keep some ant parts, I¡¯d like too.¡±
The others just shook their heads at Kaleb words. Kaleb looked around and waved his hands toward the hangar. ¡°Let¡¯s get Bob inside and out of this heat. We can deal with all of this later.¡±
Roy got back in the truck as the others all trudged toward the large hangar. Kaleb and Jar-lock picked up Bob and threw his arms over their shoulders. Two Gun slowed down till he was walking next to Jar-lock and Kaleb.
¡°Either find it weird that we aren¡¯t hearing any sirens right now?¡± Two Gun asked.
Jar-lock adjusted his grip on Bob¡¯s waist. ¡°A little, but maybe they don¡¯t monitor this area. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if this was private airspace.¡±
Kaleb nodded, but Two Gun shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. What if they didn¡¯t just come up here?¡±
¡°Then the whole city is probably dealing with these guys right now. We can take a few minutes to rest and recoup. Not to mention, aren¡¯t you out of ammo?¡± Kaleb said.
Two Gun glanced down at Kaleb¡¯s Cybar pistol he held in his hand. ¡°Yeah, I really need an upgrade.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s all take a breather and I¡¯ll get right on it.¡±
Two Gun nodded as they crossed into the hangar. The others were standing near the center, wiping off the ant blood from their bodies with whatever they could find. Jar-lock sighed as they set Bob¡¯s large body on the cold cement ground.
¡°You will want to wash that all off as soon as possible.¡± Jar-lock said.
Claire gave him a withering look as she and Abby wiped blood from their arms and clothes. ¡°I believe the phrase: No shit, Sherlock. Would sum up our feelings right now.¡±
Jar-lock just smiled. ¡°I just meant that it is formic acid. In small amounts it¡¯s a skin irritant, but in large doses¡¡± He trailed off and waved his hands.
Kaleb sat down next to Bob and exhaled loudly. Looking at the large space of the hangar he said. ¡°We have got to buy chairs at some point.¡±
*Quack*
¡°Another thing for the list.¡± D34d-I said wiping his rifle down with a white cloth.
Kaleb nodded. There was still so much work to get done and who knew if the ants would push their way back up. Kaleb laid back, closed his eyes, and tried to catalogue what the base needed to get done first. As he lay there, he heard footsteps coming up from the stairs. He cracked an eye and looked over at the stairs to see Vivienne enter the hangar.
The blue-robed Wizard¡¯s smile faltered as she looked at them. ¡°What happened to you guys?¡±
Kaleb just smiled and put his head down as he thought about what he wanted to do next.
Chapter 103 - Earpieces and Strangers
Kaleb laid on the hangar floor and went over his skill updates while Jar-lock and the others filled Vivienne in on what happened. He saw nothing he wasn¡¯t expecting.
*Congratulations*
For repeatedly stabbing your enemies, you have unlocked the Knife Fighting skill. Small, concealable, and pointy. You can now slice and dice your foes with increased skill. Combinable skill.
*Knife Fighting Beginner Level 1*
Increase damage with all knives by 2
Decrease stamina used while fighting with knives.
*Gadget Mastery Skill Level up*
Current Gadget Failure Rate decreased by 4%
Current Blueprint Drop Rate Increased by 6%
*Toughness Skill Max Level*
Health increased by 10%
Incoming physical damage decreased by 5%
*Endurance Skill Max Level*
Stamina increased by 15%
*Notice*
Your Toughness, Endurance, and Dodge skill are all max level. Each of these skills is combinable and the player can combine them in several ways. The player can also level the skills up to the intermediate tier. Leaving a skill at max level means that it will waste all future skill experience. We advised you to either combine or level your skills at your earliest convenience.
Kaleb sighed and read through his notices. He was waiting for something else to reach max level before he combined Dodge with it. But now he had two skills to combine with it. Opening his interface he noticed that he couldn¡¯t combine Toughness and Endurance again. So his choices were: Dodge + Endurance, Dodge + Toughness, or Dodge + Endurance + Toughness.
Kaleb mentally clicked through his options multiple times. Unfortunately, the system didn¡¯t tell him what the different combinations would create. So it was a crap shoot, and his instincts were screaming at him to place his bet on combining all three. He didn¡¯t know what it would create, but he wanted to find out. Clicking on confirm Kaleb waited for his next pop-up notification.
*Congratulations*
You have created the In-Fighter Skill. Your Toughness and Endurance skills have been reduced to level 2. Your Dodge skill has been reset to level 1.
In-Fighter Skill Beginner Level 1 ¨C You prefer to get up close and personal with your enemies. Bobbing and weaving with fancy footwork, throwing uppercuts and kidney punches with, and occasionally getting knocked around.
Dodge skill increased when the player is in Melee range.
Melee strength increased by 1
Stamina increased by 2%
Kaleb exhaled loudly as he read through all the notifications. His stamina and health had taken huge hits again, but the In-Fighter skill would hopefully make up for it. If the fight with the ants had proven anything it was that he couldn¡¯t just rely on his guns. He needed a melee weapon. He also needed to outfit their team. Mass and D34d-I seemed okay with their Ifrit equipment, but the others probably needed an upgrade.
He could still hear the others muttering so Kaleb opened his eyes and stood up. The others spared him a few glances before going back to their conversation. Kaleb walked over and listened in as Jar-lock was explaining something to everyone with Vivienne nodding along.
¡°¡ He told us the HLO was on it. I didn¡¯t even remember it until Vivi brought it up.¡± Jar-lock was saying.
Two Gun lifted his hat and wiped his brow asking. ¡°So some snot-nosed Sorceress gets pissy at an ex and she unleashes a damn giant ant queen on him?!¡±
Jar-lock shrugged his shoulders and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what Varlin told us. I just assumed that the city had a handle on it.¡±
Abby glanced out the open hangar doors snorting. ¡°I don¡¯t think they do.¡±
¡°So what do we do?¡± Claire asked.
¡°we can¡¯t do anything for now. At least officially.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°But once Farrah comes back, we should at least have a temporary permit to work our district. But even then we don¡¯t know if the HLO will let us work the Ant Queen case.¡±
Vivienne chuckled. ¡°Ant Queen case?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I like the name. Besides what else are we going to call it.¡±
The others just nodded at that and Kaleb glanced around, looking for Daivor. He found the Gnome hanging off the D-Net dish with his rigging vest. The Gnome was working on the electronics at the bottom of the D-Net dish. Daivor had set the dish near Farrah¡¯s computer setup. As he Watched Kaleb remembered that Farrah would need a few drones and they would all need a means to communicate.
Feeling a tapping on his shoulder, Kaleb turned and saw Abby watching him. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±
¡°Just all the crap I have to build.¡± Kaleb said.
He heard Jar-lock laugh from behind him. ¡°Yeah, you have got to take these flies off me at some point.¡±
Kaleb turned back to the group and nodded. ¡°I know, I¡¯m just trying to prioritize the important stuff. I¡¯m gonna be in the Mechanics Room for a while. Let me know when Farrah gets back.¡±
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
The others all nodded and Two Gun stepped forward. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about getting the hangar set up. The rest of us will pitch in and get things good to go with food, water, things like that.¡±
Kaleb nodded his thanks and moved over to the Mechanics Room, Roy following behind him. Kaleb turned to smile at his assistant and almost tripped over something in the pile of K-Tech junk. Looking down, he saw the black armor of the K-Tech security. Kaleb grinned wide and yanked out the various pieces he and Shaggy¡¯s crew had collected.
¡°Are we working on your armor first?¡± Roy asked sounding happy to help.
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°No, but I just remembered that I pulled three ear communicators from the K-Tech guards. They are all linked in to these minicomputers on the wrist. I want to take a few apart and see how they work. Maybe I can replicate them and give us a way to communicate in the field.¡±
¡°How can I help?¡± Roy asked.
Kaleb waved a hand at the pile of junk while lifting and showing the minicomputer to Roy. ¡°Just find the other two of these.¡±
Roy sighed loudly but nodded and dove into the pile while Kaleb took apart the minicomputer. He found that it was a standard minicomputer. Power supply, touch monitor, mini-R-Wave emitter for communication, all plugged into a mini-circuit board. Unfortunately, Kaleb had fried a few things when he sent his Mana through it, but he could still guess at how a few things worked.
The R-Wave Emitter signaled the earpiece which signaled the voice coil set in a magnet which then vibrated a plastic diaphragm creating sound. He would have to do the same thing, but with D-Net. Which meant setting up a team frequency and adjusting the various ear pieces to that frequency. Each ear piece will need a small D-Net transceiver. Kaleb thought as Roy returned with the other two minicomputers.
¡°Anything else?¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°We need small magnets, copper wire, and thin plastic that can vibrate.¡±
Roy smiled. ¡°Ha! Could you make it easier? We have tubs full of all that stuff.¡± He waved a hand at the green bins near the Mechanics Room wall.
¡°Well, bring them over. Honestly, the hardest part is finding a D-Net transceivers for every earpiece.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°Another easy one, Doc. Dad sells those in a pack for 30 credits. They are not big sellers. No one uses D-Net anymore, not since The Arrival. So we can probably find a bunch of D-Net equipment dirt cheap in junk yards and stuff.¡± Roy explained as he moved the bins closer to Kaleb¡¯s workbench.
Kaleb nodded slowly as he looked through the three bins. ¡°Well, sounds like you¡¯ll be taking a trip then. Say hi to your mom for me before she kills you.¡±
Roy sighed. ¡°Hopefully, dads calmed her down by now.¡±
Kaleb just shook his head and went back to work. He took a while to find the right-sized magnet and wiring, not to mention plastic with the right flexibility. But eventually he did, and he and Roy crafted tiny tubular ear pieces that the team could all wear. For Farrah and her giant rabbit ears, Kaleb decided to just use some old-fashioned headphones he had found in the miscellaneous bin from his old garage.
It took several hours and in that time Farrah had returned and passed out everyone¡¯s temporary work permit. Once they all had them in hand. Jar-lock and the other almost raced out of the hangar. But Farrah stopped them.
¡°Before you all run off, there¡¯s something you should all know.¡± The others all just stared at her until she continued. ¡°There have been ant attacks throughout the city. So city hall is counting on everyone to monitor their districts carefully until the HLO has things under control.¡±
¡°They don¡¯t want us helping?¡± Abby asked.
Farrah shook her head. ¡°You can defend your district if they attack it. But actually hunting down the queen will be up to the professionals.¡± Farrah raised little air quotes around the word professionals and her voice became nasally and annoying.
Two Gun shook his head smiling. ¡°So what the hell are we supposed to do?¡±
*Quack*
¡°Go out and make our little LLC look good. Show the neighborhood that we are here to stick it to the HLO and that we will fight not just for them, but with them. Hearts and minds, people.¡±
Everyone nodded at the ducks words while Kaleb turned to Farrah and asked. ¡°What about the ants?¡±
Farrah grinned as the others all groaned. ¡°The city is being overrun with ant clean-up. So if anyone wants to keep the ant parts they are more than welcome to. At least that¡¯s what the city says, the HLO is offering a reward for any parts sold straight to them though.¡±
¡°Why would they do that?¡± Claire asked.
Jar-lock answered her. ¡°It makes them look good if they can report that they sold the most ant parts back to the city. It shows that they are working the hardest for the city and it only cost them money.¡±
¡°Maybe.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°But, it could be something else.¡±
¡°Like what?¡± Vivienne asked.
Kaleb just shrugged unable to answer. Abby shook her head and waved her new temporary permit. ¡°Ignore him, he is just being paranoid.¡±
¡°Just cause your paranoid doesn¡¯t mean they are not out to get you!¡± Kaleb yelled as everyone except Two Gun, Claire and Farrah left.
Farrah moved to help Daivor as Two Gun and Claire moved to Kaleb. ¡°We will buy some things for the base. Food, fridge, things like that.¡± Two Gun said.
Kaleb nodded still concentrating on his work. ¡°Sounds good, need me to pull some cash from the terminal?¡±
Claire shook her head. ¡°D34d-I already covered us. We were just wondering if you needed anything?¡±
Kaleb thought about it for a short while before he shook his head. ¡°No, I think I¡¯m good. If anything comes to mind I¡¯ll head out and buy it myself.¡±
Two Gun and Claire gave each other odd looks before the turned back to Kaleb with half-hidden smiles on their faces.
¡°What?¡± Kaleb asked.
Claire just shook her head and walked off, but Two Gun cackled loudly. ¡°Do you know where your car keys are?¡±
Kaleb nodded before he patted down his pockets and found nothing. ¡°Oh, damn it! That group of bastards took my car, didn¡¯t they?¡±
Two Gun just nodded, the grin on his face warping into a huge smile as he waved goodbye and walked toward his own car. Kaleb swore for a couple of minutes until he decided to just let it go and went back to work.
Now several hours later, Roy had taken a taxi home, Farrah was programming something into her command center computer and Daivor was puffing away on his pipe. The others hadn¡¯t returned, But Kaleb didn¡¯t hear loud explosions either so he figured everything was ok. Kaleb had most of the earpieces completed all he needed were the D-Net transceivers from Roy¡¯s store.
As he waited for Roy, he was tearing into the flies that Jar-lock had dumped on the hangar floor before he left. He spread out an old lab coat and was cutting the flies open. Kaleb was pulling out their ¡®energy gland¡¯ at least that is what Kaleb was calling it. It was a three inch long bulbous gland that pulsed with red energy. The fly guts covered his hands in blood and he had a large pile of glowing glands that was getting bigger and bigger.
As Kaleb made another cut into another fly, he felt a sharp tug on his metal shoulder. Turning to look he saw Daivor landing on his shoulder. The Gnome had swung himself over to get a look at what Kaleb was doing. The gnome waved his pipe over at the pile of pulsing ''energy glands¡¯ and said.
¡°I¡¯d be careful with those.¡±
Kaleb tossed another gland on the pile and asked. ¡°Why? They don¡¯t seem all that powerful and it doesn¡¯t look like they interact with each other.¡±
Daivor sighed. ¡°Boss, those things are pure, condensed, energy. That pile you have there could take out half of this hangar.¡±
Hearing that Kaleb stopped wiggling his knife into the fly¡¯s abdomen and stared at Daivor. He slowly removed his knife while he calmly asked Daivor.
¡°This was something you only told me now because¡?¡±
Daivor shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I thought it went without saying. These guys store energy in their body. You should want to be careful with that kind of stuff.¡±
Kaleb sighed and put his knife down. He wanted to rub his face, but his hands were full of fly guts. Kaleb stood and moved to get something to wipe his hands with. As Kaleb moved toward where he kept his spare lab coats, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning toward the hangar doors, Kaleb saw a middle-aged man holding a large grotesque-looking spear and wearing large green goggles.
Kaleb drew his Sun Gun and aim at the old man while shouting. ¡°Whoa! Who the hell are you?¡±
The man gripped his green goggles and placed them on his forehead before he took a step into the hangar. He surveyed the interior of the hangar, ignoring Kaleb¡¯s question completely. Kaleb groaned and checked the charge on his Sun Gun. The gun hadn¡¯t charged enough to burn anything, but it would probably give someone a nasty shock.
¡°Last time, asshole: Who are you and what do you want?¡±
The man finally turned toward Kaleb and snorted in derision. ¡°Just came to see the competition. Looks like we have nothing to worry about. You kids won¡¯t last a week.¡±
¡°So longer than you did against the HLO.¡± Farrah said from the back of the room.
The man¡¯s eyes widened, and he stared at the back of the tall Rabbit women. Farrah hadn¡¯t even deigned to look back. Kaleb saw the man¡¯s grip tighten on his spear and he was sure that the man would do something. Farrah also seemed to have sensed the man¡¯s intent, because she spun on the chair she was sitting on and smiled at the man.
¡°Julius, if you want to do something stupid here, then let me warn you: it won¡¯t go well for you.¡±
Chapter 104 - Energy and Grandpas
Kaleb glanced between the man and Farrah. Both parties seemed to ignore him completely, which both pissed him off and made him happy at the same time. He couldn¡¯t really gauge the mystery man¡¯s strength just from looking at him, but Farrah seemed ready to handle things. He kept his Sun Gun aimed at Julius and walked a little closer just in case though.
The man named Julius watched Kaleb move from the corner of his eye before staring back at Farrah. His grip on his weird green spear seemed to tighten. As Kaleb moved closer, he got a better look at the weapon. It was bulbous and rough in odd places, then smooth in others. The tip of the spear was pitch black but faded to a pinkish-red color further down. Julius seemed to have a similar style armor on too.
As Kaleb moved closer, Farrah put up her palm indicating that he was close enough. She maintained eye contact with Julius and asked. ¡°So did you just come here to act like a superior jackass or did you have something useful to say?¡±
Julius snorted and his grip on his spear relaxed. ¡°Useful? Get out of Hunter¡¯s Association territory. Is that useful enough? The neighborhood will never accept you, so don¡¯t even bother applying for a Super Permit.¡±
This time Kaleb snorted. ¡°Little too late. We already have our permit and my friends are working the neighborhood right now.¡±
¡°You damn kids don¡¯t know what you¡¯re in for.¡± Julius complained. ¡°This neighborhood will eat you and spit you out.¡±
Farrah got up from her chair and marched toward Julius. ¡°Maybe, but that is their decision, and some washed up old hunter, who would rather make enemies over friends can butt out.¡±
Julius¡¯ body tensed up again and Kaleb was sure that the man was about to attack. Instead, the old hunter just angrily shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. But you will, when goblins rip your friends to shreds, when you watch a cyclops bite off the head of someone you care about or when the Barghest attack this little home of yours. Then you will understand.¡±
Kaleb thought the old man was overacting. When he looked at Farrah, he saw the tall rabbit woman trying to hide her smirk. Julius spun on his heel and moved toward the large hanger doors again. Kaleb felt like the last couple of minutes were completely unnecessary. The man walked in, tried to scare them off, and now he was leaving. Kaleb thought the man arrived far too quickly for that to be everything he had to say.
Sure enough, when Julius was almost outside the hangar he turned slightly and asked. ¡°Is Bob okay? I didn¡¯t see him at the front gate.¡±
Farrah nodded. ¡°He is downstairs, sleeping off his power exhaustion.¡±
Julius turned and gave Farrah a questioning look. She just shrugged her shoulders and said. ¡°The giant ants.¡±
Julius glanced at Kaleb and barked. ¡°Get those defensive working before you get someone killed!¡±
Julius marched his way out of the hangar as Kaleb crossed his arms and grumbled. ¡°Why don¡¯t YOU get the defensive fixed, jackass?¡±
He felt Daivor¡¯s small hand pat him on top of his shoulder. ¡°Yeah. Good one, boss.¡±
¡°Shut up.¡± Kaleb snapped before turning to look at Farrah.
The rabbit woman was sitting back down at her computer and seemed to pointedly not looking his way. He felt Daivor leave his shoulder as he walked toward her to ask a few questions. Glancing back, he saw the Gnome swinging his way toward the outer hangar door. The Gnome was clearly moving to check on the perimeter guns again.
Kaleb moved right next to Farrah, but before he could ask anything she cut him off. ¡°No, I will not explain who that guy was. He is not an old boyfriend, or an old partner, and I can¡¯t say more than that.¡±
Kaleb smiled. ¡°Which by itself says volumes.¡±
Farrah sighed and deadpanned. ¡°I can not control what assumptions you make nor can I confirm them. Please leave it alone.¡±
Kaleb put both his hands up in a giving-up gesture and walked back the way he came. He figured he could help Daivor with the defenses. Roy seemed to be taking his time getting those D-Net antennae, and he really didn¡¯t want to slice open anymore flies. But before he could get there, Daivor poked his head into the hangar.
¡°Boss, could you bring up the left side turret?¡±
Kaleb just nodded and changed directions heading for the office. He quickly found the controls and raised both turrets from their underground pockets. Finished there he joined Daivor near the left-side turret. He got his first real look at the twin fifty-caliber machine guns that were their hangar¡¯s defenses.
Someone mounted the twin guns on a small platform that raised them a few meters off the ground. A small minicomputer sat between them, probably connecting the guns and the platform to the terminal in the hangar. Daivor was inspecting a large blue barrel sitting alongside the turret when Kaleb walked up.
¡°Looks like this held the belt of ammo or at least that was what they intended it to do.¡± Daivor said standing on the lip of the barrel.
¡°They never used them?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°That makes sense. I don¡¯t think Obadiah ever used this place, least of all the defenses.¡±
Daivor nodded and swung up to the old-style machine gun. ¡°Ammo will be expensive.¡±
¡°You said that the fly glands held a lot of power, right?¡± Kaleb asked looking inside the hangar at the small pile of glands he had made.
¡°Yeah¡¡± Daivor said cautiously.
¡°Well then, why can¡¯t we use those as power supplies for energy turrets instead of using the main generator.¡±
¡°Because that would disintegrate anything it hit. I know you¡¯re bloodthirsty sometimes, boss, but that¡¯s going a little far, isn¡¯t it?¡± Daivor explained.
Kaleb sighed. ¡°Yeah, I guess so. I¡¯m just trying to avoid the expense.¡±
Daivor nodded. ¡°Understandable. So why don¡¯t we give them the Solar treatment? Like your Sun Gun.¡±
¡°Do we even have more yellow Elentian crystals?¡±
¡°A few, I think. Why?¡± Daivor asked.
¡°Because that¡¯s what I used to house and transfer the solar energy before I shoot it.¡± Kaleb explained.
Daivor scratched his beard before a thought seemed to come to him. ¡°Use the glands.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Thought of that, but first we would have to transfer the energy out of a few. First law of thermodynamics and all, y¡¯know? So we would need a container capable of holding that much energy.¡±
Daivor shrugged. ¡°Dump it back into the generators.¡±
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°Will that work?¡±
¡°Right now the energy is being stored as a hybrid of plasma and electricity in the Joranek¡¯s gland. The generators run on some kind of bio-sludge. All we have to do is dump the plasma and transfer the electricity and we should be in business. We may lose some power in the transfer as it burns off, but we will still have an empty gland.¡± Daivor explained.
¡°I guess. If you think it will work¡¡± Kaleb said a little worried.
Daivor smiled. ¡°Like 82% sure, boss.¡±
Kaleb threw up his hands. ¡°Let''s do it then. You grab some contact cables and I¡¯ll meet you down there with a few glands.¡±
Daivor nodded and swung himself back into the hangar. I actually miss the hover chariot. Kaleb thought as he moved inside and grabbed a few of the pulsing red glands. He headed downstairs as soon as he had an armful, stopping for a quick peek in on Bob. The security guard was in Clair and Two Gun¡¯s room sleeping peacefully.
When he reached the third floor, Kaleb set the glands down in front of the three generators and looked around. It was still somewhat dark in the room, but he could still make out a few things from the glow coming from the generators. All three machines whirred silently, sloshing noises coming from the spinning liquid inside the large generators.
Kaleb didn¡¯t wait long until Daivor joined him. The Gnome was actually in his chariot again and was carrying large amounts of wiring both in his arms and with his telekinesis. Kaleb just smiled at the Gnome and waved a hand at the three large cylinders.
¡°So¡ Where do we start?¡±
¡°That one on the far end. It¡¯s the most empty. There¡¯s a panel near the bottom.¡± Daivor said pointing to a rectangular box on the side of the generator.
Kaleb opened the panel and discovered two large cylindrical indentations. It looked like a spot for two large batteries. He gave Daivor a questioning look but the Gnome just shrugged.
¡°I figured it was how they fed or took power from these things.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he saw two metal connection points near the top of each indentation. ¡°I think you are right. So how do we do this?¡±
Daivor grinned and held up two small metal leads with wires coming out of them. ¡°You jam these into the gland and I attach the other ends into the generators connections. Then we cross our fingers and toes and hope this shit works.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes, picked up a gland, and took the leads while muttering. ¡°Yay, science!¡±
¡°Hey! Science can¡¯t move forward if you are not willing to get the shit shocked out of you.¡±
¡°Interesting use of the singular pronoun there, Master Gnome.¡± Kaleb joked as he jammed the metal leads into a Joranek gland. It was surprisingly tougher than it looked.
¡°Thank you, smart-ass. Although note that I¡¯m at the dangerous end of this endeavor.¡± Daivor said as he attached one of his wires into the generators connection.
They both went silent as there was a sudden and loud whirring from the generator. Kaleb was about to move forward and do the second attachment himself, but Daivor quickly attached it. The whirring grew louder and Kaleb felt the gland in his arms grow hotter.
¡°Ow! Son of a bitch!¡± Kaleb yelled dropping the gland.
It had gotten so hot that he couldn¡¯t maintain his hold. Luckily the leads stayed in place and the power transfer seemed to keep going. Daivor stared at the blue sludge inside the generator. The little Gnome was smiling widely as he watched. Kaleb was blowing air onto his hurting hand, but when the loud electrical whirring stopped, he asked.
¡°Did it work?¡±
Daivor nearly cackled. ¡°Yes! Yes, it fucking worked. Look at it!¡±
Kaleb glanced down at the once glowing gland and found it be almost clear. He could almost see through the entire gland. Daivor flew up and slapped him on the head, getting his attention.
¡°Not the gland! The sludge, boy. Look at the sludge!¡± Daivor ordered still giddy.
Kaleb looked up at the sludge while shaking his hurting hand. It looked like the same old blue sludge to him though. He shrugged his shoulders at Daivor with a curious look on his face. Daivor slapped a small palm in into his face and pointed at the sludge.
¡°The level of the sludge rose. It took in the energy and then, somehow, converted it into more blue sludge. We got nowhere near the amount of energy housed in the gland but we increased the hangars power overall.¡±
¡°Okay¡¡± Kaleb said still confused.
Daivor groaned. ¡°Ugh! I have a theory. I think the amount of energy stored in these tanks remains the same. The only reason they are low right now is because the Joranek. This sludge replaces the energy it uses.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s eyes grew wide, and he was about to ask how when Daivor shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how. But, I think that whatever organisms is in this stuff replaces itself as fast as it dies. We introduced a new power source and the little organisms in the sludge replicated like crazy.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Okay, that doesn¡¯t really prove your theory though. It just proves that we can transfer a small amount of energy from the glands. We don¡¯t know what happens when we use energy, because, so far, we haven¡¯t used any.¡±
Daivor rolled his eyes. ¡°What do you think is powering the lights? Or the terminal and phone in the office. True, the power drain is so negligible that we probably wouldn¡¯t see a dip in the sludge. But we should see something right?¡±
Kaleb bobbed his head noncommittally. ¡°Maybe, but Let''s get excited if we can power the hangar shields indefinitely. Okay?¡±
Daivor just harrumphed and pointed down at the Joranek gland still attached to the wires. ¡°Attach the next one and let''s get through this.¡±
Kaleb nodded and carefully removed the leads and attached them to the next gland. He left the whole set-up on the floor in case he burned himself again. Daivor had turned his chariot and was watching the blue sludge. Seeing Kaleb was watching, Daivor flew up and struck his finger through the air leaving a magical mark where the top of the sludge was.
¡°Did you just leave a mark in glitter magic?¡± Kaleb asked bemused as the loud whirring started again.
¡°Shut it.¡± Daivor said crossing his arms and waiting for the loud whirring to die down again.
Kaleb kept his eyes trained on the sludge during the whole process. The glittering line in the air next to the oblong window stayed stuck in the air. But Kaleb could see that the blue sludge was growing past the line as the energy transferred between the gland and generator. Daivor turned and smiled smugly at Kaleb.
¡°I never said I didn¡¯t believe you.¡± Kaleb muttered as the whirring died down.
¡°Attach the next one.¡± Daivor said.
They went through all eleven glands that Kaleb had brought down. The generator was now hovering just under half full. The energy storage of the Joranek glands impressed Kaleb. Picking up the now empty glands, Kaleb said.
¡°Now all we have to do is give the turret and solar conversion and use these as power container.¡±
Daivor nodded. ¡°We also have to reprogram the minicomputers and guns with stun or kill settings. Like your own gun.¡±
Kaleb started for the stairs with his armful of glands. ¡°Still a lot of work ahead of us.¡±
He didn¡¯t see Daivor¡¯s response as he bounded up the stairs and through the living area. When he came up the stairs to the hangar floor, he heard a loud beeping noise coming from the opposite end. Farrah was standing near the office door and when she saw him she pointed into the office.
¡°It¡¯s be doing that for the past couple of minutes. Fix it, before I break the damn thing.¡±
Kaleb just sighed and hurried over to the Mechanics Room to drop off the glands. Once that he had dropped them on his workbench, he ran into the office and brought up the terminal.
*Notice*
Generators are now at 57% power.
Your headquarters now has enough power to run the shields at Projectile Strength
Projectile Strength shields will guard against any low grade energy or ballistic weapon.
Organic matter can still pass through the shield unimpeded.
Slow moving inorganic matter can still pass through the shield unimpeded.
Increase generator output to increase shield strength.
Engage shields?
[Yes] / [No]
Kaleb read through the notification and looked up to see Daivor grinning at him. Kaleb shrugged his shoulder and tapped yes. A loud hum echoed throughout the hangar but nothing else happened. Kaleb glanced up from the monitor and looked around. Farrah was still near the office door and she just shrugged her shoulders.
¡°Now what did you do?¡± She asked a little exasperated.
Daivor stayed near the terminal but Kaleb moved into the hangar answering. ¡°Turned on the shield. But¡ I don¡¯t know I expected more of a show, really.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the problem with you kids.¡± Said a familiar voice. ¡°You always want things big and flashy.¡±
Kaleb spun around until he came face to face with a smiling Obadiah Nova. The old man was standing next to a beaming Roy. Kaleb grinned sheepishly before he waved.
*Fwip*
Suddenly a sharp pain jabbed at Kaleb¡¯s neck and he his vision darkened.
¡°What¡ do¡ for!¡± Roy¡¯s voice shouted from a long way away.
Kaleb raised his hand to his neck and pulled out a small dart. He glanced back up at Obadiah, who was still grinning. The elder Nova mouthed the words ¡°Your turn.¡±
¡°Dick¡¡± Kaleb mumbled as his eyelids grew heavy and he passed out.
Chapter 105 - Turret Work
¡°Doc! Doc, you okay!¡± A voice screamed at Kaleb as he struggled to open his eyes.
Recognizing the voice, Kaleb said. ¡°Roy? Is that you?¡±
¡°Yeah, Doc. Are you okay?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. I had a dream were a giant dick was walking around tranqing people.¡± Kaleb said as he opened his eyes and stared up at Roy, Obadiah, Farrah and Daivor.
Seeing Obadiah, Kaleb widened his eyes in mock horror. Pointing a finger at the old man, Kaleb whispered. ¡°I think you were in my dream.¡±
Obadiah rolled his eyes. ¡°It was a small dose of Tornolzapam. You¡¯re fine. Get up, you drama queen.¡±
Kaleb smiled then quickly wiped it from his face. ¡°Wait, my vision¡¯s gone. What happened where is everyone. Oh! Why do old people always test drugs on animals!?¡±
He saw Roy shake his head, while Farrah just smirked. Daivor had wandered off once Kaleb had started being a smart-ass. Obadiah roughly nudged Kaleb in his side with his foot.
¡°Get up. Show me how your screwing up my old base.¡±
Kaleb sighed and got to his feet. ¡°I can¡¯t screw up something you never used. Besides, the Joranek infestation wasn¡¯t my fault.¡±
¡°Joranek?¡± Obadiah asked putting his hands on his hips. ¡°Those things live underground. Why would they leave their home?¡±
Farrah grumbled. ¡°Either the giant ants or whatever power supply you used was a more attractive meal.¡±
Obadiah nodded sagely. ¡°Ahh, we thought the Weikacol solution might draw some pests. I thought they meant tiny insects, not giant space flies.¡±
Kaleb waved at the pile of flies and their removed glands. ¡°Well, it paid off somehow. We got a bunch of Joranek energy glands. Plus, we just learned we can use them to refill the generators.¡±
Obadiah moved over to the Joranek glands and crouched down. ¡°You know these are unstable, right? They could blow if you treat them too rough or if you puncture them the wrong way.¡±
Kaleb shrugged and crouched down next to the old cyborg. ¡°Yeah, well, I work with what I have.¡± glancing at Roy he asked. ¡°Hey, Roy, why don¡¯t you help Daivor detach those turrets and bring them inside. We need to convert them to energy weapons.¡±
Roy looked between his grandpa and Kaleb before nodded and leaving to find the small Gnome. Kaleb turned back to Obadiah to find the old man giving him a questioning look. Kaleb returned the look and tilted his head toward Roy¡¯s retreating form. Obadiah seemed to catch his meaning because he gave a quick shake of his head.
¡°They just think I¡¯m here for a visit.¡± Obadiah mumbled as he inspected a Joranek gland.
¡°So what are you here for?¡± Kaleb asked suspiciously.
Obadiah carefully set the gland down and looked back to Kaleb. ¡°I heard what the HLO did to you. It isn¡¯t the first time that organization has overstepped its authority and its becoming a pattern. Some people I work with have expressed concerns.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°So what? You¡¯re here to audit the HLO?¡±
¡°Nothing so overt.¡± Obadiah shook his head smiling. ¡°No, my work is of a more clandestine nature.¡±
¡°Great, geriatric cyberspook on the prowl in Austin.¡± Kaleb joked.
Obadiah reached over and smacked the back of Kaleb¡¯s head roughly. Looking around worriedly. ¡°Keep it down. Like I said: I haven¡¯t told my family about my¡ condition.¡±
Kaleb rubbed the raising bump on the back of his head and gave the old man a dirty look. ¡°Dude, I get it. But, like I said: They deserve to know.¡±
Obadiah nodded and stood back up. ¡°Yeah, Yeah, I heard you.¡±
Kaleb stood up and glanced around. ¡°So what did you come to the hangar for?¡±
¡°I need a place to work out of while I¡¯m here.¡± Obadiah said moving over to the massive pile of junk in the hangar and studying it.
Kaleb did a celebratory arm pump behind the old man¡¯s back. Moving to stand next to Obadiah, Kaleb said. ¡°Well, uh, that would be fine. But, y¡¯know if you stay, then you got to work.¡±
Obadiah turned to Kaleb and raised an eyebrow. ¡°You know I am the one who gave this hangar to you, right?¡±
Kaleb nodded good-naturedly. ¡°I know, but this place needs some work and your help would be amazing.¡±
Obadiah looked around the hangar nodding at Kaleb¡¯s words. ¡°Yeah, maybe. But remember: I built this with the help of a bunch of eggheads.¡±
¡°Why did you build this place?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Wolfgang and I wanted a place to cultivate new talent. We wanted this base to be a training center. But then Hank blew up the Mark VII and my life took a rather drastic turn.¡± Obadiah said grinning. ¡°Spies, Soldiers, and international intrigue. Oh, my!¡±
¡°Well, it has potential. But I don¡¯t think we have a room for you.¡± Kaleb said.
Obadiah looked toward the office and asked. ¡°You haven¡¯t expanded the second level yet?¡±
¡°With what money?! We are freelancing things here.¡± Kaleb asked.
Obadiah rubbed his chin in thought. ¡°I might be able to help with that, actually. If you have a certain moral flexibility.¡±
Kaleb eyed the old man, out of the corner of his eye he saw Roy carrying one of the large fifty-calibers toward the Mechanics Room. Moving to help he whispered.
¡°What did you have in mind?¡±
¡°I have a fund in place to help obtain some local deniable assets. You¡¯d have to follow people, a little B&E, maybe a kidnapping or two. Nothing too strenuous.¡± Obadiah whispered back as they helped Roy put the large machine gun onto the workbench.
Kaleb nodded silently and looked over the machine gun. There wasn¡¯t a lot of space to work with on the gun itself. So Kaleb figured he would have to cut out much of the receiver and the feed tray. Then they could make some kind of energy container to store and then transfer the energy to the barrel. They still had the empty Joranek glands to use, all they needed now was some solar panels and to reprogram the minicomputer.
¡°How big is this fund?¡± Kaleb asked as he disassembled the large machine gun.
Obadiah helped by clearing out the already cluttered workspace. ¡°As big as I need it to be to get the job done. Why?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I think I know a few people with some useful skills.¡±
¡°You mean the small girl with the shadow powers or the Warlock built like a linebacker?¡± Obadiah asked.
Kaleb stopped his work and gave the old cyborg a strange look. Obadiah just chuckled. ¡°You think we didn¡¯t check you out? So which one were you thinking.¡±
¡°Neither actually. You say ¡®deniable asset¡¯ and I don¡¯t immediately jump to my friends. You monster.¡± Kaleb groused as he went back to dissembling the gun¡¯s receiver. ¡°No, I was thinking of a couple of guys I met in Under-Town. I¡¯m willing to bet they are more inclined to this kind of work.¡±
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
¡°Hey, deniable assets is just a term. Don¡¯t go taking offense, you do the work right and you don¡¯t have to worry about being hung out to dry.¡± Obadiah said as he looked around the Mechanics Room.
Kaleb gave a sarcastic nod. ¡°Uh-huh, sure.¡±
Roy arrived carrying the second machine gun and placed it on the floor next to the workbench. When he stood back up, he looked between Obadiah and Kaleb. Obadiah smiled kindly at his grandson before he spotted something on a nearby shelf. Moving over to it he picked up a small circuit board.
¡°Are these Wolfgang¡¯s failed blueprints?!¡± He asked incredulously.
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve been too busy to look at them. You know trying to get this place up and running.¡±
Obadiah waved the circuit board around as he said. ¡°Seriously? You have the ramblings of what could be one of the greatest minds in the world and you leave it on a shelf?!¡±
¡°Busy.¡± Kaleb said, but he waved for Roy to pick up his laptop.
Roy smiled and quickly picked up the laptop. Sitting on a stool he took the circuit board from his grandpa and connected the two. Obadiah stared at Kaleb for a few seconds before the old man shook his head. He went back to look over the room as Kaleb worked on the gun and Roy typed away.
As Kaleb finally got the receiver detached from the rest of the gun, Roy gasped in surprise. Kaleb and Obadiah both turned to the young man sitting on the stool. Roy looked up at both of them smiling.
¡°This stuff is cool. Mixed alloys of metals I¡¯ve never heard of, mobile autonomous armors, condensed storage containers, some weird battery thing. Old Doc was working on some crazy stuff.¡± Roy said as Daivor suddenly appeared on his shoulder.
¡°Where have you been?¡± Kaleb asked the Gnome
Daivor held up the turret¡¯s minicomputer. ¡°Going through this thing. But programming is not my thing.¡±
¡°Give it here.¡± Farrah said standing up from her chair near the computer. ¡°What do we need it to do?¡±
¡°Manage power output for these guns. We want them to have stun and kill settings. We want to make them solar powered too.¡± Kaleb explained.
Farrah nodded before looking down at the minicomputer. ¡°Well, I have to see how it¡¯s all hooked up before I can program things.¡±
Daivor took a long puff on his pipe as smiled at Farrah. ¡°You do you, sweetness.¡±
Kaleb snorted a laugh but Farrah just ignored the Gnome and went back to her own computer. Obadiah stared between the three. Sidling up next to Kaleb, he asked.
¡°You have a Builder Gnome.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he measured the space where the receiver was. Seeing how blas¨¦ Kaleb was about it, Obadiah smacked him in the shoulder.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±
Kaleb gave Obadiah a wide-eyed look. ¡°Seriously, you know about my friends. But somehow your government friends missed the wise-ass Gnome? They have shaken my faith in the system.¡±
Obadiah groaned and asked in a whisper. ¡°How powerful is he?¡±
Daivor was the one who answered. ¡°His hearing is off that charts that¡¯s for sure.¡±
Kaleb grinned as he looked at Obadiah¡¯s face. He translated for the old man, but Obadiah just put his hand up. ¡°I might not understand him, but I know when I¡¯ve been caught out.¡± turning he smiled at the Gnome perched on his grandson¡¯s shoulder. ¡°My apologies, Master Gnome I just wished to know how skilled you are.¡±
¡°Skilled enough.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°He has been indispensable.¡±
¡°Demanding, but indispensable.¡± Roy agreed.
Daivor gave the back of Roy¡¯s head a pat and stared up at Obadiah smugly. Kaleb looked over his shoulder at the old man and sighed.
¡°Since you are just wandering around how about you help with this?¡±
Obadiah shrugged his shoulders and moved next to Kaleb. Soon the two of them were pouring over a sheet of paper that had designs for the new gun. Daivor and Roy had been reading through Dr. Kersait¡¯s notes mumbling to themselves. Farrah was still typing away at her computer until she finally hopped up and shouted excitedly.
¡°Bam! Finally done. We now have access to the city''s cameras¡ for our¡ neighborhood¡ for now.¡±
Kaleb sighed. ¡°And how legal is that exactly?¡±
¡°Not very.¡± Obadiah said as he adjusted the glasses on his face and looked at Farrah.
Farrah shrugged her shoulders and looked at them annoyed. ¡°What? We need to know what¡¯s going on in our district. Besides, they won¡®t bust our balls about hacking the city''s system to help people, are they?¡±
Obadiah her a knowing grin. ¡°That depends on how useful you are to the city, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°What are you going to do when the inspector comes to visit us in thirty days?¡± Kaleb asked as he measured out a block of metal.
¡°They aren¡¯t going to go through every line of code in my computer, are they? Because if they do, then we are screwed.¡± Farrah sniped back.
Kaleb sighed and rubbed his eyes. ¡°We are a group of supers that are not a part of the HLO. In fact, I have been in direct confrontation with HLO upper management. I¡¯m willing to bet that whoever the send to inspect us will go through our damn trash to find something to hold over us.¡±
Obadiah looked at him in shock. ¡°Is it really that bad out here?¡±
Kaleb just nodded as Farrah groaned in annoyance. ¡°Fine!¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯ll delete the code before the thirty days are up. But you have got to get me some drones. We can¡¯t complete the room without them.¡±
Kaleb nodded and looked back at Roy and Daivor. The Gnome returned his stare before nodding and tapping the younger man¡¯s shoulder to get Roy¡¯s attention. Kaleb smiled at the two.
¡°You both mind doing that for Farrah?¡±
¡°And I need more monitors!¡± Farrah added.
Roy and Daivor looked forlornly down at the laptop full of Dr. Kersait¡¯s notes and failed gadgets. They both gave Kaleb sad looks before Roy stood and walked back toward the junk pile. Kaleb shook his head and went back to what he was doing. He needed to cut a large metal piece to put in the receiver¡¯s place. Then he would wire the glands and solar panels.
¡°So are we putting the solar panels on the guns or on the gun mounting?¡± Obadiah asked getting back to the job at hand.
¡°I was thinking of adding it to the gun mounting.¡± Kaleb answered.
Obadiah nodded. ¡°Sounds good. Let¡¯s get to it.¡±
Kaleb started work on machining another receiver for the gun while Obadiah worked on wiring up the Joranek glands. They had decided on five glands per gun leaving them one extra to work with. As they worked Kaleb pointed out what he thought would be a big problem.
¡°Don¡¯t we need something to convert the energy like my crystal does for my gun?¡±
Obadiah held up the Joranek gland. ¡°That¡¯s what this is for. It should condense and convert the energy into a useful plasma. Then we can set the strength and send it down the barrel.¡±
Kaleb nodded trusting the Obadiah¡¯s word and went back to building the gun''s receiver. A little over an hour of work and they were ready to reattach the first machine gun to the gun mounting. As they moved the large gun, they grabbed Farrah and the minicomputer before heading outside. When they got to the gun mounting, Kaleb saw Two Gun and Claire¡¯s red sedan pull up to the hangar. They strapped a refrigerator to their roof.
Kaleb waved after the set the gun down on the mounting and Farrah went to work. Two Gun waved back as he and Claire grabbed their purchases out of the car. Claire had the refrigerator tucked under one of her arms like she was carrying luggage. Two Gun gestured with an arm that was holding several bags, asking.
¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±
Kaleb smiled. ¡°We are giving the hangar a defense upgrade.¡±
¡°Is that what the shimmering dome thing is?¡± Claire asked drawing a curious look from Kaleb.
Soon it hit him. ¡°Oh! You mean the shield. No, we got that up and running a bit ago. Although for the life of me, I can¡¯t see it from here.¡±
Two Gun adjusted his grip on his bags and nodded. ¡°Doesn¡¯t surprise me. It only covers the hangar and once we crossed into it, it became a lot harder to see.¡±
¡°Not a great shield. All things considered.¡± Claire said.
¡°Well, it only does projectiles for now. At least that¡¯s what the terminal said.¡± Kaleb stated shrugging.
Nearby Obadiah was attaching the large solar plates to the machine gun¡¯s mounting bracket. Claire gave Kaleb a nod and head inside with the fridge while Two Gun stared at the odd lumps attached to the machine gun¡¯s receiver.
¡°Are those the fly things?¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Yeah. We are using them to accumulate and convert solar energy. Which we will then use as ammo for the guns.¡±
Two Gun glanced down at his own guns. ¡°Do you think¡¡±
Kaleb put up a hand stopping the old cowboy. ¡°You¡¯re next on the list if this works. I¡¯ll get you your gun upgrade, I promise.¡±
¡°A man¡¯s only as good as his word, son¡± Two Gun said pointing a finger at Kaleb.
¡°Scout''s honor.¡± Kaleb said putting a hand to his heart.
¡°Like you were ever a scout.¡± Two Gun muttered as he went inside.
Kaleb smiled and asked Obadiah. ¡°How are we looking?¡±
Obadiah shrugged his shoulders and glanced down at Farrah. ¡°We are all hooked up, all we need now is the programming to get up and running.¡±
Farrah crouched over the minicomputer and furiously typed away on its surface. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m re-coding a diagnostic program to read energy levels they never designed it to read. Not only that, it has to be able to adjust those levels.¡±
¡°For now, how about we just get it to read the levels?¡± Kaleb said. ¡°We can work on adjusting them later.¡±
Farrah nodded and pointed between her head and Kaleb¡¯s saying. ¡°Great minds.¡±
¡°Are nowhere near here.¡± Obadiah muttered.
Kaleb snorted. ¡°That includes you, sourpuss.¡±
¡°Never said I was.¡± Obadiah shrugged. ¡°I am a product of other people¡¯s genius.¡±
Kaleb just shook his head as Farrah typed away. Soon the rabbit woman was hopping with joy again. ¡°I think I got it!¡±
¡°You do?¡± Kaleb and Obadiah asked.
¡°My diagnostic program is showing this gun at a whopping 0.86% power. Want to do a test fire?¡± Kaleb swore he saw Farrah¡¯s eyes shining as her finger hovered over a button on the minicomputer. Obadiah shrugged his shoulders again and glanced at Kaleb. Kaleb inhaled a large breath before stepping back and nodding at Farrah.
Farrah, vibrating with excitement, tapped a few buttons on the minicomputer and moved aside to watch.
Chapter 106 - Enter The Boar
Kaleb held his breath and watched the barrel of the machine gun. He wasn¡¯t sure what exactly 0.86% energy would do, but he hoped they would get something. Obadiah and Farrah both took a step back as the large gun whirred softly. An electric hum filled the air and Kaleb watched the Joranek glands glow softly. The whirring grew slightly louder, and the glands pulsed until the whirring suddenly died and glands stopped glowing.
Kaleb blew out a breath. He supposed it made sense, less than 1% power. What was he expecting? He saw Farrah move forward and tap away at the minicomputer as Obadiah returned his stare. The old cyborg seemed unsurprised as he moved closer to inspect the gun. Kaleb joined Obadiah in looking it over as Farrah spoke up.
¡°Yep, power is down to just above 0.05%. Guess we didn¡¯t even have enough power to leave the barrel.¡±
Kaleb looked down the length of the long barrel. ¡°Any idea how far the energy made it?¡±
¡°Probably didn¡¯t even leave the receiver,¡± Obadiah said.
Kaleb sighed and nodded slowly. ¡°Well, that was anticlimactic.¡±
¡°Damn, I wanted to see how this would stack up compared to the ones at SPPD Headquarters,¡± Farrah said, looking up from the minicomputer.
¡°I doubt these guns will be that impressive. I mean¡ I haven¡¯t seen the SPPD¡¯s defenses, but I imagine they are pretty high tech,¡± Kaleb said, checking the wires on the receiver mechanism.
¡°They are,¡± Obadiah said. ¡°Any sign of electrical seepage over there?¡±
Kaleb shook his head. Hearing approaching footsteps, he turned and saw Two Gun making his way over to them. He gave the gunslinger a nod and went back to double-checking the wires. Two Gun walked up next to him and held a small back rectangle under Kaleb¡¯s nose.
Kaleb stared at the object for several seconds before he recognized it. ¡°Is that an actual pocket phone?¡±
Two Gun waggled the old-style phone before he said. ¡°Yep, I figured since we are using D-Net, anyway. We might as well go completely old school.¡±
¡°That could work,¡± Farrah said, not looking up from the minicomputer. ¡°The D-Net frequencies are free. Not too many people are using them. I can encode a channel so we can have a personal one.¡±
Kaleb sighed and looked between them exasperated. ¡°Then what the hell did I even build our ear comms for?¡±
Obadiah ran his finger over the barrel of the long machine gun as he answered. ¡°One can be for personal calls while the other can be Tac-Comms for when your team is all out in the field together.¡±
¡°Exactly! Besides these were cheap. Most old D-Net tech is,¡± Two Gun said, nodding along with Obadiah¡¯s words.
Kaleb grabbed the offered phone and looked it over. It was an old, thin touchscreen phone, popular before wrist communication devices became the norm. Kaleb twisted the old device in his hand before he said aloud.
¡°Phone, on!¡±
The phone¡¯s black screen remained blank and Kaleb shot a look at Two Gun. ¡°Really? Not even a voice function?¡±
¡°Oh, shut up and take the dang thing. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have room in those damn pockets of yours,¡± Two Gun said rolling his eyes.
Kaleb sighed and slid the phone into his jeans pocket. It felt weird to have a rectangular box against his leg, but he felt he could get used to it. Two Gun handed one to Farrah and looked up to Obadiah apologetically. Obadiah just waved him off and spoke to Kaleb again.
¡°Well, it looks like the glands and the wires handled the charge well enough. Of course, we won¡¯t know how the receiver will handle a massive charge until it fires one. I¡¯d recommend reinforcing the barrel just in case.¡±
Kaleb grinned. ¡°I can do that.¡±
Pulling out his pen cutter, Kaleb moved toward the slim barrel of the machine gun. He had the Protection Rune memorized by this point so it was a simple matter to get the rune etched into the gun¡¯s barrel. After it was finished all Kaleb had to do was power up the rune with some Mana and stand back. Obadiah moved over to check his work as Two Gun asked.
¡°Will that little scribble be enough?¡±
Kaleb nodded noncommittally. ¡°Maybe.¡±
Farrah jerked her head up before Two Gun could say anything more and announced, ¡°Ok, I think I have a decent algorithm for the receiver. I had to estimate on some higher numbers. But ultimately, I think we can get a good idea on how long it will take the gun to charge fully. Of course, we will have to work that out later to get a perfect reading.¡±
¡°So, how long will it need to charge?¡± Kaleb asked.
Farrah tapped a few more buttons on the minicomputer¡¯s screen before she answered. ¡°A little over 3 hours.¡±
Kaleb swallowed his groan of disappointment and he nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s¡ good. I guess.¡±
Farrah just shrugged and stood up and flexed her fingers. Obadiah looked between Kaleb and the gun before he gave a short nod and started back toward the workbench. Two Gun left to join Claire, who was taking the food they had bought downstairs along with the fridge. Kaleb followed Obadiah and found both Daivor and Roy hovering over a mass of parts.
Kaleb grimaced slightly as he saw Obadiah trying to work around the Gnome and boy pair. The Mechanics Room was fairly spacious. But with four people trying to work on the same workbench they would get crowded real quick. Farrah also seemed to identify the problem as she started to join them before veering off and heading to her D-Net set-up.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Obadiah was getting annoyed with the pair as they seemed to argue over certain pieces. Roy still couldn¡¯t understand Daivor so the whole scene played out like a weird silent play. Obadiah moved around Roy and picked up various bits and bobs to build another receiver into the second gun. Kaleb moved closer and tried to ask them to move but Daivor cut him off.
¡°Before you ask: No we can¡¯t move. You want these drones done? Then we need the space.¡±
Kaleb opened his mouth to argue, but he quickly closed it again when he realized the Gnome was right. They had limited space outside of the workbench. So instead he just nodded and moved the second large machine gun out the doors. Obadiah sighed loudly and patted his grandson on the shoulder.
¡°You¡¯re not gonna make your old grandpa work on the floor, are you?¡±
Roy just turned and gave Obadiah a wide smile before he turned back to his work. Kaleb covered a snort as he went to work on the second turret gun. Working from the floor wasn¡¯t too bad and since they had completed one already the work went by fast. Kaleb had the receiver assembly almost completely taken apart before Obadiah came back with several Joranek glands and some wiring.
The two pairs worked in silence as they each worked on their respective projects. Daivor and Roy seemed to come to an agreement on the drone''s form factor as Kaleb and Obadiah got the glands attached to the machine gun¡¯s new receiver. The staccato rhythm of Farrah clacking away at her new computer punctuated their silent work.
Kaleb briefly wondered what she was doing, but he pushed it from his mind. He and Obadiah finished up the second machine gun and picked it up to move it back outside with the first. He glanced out at the surrounding airfield and tried to see his new force field. A thought occurred to him as they got the gun attached to the minicomputer.
¡°Does the shield extend underground?¡±
Obadiah nodded. ¡°Slightly. It will not block anything traveling deep underground. But it will keep the bugs out.¡±
Kaleb shook his head and went back to trying to align the machine gun with its mount. Thankfully Obadiah could hold the large gun by himself as Kaleb went to work. After they got the second gun set up Kaleb checked the minicomputer. After he confirmed that the system was registering the second gun he and Obadiah walked back to the Mechanic¡¯s Room. Roy and Daivor were using the workbench¡¯s clamp to bend a piece of metal into the shape they wanted.
Kaleb placed his hands on his hips as he thought of his next project. Obadiah stretched his arms and asked.
¡°What¡¯s next?¡±
Kaleb nodded to himself in thought before replying, ¡°I think Two Gun¡¯s new weapons and then it¡¯s my turn for an upgrade. I want to see if I can amp up the power on my Cybar pistol.¡±
Obadiah just nodded and he and Kaleb looked around the mechanics room for a few seconds. But before Kaleb could get any sparks of an idea for Two Gun¡¯s new weapons, Farrah spoke up.
¡°Umm¡ I think you might want to see this.¡±
Kaleb twisted his head in confusion before he walked over with Obadiah following behind. Kaleb heard Roy get up and join them and the tell-tale *fwip* of Daivor¡¯s new rigging vest. Joining Farrah, Kaleb paused for a second and stared at the chair she was sitting in.
¡°Is that the chair from the office?¡±
¡°Yep,¡± Farrah said, tone daring him to say something else.
Kaleb wisely remained quiet and turned to look at the video she had on screen. The video was obviously from a street camera and it faced down a long street Kaleb didn¡¯t recognize. In the video, groups of people were running down the street, terrified. A few seconds later they saw what was scaring them.
A giant boar was thrashing its way down the street. From what Kaleb could see it looked like the creature was taller than some nearby buildings. Its large tusks jutted from its lower jaw, swinging every which way. Kaleb thought he could see a body still impaled on the boar¡¯s right tusk.
¡°Ahhh, a Manthian Boar. Looks young too,¡± Obadiah said with some awe in his voice.
¡°That¡¯s young?!¡± Roy said surprised. ¡°How big are the older ones?¡±
Obadiah shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not really about overall size. It¡¯s more about tusk size and how glossy their coat is.¡±
¡°Where are the cops?¡± Kaleb asked trying to bring the conversation back to the matter at hand.
Farrah switched through a couple of cameras until she got to another street. In the video several police cars were making their way to the scene. Farrah snorted and Kaleb didn¡¯t understand why at first until Obadiah pointed it out.
¡°They''re not even SPPD. They are regular cops.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s eyes widened as he understood the gravity of the situation. The regular Austin PD wasn¡¯t equipped to deal with large threats such as the boar. At least Kaleb didn¡¯t think so. Kaleb reached over and switched the camera feed back to the original street. Farrah looked like she was ready to swat his had away from her setup but the rampaging boar seemed to get their attention.
People were still running down the street, trying to get far away from the boar. The boar for his part seemed more willing to destroy anything that was near him. So far that had been cars and the occasional lamp post. Kaleb twisted his head toward the stairs and shouted.
¡°Y¡¯all probably want to come up here!¡±
Two Gun and Claire must have already been on their way up because they both appeared almost as soon as he yelled. Two Gun was still chewing on the remains of an apple and Claire seemed to be chewing on something too. Kaleb waved a hand at Farrah¡¯s screen as they got close.
¡°Jesus!¡±
¡°Oh, Wow!¡±
They both exclaimed as they stared at the screen. The Boar was passing just underneath the camera and Farrah quickly scrolled through cameras until she got the correct one. Kaleb checked his weapons and his pockets before asking Farrah.
¡°Where are the others? Aren¡¯t they patrolling?¡±
Farrah shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t seen them on the cameras yet. But the system is weird. The cameras are non-sequential. One second I¡¯m on Decker Lake Road, the next I¡¯m on Levenwood, then I¡¯m over by the 130. These cameras make little sense.¡±
Kaleb sighed and looked to Claire and Two Gun. ¡°Ok then, for now it¡¯s just us. Where is the boar headed?¡±
Two Gun and Claire headed for their car as Kaleb asked Farrah. Farrah typed a few buttons and answered.
¡°It¡¯s headed down Blue Bluff.¡±
Kaleb nodded and turned to Obadiah. ¡°You mind¡¡±
The old man put up his hands and shook his head. ¡°Sorry, kid I have to be careful about who sees me around here. I can¡¯t help you.¡±
¡°I wanted to ask if you could help these two with the drones,¡± Kaleb said, smirking and pointing at Daivor and Roy.
¡°Oh¡ uh, sure. I can do that,¡± Obadiah said.
Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure but he could swear the old cyborg was blushing in embarrassment. Shaking his head Kaleb set an ear piece down on Farrah¡¯s keyboard and followed Claire and Two Gun to their car. Getting into the sedan¡¯s back seat, Kaleb checked his weapons again as Claire started the car.
¡°Straight north from here on Blue Bluff,¡± Kaleb said as the car floated into the air and spun.
Claire nodded her head. ¡°I heard, dear. You just hang on and don¡¯t get my back seat dirty.¡±
¡°How would I get your back-hurk!¡± Kaleb was cutoff as Claire slammed her foot on the accelerator.
He swore he could feel his stomach jump up into his throat as Claire raced down the airstrip and out the gate. Kaleb struggled with his seat belt as Claire drifted the hover-car through a corner and turned northward toward the giant boar.
Chapter 107 - Meeting The Neighbors
¡°You can¡¯t throw up. You can¡¯t throw up. It¡¯s just a game, so you can¡¯t throw up.¡± Kaleb had to keep reminding himself as Claire took a turn at dangerously high speeds.
He was surprised that no cops had tried to pull them over as they raced toward Blue Bluff. Two Gun seemed annoyingly calm about the way his wife was barreling through the streets. Kaleb was almost happy when he saw the giant boar outside the car¡¯s front windshield.
Claire spun the car into the curb, coming to a dead stop. Kaleb practically fell out of the car as Claire and Two Gun eased themselves out and glanced around the street. took a big breath and tried to swallow what he was sure was virtual vomit.
¡°Y¡¯all go ahead. I¡¯ll be here, waiting for the world to stop spinning.¡± Kaleb groaned, doubled over near the sidewalk.
Claire glanced back at him before smirking. ¡°Suck it up, dear. There¡¯s a pig to barbecue.¡±
¡°Looks like we won¡¯t get the chance.¡± Two Gun said as he gestured up the street.
The street had been fairly deserted when they arrived. But now a group of people had shown up behind the boar. From the way they were positioned, they had obviously been chasing it. Kaleb studied the new group and realized that they all were armed with the same weird armor and weapons as Julius had been.
The ex-Hunter Association hunter had been kitted out in parts of the monsters he had slain. This group had nothing as impressive or grotesque as Julius had, but their armor and weapons were obviously made from animal or monster parts. If the color and texture of their weapons was anything to go by.
¡°Ex-Hunters?¡± Kaleb guessed.
Claire and Two Gun shrugged at the same time.
Kaleb took another large breath and stood up before walking toward the rampaging boar. The other two joined him as he strolled down the street. The group of Hunters had spread themselves out behind the pig and were talking animatedly to each other. Movements on the rooftops near the street drew Kaleb¡¯s attention as Two Gun spoke.
¡°They¡¯re just kids.¡±
Kaleb looked over at the group of Hunters again. Sure enough, none of the group looked older than Roy. Something moved on the roofs again and he saw two people in purple mantles jump between rooftops. The pair stopped on the roof of some kind of general store. They were both staring fixedly at the kids.
¡°I think this is some kind of test.¡± Kaleb said, pointing at the pair.
¡°Seems like it,¡± Claire said, gesturing toward a nearby side street.
A man just a little smaller than Mass stood in the middle of a nearby side road with a giant shield. He barely cast a glance at them as they edged closer. The man was clearly guarding the side road from
Which made Kaleb think out loud, ¡°Where are the cops?¡±
¡°Maybe these guys scared them off.¡± Two Gun answered, casting a weary eye around the rooftops.
The boar was snuffling around some cars as the youthful hunters were edging closer. The group had unraveled a large net and were spreading out in a half circle. Kaleb was trying to decide on a course of action when he heard .
*Fwip*
*Bang*
A small clatter sounded on the street just to the right of Kaleb. Glancing over, he saw the two halves of an arrow. One of Two Gun¡¯s revolver was smoking as he gestured at another rooftop. Another hunter in a purple mantle stood on the rooftop of a diner. Purple and orange longbow clutched in their hands, Kaleb thought he could see the figure shake their head.
¡°None too friendly, are they?¡± Two Gun muttered as he loaded a round into his gun.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Kaleb just shook his head and stopped moving. ¡°Par for the course, really. Should we give the kids a chance?¡±
Two Gun and Claire glanced at each other. Coming to an unspoken agreement, the pair nodded before looking at Kaleb. Kaleb gave a lazy wave to the archer and moved off to the sidewalk. The boar let out a loud squeal as the group of Hunters had thrown their net around its back legs.
They watched as the pig bucked and roared as the young hunters tried to move in closer with multi-colored melee weapons. Swords, spears, axes, large mallet like clubs, all fell on the boar¡¯s tough hide. The boar spun, catching one blonde-haired youth in the side, sending the poor kid careening into the curb. Another caught a back kick with his shield and went flying over the roof of a car.
¡°We thank you for stepping aside as the s get some experience.¡±
Kaleb almost leapt out of his skin as a soft female voice sounded behind them. Claire and Two Gun both started as well. All three turned to see another of the purple cloaked hunters. This one had her hood down, revealing dirty blond hair that had been cut short, framing a round, almost cherubic, face. She almost looked apprehensive. Kaleb tried for his best diplomatic smile.
¡°Well, your message was kinda hard to miss.¡± He said, glancing at her gear.
She, too, was decked out in obvious monster parts. Some strange brown armor made up her chest and leg armor while her arms were decked out in some yellowish red plates. She wore two long daggers on either hip and Kaleb swore he could see purple liquid shining on them.
The woman grinned at him. ¡°We have found that most HLO stooges don¡¯t respond to just words.¡±
Kaleb raised his wrist, showing the lack of an HLO communicator. ¡°We are an independent group.¡±
The woman raised her eyebrows but stayed quiet as they all watched the melee happening in the middle of the streets. The kids were doing their fair share of damage to the boar, but they had taken some losses too. Kaleb didn¡¯t think any of them had died, but more than a few were laying in the street, unconscious.
¡°Won¡¯t they get stepped on?¡± Claire asked, sounding worried.
The woman gave a curt nod. ¡°They have trained to fight as a unit, but accidents can happen. One of the dangers when hunting magical creatures.¡±
Kaleb glanced at the woman¡¯s face, seeing a tinge of worry in her eyes. ¡°At what point is it ok for us to get involved?¡± Seeing the woman snap him a dirty look, he . ¡°Just in case.¡±
The woman huffed before grumbling. ¡°Either when they are all dead or we deem . But, even then, WE will handle it. There is no need for unaffiliated Supers to get involved.¡±
Kaleb shook his head as he pulled his temporary permit from his coat pocket. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we aren¡¯t unaffiliated. As of this afternoon, we are the designated Super Group for this area... if we can convince whoever owns the contract to let us have it.¡±
The woman¡¯s eyes widened slightly as she read over his permit. Controlling her facial expressions, she smirked. ¡°We weren¡¯t aware of anyone stupid enough to compete with the HLO. But getting the Contract won¡¯t be easy.¡±
Kaleb glanced at Two Gun and Claire as the pair seemed to edge nearer toward the street. Kaleb was about to ask more questions when another kid a particularly bad hit. The boar had slowed considerably, but that just made it more dangerous. Kaleb took a couple of steps closer as well.
¡°¡± Kaleb asked as the woman a couple steps with them.
¡°Hmph, like that asshole, would deign to tell us anything.¡± She snorted.
Kaleb gave a nod as their group was now walking up the street. ¡°Well, we are here. Working out of an air hangar to the south. There¡¯s not many of us now, so we could use all the¡¡±
Kaleb trailed off as a sudden deluge of magic assaulted his senses. The woman seemed to pick up on it too, as her eyes darted up and down the street. Kaleb felt the magic in the air but he couldn''t home in on a direction. Luckily, one hunter on a nearby roof seemed to have and gave a shout.
¡°PORTAL!¡±
The man was pointing down another side street across from where he stood. Just to the west of the youthful hunters and the boar. The woman cast a scared glance at the young Hunter still fighting the dying boar before firming up and staring hard at Kaleb and the others.
¡°Help.¡±
It wasn¡¯t a demand or even a scared plea. It was just a simple statement. One Kaleb and the others didn¡¯t really need. Barely sharing a glance, Two Gun and Kaleb drew their weapons as Claire moved.
¡°Yep.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°Of Course.¡± Answered Claire.
¡°Ma¡¯am, I am insulted you thought have to ask.¡± Two Gun said.
All four were into a full run as they made their way across the street and into the narrow side street. Two purple cloaked individuals met them at the entrance to the street, but barely spared them a glance as they turned toward the portal. The long, single lane, side street was deserted except for one large bright green and brown portal hanging in the air in the middle of the road.
¡°Well, that¡¯s a different color.¡± Kaleb muttered as he watched the open portal.
¡°Fae.¡± said the female Hunter, who had drawn her long daggers.
¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡± Said a male voice from under one of the hoods. ¡°Two portals from the Fae so close together?¡±
Kaleb was about to ask about the significance as loud growling and unintelligible snarls came from the portal. Soon, a veritable tidal wave of short green humanoids flooded through the gate. Kaleb was sure he knew what the little things were. Hell, anyone who had played a game knew what a goblin was. Looking at his friends, he could see that Claire looked exasperated and Two Gun looked annoyed.
¡°Oh, good.¡± Said the female hunter. She looked extremely happy as more and more goblins poured through the portal. Turning to Kaleb, she grinned even wider.
¡°It¡¯s just a Goblin Horde.¡±
Chapter 108 - Battle at Blue Bluff
Kaleb almost laughed at the woman¡¯s nonchalant attitude. Sure, goblins were the cannon fodder of the gaming world, but still. There were almost a hundred of the little buggers in the street and more seemed to pour from the portal. Stomping from behind them drew Kaleb¡¯s attention away from the unconcerned hunters. Turning, Kaleb saw the large man with the shield trudging his way over.
¡°Inora! What¡¯s going... oh,¡± the large man said, sparing a glance at Kaleb¡¯s group before addressing the female hunter.
¡°It¡¯s just a Goblin Horde, Carmine. It¡¯s probably what drove the pig through the portal.¡±
Carmine got a better grip on his blue-leathered shield as he gave the horde a sneer. ¡°Damn pests.¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be stopping them?¡± Two Gun asked, Claire nodding beside him.
Carmine and Inora shrugged.
¡°Not really.¡± Inora answered. ¡°It¡¯s best to get the entire horde on this side of the portal.¡±
¡°Less chance of them popping up somewhere else,¡± Carmine added, grabbing a large blue-black mace from his side.
Carmine gave a questioning head-tilt toward their group. Inora nodded as she scanned the incoming goblins.
¡°Apparently they are independent Supers who just got a permit to work in this area..¡±
Carmine just shrugged his massive shoulders again as Kaleb corrected her.
¡°Well, we are three of the Supers in our little group. There are more of us out patrolling right now. Also, I would like to talk to you about the contract...¡±
Inora smirked. ¡°Eh, we can discuss that after we take care of the pests. Do you have anyone close?¡±
Claire broke in. ¡°We don¡¯t know. Our communications aren¡¯t exactly up yet.¡±
¡°But they will be soon.¡± Kaleb added, trying to establish the legitimacy of their group.
The green-brown portal shimmered as it slowly closed, then disappeared. The last of the goblins skittered through before the portal finally closed. Carmine let loose a breath as they stared out at the horde of goblins. More of the purple cloaked hunters had joined them and were holding their various weapons. Kaleb drew his own guns as Two Gun aimed his revolvers at the small green beasts.
¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Carmine said. ¡°They are just goblins. We can handle it.¡±
¡°It is kind of our job to help.¡± Kaleb said as the writhing mass of goblins seemed to shake off the portal sickness and look around.
Inora shrugged. ¡°No one is stopping you. Just don¡¯t get yourselves hurt.¡±
Kaleb was about to say something when one of the hunters loosed an arrow into a nearby goblin. The street froze as everyone watched the goblin fall over, arrow protruding out of his back. A few of the goblins turned and hissed at the surrounding hunters. The noise was like a starting gun as pandemonium erupted in the streets.
Kaleb opened fire with his Cybar and Sun Gun as Two Gun¡¯s pistols flared into life. Claire charged forward with Carmine, Inora, and several other hunters. A wave of green surged forward as bullets, energy, and arrows cut down the front runners. The melee hunters scythed into the green mob as easily as a hot knife through butter.
Kaleb was almost surprised at how effective his weapons were. But thinking about it, he realized the little green beasts weren¡¯t exactly well-armored. Beside their brown loincloths and the occasional stone weapons, the goblins didn¡¯t have much. They were less of a horde of monsters and more of a mob of children. A few in the back rammed into those in the front, causing immediate infighting among the group.
The hunters, meanwhile, acted as a more cohesive group. They had paired up and decimated the goblin lines. Inora and Carmine dove into the goblins with reckless abandon, their oddly colored weapons dropping the small creatures left and right. The goblin stone weapons pelted the hunter¡¯s armor, bouncing off harmlessly. Even Kaleb¡¯s weapons tore through the horde like they were made of paper.
¡°This seems way too easy.¡± Two Gun said as he fired off the several rounds.
¡°Well, we are fighting goblins.¡± Kaleb answered over the tumult.
They watched as Claire batted goblins around as they tried to get close to the green woman. Kaleb could see that with a little coordination, the goblins might have been something to fear. But as they were, the horde would fall.
The sound of running feet brought Kaleb around to see the young hunters who had fought the Boar. The boar lay further back in the street along with their injured. All the younger hunters wore looks that were a mix of exhaustion and excitement. A young blond boy in the front looked particularly exhilarated as he rushed forth.
¡°Mom! We killed it!¡± The blonde shouted happily.
Inora slashed her blades through two of the goblins before turning. ¡°That¡¯s nice dear. Now, how about you help us here?¡±
The boy glanced around with a grimace on his face. ¡°But mom, they¡¯re just goblins and we¡¯re tired.¡±
¡°Victor!¡± Inora said, a little heatedly. ¡°Get in here and cull these goblins!¡±
¡°The rest of you get in here too. Every bit of training helps.¡± Carmine added, swatting a goblin into a nearby wall with his mace.
The youthful group groaned audibly before readying their weapons and wading in. Kaleb heard Two Gun chuckle as they watched them go. Kaleb vented his Cybar as he watched the kids fight. They weren¡¯t as devastating as their parents, but the goblins didn¡¯t really give them much trouble.
¡°Damn it!¡± Two Gun swore as a loud clicking resonated from his guns. ¡°I¡¯m out.¡±
Kaleb sighed as he handed over his Cybar. ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll work on your guns at some point.¡±
Two Gun nodded as he took the weapon. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We have been busy.¡±
¡°True. So many things to build so little time.¡± Kaleb murmured.
Thinking for a bit, Kaleb turned and passed his Sun Gun to Two Gun as well. Casting his eyes over what he could only charitably call a battlefield, he answered Two Gun¡¯s unasked question.
¡°Actually, this might be a good opportunity to raise some skills.¡±
¡°Shit, son, are you just realizing that? I haven¡¯t used my mutation since that arrow.¡± Two Gun laughed.
Kaleb just shrugged as he charged forward. He would need to grab a weapon from a goblin or something, but the skill gain would be worth it. He deployed Shocky 2.0 as he ducked his head and slammed into a pair of goblins. There was a crunch, and he grunted as he rammed into the two. One fell back, having tripped over its own feet.
The other one lay so still, Kaleb thought he had somehow killed it. Either that or the creature was unconscious. The first one charged again at Kaleb, wielding its stone sword and snarling angrily. Kaleb caught the sword with Shocky and punched. The blow caught the goblin in the temple, jerking its head roughly to the side. Kaleb swore he heard a loud pop as the Goblin dropped.
Kaleb blinked.
¡°Well, that was easy.¡± Kaleb thought as he picked up the creature¡¯s weapon.
The sword was jagged and unbalanced, but Kaleb figured it would do. He approached the second Goblin, seeing that it was indeed dead. The force of his shield bash had jammed its nose deep into its face. Snarling to his left caught his attention and his left arm jumped up to his face almost unbidden.
There was a dull thunk as Shocky caught the end of a pointy stick the goblins used as spears. Kaleb didn¡¯t even look as he batted his sword at the growling beast. The edge of the sword caught the creature¡¯s temple and tore a large gash in the thing¡¯s head. Blood splashed down his pants and Kaleb sighed as he thought about how hard Goblin blood would be to get out.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
From beside him, Kaleb heard a scoff. Turning, he saw a tall hunter wielding a one-handed saber which he used to slice through a pair of goblins effortlessly. The man¡¯s gaze flicked up and down Kaleb as he stepped away from a goblin¡¯s wild swing. The man pivoted like a ballerina and quickly brought up his sword in two swift strikes. Severing the arms off the poor Goblin.
¡°It¡¯s a sword, dear boy, not a baseball bat.¡±
Kaleb grimaced as he swatted a jumping goblin away. ¡°I know that, but I work with what I have.¡±
He held up the jagged stone sword, trying to show its uselessness. The tall swordsman just tsked and pivoted on his foot. He quickly snatched another stone sword from a blindly charging goblin and dispatched it with its own jagged sword. The swordsman wielded the stone sword just as easily as his own, quickly dispatching two more goblins with it before raising an eyebrow at Kaleb.
Kaleb sighed as he tried to imitate the swordsman slashing the front of another goblin. The goblin died, but more from the heft of the blow than being cut. He heard the swordsman sigh loudly as he danced away from another goblin with a wooden spear. The tall hunter dashed in and pierced the small creature through the chest with his stone sword.
¡°Faster. Swordsmanship is all about speed. Your form is a mess, but we can fix that later. For now, focus on trying to cut the little green bastards.¡±
Kaleb grit his teeth in annoyance as the pale man cut his way closer. He spent the rest of the fight swinging his sword and being chided by the swordsman. The hunter eventually made his way over to Kaleb and immediately started to critique and bark orders at Kaleb.
¡°Tighten your wrist!¡±
¡°Plant your feet!¡±
¡°Stop swinging so wide!¡±
Kaleb was about to tell the man to stuff it when a notification window popped.
-
|
Notice
|
|
Giorgio Kord (Swordsman Expert Lvl 3) has trained you in swordsmanship
Increased XP gain to the Swordsmanship skill.
No abilities learned
Affinity level with Giorgio is at: Neutral
|
|
Notice
|
|
Trainers: Trainers are scattered about Modern Age Online and can help increase a variety of skills. There are a multitude of different trainers from Hand-to-Hand to Sailing, however finding the more esoteric ones can be a challenge. Trainers can also impart abilities to those they train if their affinity is high enough. They also can be a source of information or more Super work.
|
|
Swordsmanship Skill level up
|
|
Damage with swords raised by 4
Stamina use while using swords decreased by 3%
|
|
Swordsmanship Skill level up
|
|
Damage with swords raised by 6
Stamina use while using swords decreased by 4%
|
It was difficult to keep a grin off his face as he painstakingly tried to follow Giorgio¡¯s instructions. He was seeing massive gains to his swordsmanship skill, thanks to the tall swordsman, and he didn¡¯t want to upset the man.
Kaleb¡¯s arms were feeling heavier and heavier as the battle raged on. He spared a glance around to see that most of the goblins were gone and the nearby Hunters were casually slaughtering the ones that remained. Claire was back near Two Gun, sitting on the curb panting as the old cowboy took pot-shots into the melee. Kaleb was about to join them when another cry went up from a nearby hunter.
¡°HOB!¡±
The nearby Hunters immediately turned their backs on each other and started scanning the surroundings. Most even ignored the ineffectual swipes from the goblins. A tug on Kaleb¡¯s arm brought him around to face Giorgio and another Hunter wearing a hood. The two were back to back and Giorgio was waving to the space between them.
¡°Circle up, boy,¡± Giorgio said.
¡°Yeah, Hobgoblins are sneaky bastards. Always best to watch your friends back until they are dead.¡± The other Hunter said as his head twisted left and right, searching.
Kaleb placed his back to the other two and scanned around, taking the odd swipe at any nearby goblins. The battle was oddly muted, saved for the odd Goblin screaming or growling. After a few long seconds, Kaleb had to ask.
¡°What do Hobgoblins look like?¡±
Giorgio gave one of his now-patented scoffs, but the other Hunter answered. ¡°They are taller, leaner, and meaner than their smaller counterparts. They usually hunt alone, using stealth to hobble their target before slowly cutting them to pieces. Most of the time, they are the assassins in a goblin horde, but I expect that these few just took advantage of a leaderless horde and followed them through the portal.¡±
¡°And why do you think that, Derek?¡± Giorgio asked in a teacher-like tone.
Derek stumbled over his words as the swordsman addressed him, and Kaleb realized the young man was part of the pack of young Hunters who had killed the boar. Part of their training exercise, Kaleb remembered. The kid probably felt like he was back in class. Kaleb smirked as the young man stumbled over his answer.
¡°Um... I¡Well, because... um¡¡± Derek muttered, before taking a moment to rally himself. ¡°Because there¡¯s no Goblin Commander leading this horde. So, there is no one to give the Hobgoblins orders. They wouldn¡¯t listen to the smaller goblins. It¡¯s likely they are trying to take or kill what they can before running away.¡±
Kaleb saw Giorgio nod out of the corner of his eye as he scanned the battlefield. ¡°While that¡¯s all interesting, why can¡¯t I se-¡±
Kaleb was cut off as he saw a 4 foot lanky orange goblin step out of nothing and stab at a nearby group of Hunters. A Hunter quickly dodged out of the way and gave a shout as the others in her group quickly jabbed at the thing with their weapons. The Hobgoblin tried to backpedal but was impaled on a spear and a sword. The group of Hunters quickly reformed their circle and went back to studying their surroundings.
¡°Well, that answers that.¡± Kaleb muttered as he continued scanning around. ¡°How do we know when they are all gone, then?¡±
¡°The trackers will let us know. The Hobgoblin¡¯s Magic leaves traces wherever they go.¡± Giorgio answered as he shuffled idly from foot to foot.
¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡± Kaleb thought.
Kaleb exhaled a long breath as he tried to focus his magic on his eyes. If the Hobgoblins left traces of magic, surely his eyes could see it if he infused them with magic. At first, all he got were vague images and the odd burst of color. Once he got used to ignoring the black outlines of the nearby non-magical Hunters, he found he could almost make out mottled grey shapes moving about. A gold notification went off at the corner of his vision, but Kaleb ignored it.
¡°I think we have one approaching your side,¡± Kaleb said, nudging Giorgio.
Kaleb saw the man tighten his grip on his sword. His mouth was open to ask a question when the Hobgoblin solidified in front of him, a pair of daggers raised to strike. Giorgio stabbed forward faster than Kaleb could see and the Hobgoblin dropped to the ground dead. Kaleb heard Derek let out a breath as he went back to scanning the street.
Giorgio shifted next to him and asked. ¡°You can see them?¡±
Kaleb kept his eyes on the street as he nodded. ¡°Apparently. When you mentioned Magic, I figured I could use my own to-¡±
¡°YOU CAN USE MAGIC!¡±
Kaleb was cut off again as Derek shouted. Jerking his head away from the noise and momentarily losing his new magic vision. Kaleb twisted around to stare a question at the young Hunter. Nearby he could see several other Hunters all shooting him glances.
¡°What¡¯s the problem? I thought you said you had trackers?¡±
¡°Yeah, but they use mundane means or sometimes gadgets to detect nearby Magic. Magic users are rare among our Hunters,¡± Giorgio answered.
¡°Good to know.¡± Kaleb nodded as he got his magic vision back. He adjusted to his unfamiliar sight and quickly shouted to some nearby Hunters. ¡°Group over there! You have one coming up on your right!¡±
The group shifted just as a hobgoblin appeared near them. The Hunters dispatched it easily and nodded thanks as Kaleb went about calling out the locations of the other hobgoblins. Along with the others, they made quick work of the remaining hunters and soon Kaleb was back with his friends, vigorously rubbing at his eyes.
¡°You alright, son?¡± He heard Two Gun ask.
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Yeah, just overused my Magic Vision, I think.¡±
¡°That a new trick?¡± Claire asked.
Kaleb merely nodded again as his vision came back. Looking into the hazy magic world the vision showed him made his actual vision blurry once he turned it off. After a few more seconds and some rapid blinking, he could see again. Just in time to see Inora and Carmine marching toward them, looking grim. Kaleb straightened up as Claire stood, and Two Gun vented Kaleb¡¯s gun.
¡°Inora.¡± Kaleb said in greeting.
Inora stopped short before she gave him an awkward smile and nodded amicably. ¡°Yeah, sorry, I didn¡¯t get your names. But we can get to that as we discuss things.¡±
¡°Things like what?¡± Claire asked.
Carmine shifted uncomfortably behind Inora as the female hunter shifted her smile to Claire
¡°Getting us some help with this district.¡±
Skill Changes
Swordsmanship ¨C Beginner Lvl 1 ==> Lvl 3
Chapter 109 - Magical Forest (cause of course)
¡°Why the change of heart?¡± Two Gun asked curiously.
Inora¡¯s cheeks must have been hurting at all the smiling she was doing. She turned her wide smile on Two Gun now. Kaleb honestly thought it was starting to look freaky. Judging from the way Carmine wasn¡¯t looking at the smaller women made Kaleb think he felt the same.
¡°What do you mean? We were busy before and now we-¡±
¡°Know I can use magic.¡± Kaleb interrupted.
Inora''s teeth clacked as she quickly shut her mouth and grimaced at Kaleb. Two Gun and Claire both shot him curious looks. Kaleb had guessed that Giorgio had told either Carmine or Inora about his magic. Then again, Derek hadn¡¯t exactly been quiet about it. But given how cagey the two were now acting, he figured he had hit the nail on the head.
¡°For some reason, Magic Users are rare among Hunters.¡± Kaleb explained to his two friends.
¡°Not all Hunters, just the ones that matter.¡± Carmine explained grimly.
Kaleb gave him a curious stare as Inora sighed heavily.
¡°Maybe we should head inside?¡± She asked, waving a hand toward the main road. ¡°There¡¯s a bar where we can discuss things and get out of this heat.¡±
Kaleb and the others agreed. As they made their way down the street, Kaleb took in the other Hunters gathering up the goblin bodies and piling them into the street. He briefly wondered what the hunters would do with all the bodies. From beside him he heard a snort of suppressed laughter as Two Gun said.
¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, Professor, you can¡¯t take a dead goblin home with you.¡±
Kaleb shook his head as Claire laughed behind her hand. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to. I was just wondering what they are going to do with them.¡±
¡°Uh-huh,¡± Claire said, disbelievingly.
¡°Normally we pile them up and burn them,¡± Carmine answered from slightly ahead of them. ¡°Thankfully, Fae creatures go up like Christmas trees and leave a little behind. Not much use for the bones or skins, and their equipment isn¡¯t fit for a child.¡±
Kaleb fingered the stone goblin sword he had kept and figured the big man was right. But he would at least keep the stone sword at hand for the time being. Before he could ask another question about the goblins, however, he felt a strange feeling in his leg.
Claire and Two Gun gave him strange looks as he stopped to figure out what it was. Kaleb was confused. It felt like a small part of his leg was vibrating. Feeling around, he felt a strange blocky object in his pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out the old retro phone Two Gun had bought them all.
¡°Must have had it on vibrate.¡± Two Gun muttered as they started down the street again.
Kaleb just stared at the archaic device before swiping his finger across the phone icon and holding the phone to his ear.
¡°Uh... Hello?¡±
¡°Hi!¡± Said Farrah, sounding way too chipper. ¡°Did you know ear pieces only work if you take one too?¡±
Kaleb slapped his forehead. He could almost picture Farrah¡¯s withering look.
¡°Okay, in my defense, we were in a rush.¡±
Farrah snorted. She dropped her sickeningly sweet tone and asked. ¡°So, is everything okay, then? I lost you on the camera feeds. Do you need the others?¡±
Kaleb shook his head as he continued toward the bar with the others. ¡°No. No, everything is fine here. We are about to talk about getting the contract for this area. The local Hunters took down the boar. Are the others back yet?¡±
¡°Not yet, but I¡¯ll let them know. Anything else interesting happen?¡± Farrah asked.
¡°Just a Goblin Horde, but I gotta go, Farrah. We¡¯re here.¡± Kaleb said as he looked up to see the entrance to a small dive bar.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°A gob-¡± Farrah¡¯s voice cut off as Kaleb switched off his phone and jammed it back into his pocket.
It was a diner-style bar, more long than wide. There was a long bar on the left-hand side and short tables all along the right wall. As Kaleb and his group walked in, a few people glanced up, but quickly went back to whispering among themselves. They were clearly used to people in colorful armour wandering about their town. As for Kaleb¡¯s own reptilian nature or Claire¡¯s Alien one, he figured they just didn¡¯t care.
Inora lead their group to a small booth at the far end of the bar and sat down. Carmine took up a position near the bar, clearly okay with Inora negotiating for the Hunters. Kaleb, Two Gun and Claire all sat together on one side of the booth. After giving a quick drink order to the young woman who came to take their orders, Inora settled in and addressed the group.
¡°So about the cont-¡±
¡°Yeah, how about you tell us what we can do for you first?¡± Two Gun interrupted.
The old cowboy had settled in between Kaleb and Claire and was eyeing Inora carefully. Claire, for her part, was studying a menu their waitress had dropped off. Kaleb was just waiting for coffee, keeping one ear on the conversation. Two gun was clearly more comfortable with these sorts of negotiations and Kaleb was more than happy to let him handle it. Inora huffed indignantly before sighing loudly.
¡°We want your Magic users to open our Mana channels.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s eyes widened as Two Gun and Claire shot him looks. Kaleb returned their looks before addressing the Hunter.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t even know how to. Plus, as I understand, it only works if the person already has the talent for Magic.¡±
¡°Do you think the others would know?¡± Claire asked.
Two Gun added. ¡°Maybe Jar-lock has something in his library?¡±
Kaleb nodded as he took his coffee from the returning waitress. ¡°Maybe,¡± looking back to Inora he asked. ¡°Why?¡±
Inora nodded. ¡°Back when we bought the contract from the HLO, a few of the Hunters wanted to continue buying contracts until we were back to full strength. Others wanted to rejoin the HLO and even more just wanted to move on and forget.¡±
¡°You were shattered into groups.¡± Two Gun nodded, understanding.
¡°And broke.¡± Carmine said from his spot at the bar.
¡°We were already breaking into factions anyway, thanks to Julius.¡± Inora said with a scowl. ¡°Once we had the contract, the factions got worse. Me and Carmine just wanted to keep our heads down, so we broke up the contract between the three big factions. An old hunter named Silas took his group and the two suburbs: Imperial Valley and The Woodlands. Carmine took everything from Blue Bluff to the 130 highway, and Julius has everything from the Magical Preserve and everything up north.¡±
¡°And those groups?¡± Two Gun prompted.
¡°Silas wants to return to being the go-to guys for Magical creature incursions.¡± Carmine said, not sounding too angry about it.
Kaleb nodded. ¡°And Julius is the HLO lapdog?¡± When Inora nodded, Kaleb snorted. ¡°Knew I didn¡¯t like that guy.¡±
Seeing Two Gun and Claire¡¯s curious looks, he explained. ¡°Came by the hangar, promising a dire end to anyone trying to hunt in this area.¡±
Inora nodded again. ¡°Yeah, he makes it his job to scare away newcomers,¡±
¡°And steal away anyone with Magical talent.¡± Carmine growled.
Kaleb and his friends looked on curiously as Inora sighed. ¡°Yeah, the HLO gives Julius¡¯ group a lot of benefits: better deals on equipment, more money for Magical Creatures, and better wages for enchanters.¡±
¡°That explains why you want Magic users.¡± Claire said, taking a sip from her water.
¡°Which we don¡¯t know if we can help you with,¡± Kaleb said, receiving an elbow in his side from Two Gun. ¡°What?!¡±
¡°Boy, we gotta work on your negotiating.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°We already have the permit to work in the area. Getting the contract would be great, but we don¡¯t absolutely need it, do we?¡±
Inora frowned as Claire shook her head. ¡°You didn¡¯t pay attention during D34d-I¡¯s meeting, did you? We need the contract because it can increase how much money we get when fulfilling it.¡±
Kaleb looked chagrined and rubbed the back of his head.
¡°It WAS a long meeting.¡± He muttered.
Two Gun snorted as he turned the conversation back to Inora. ¡°What are the details of the contract you hold?¡±
¡°When the Hunters split into factions, we had the contract amended with the new areas. Our Hunters get paid extra to take care of every Magical incursion in our territory, same with the others. We also get to keep a larger portion of the materials. We also get to make weekly raids into the Forest.¡± Inora explained.
¡°The Forest?¡± asked Two Gun.
¡°And the human criminals?¡± Kaleb asked at the same time.
Inora grinned at them as Carmine answered Kaleb¡¯s question. ¡°The human criminals are not within OUR purview. Julius¡¯ group, however¡¡±
He trailed off as Inora answered Two Gun. ¡°The Forest is the Magical woods surrounding Lake Long.¡±
¡°Then wouldn¡¯t that make it Julius'' territory?¡± Kaleb asked.
Inora nodded. ¡°Technically, but the woods are considered a resource by the City of Austin. So they have control over it. They are the ones that let us inside.¡±
¡°We¡¯ve gotten off track.¡± Two Gun said, shaking his head. ¡°How can we gain the contract for at least this area?¡±
Inora snorted. ¡°You can¡¯t. We worked hard for the contract we have. But we would share it with you. Put your names on it alongside ours. Besides, how many Supers are in your group?¡±
Kaleb and the others looked at each other.
Kaleb mentally counted his friends. ¡°Eight right now. But we might have another couple here soon.¡±
Carmine let out a loud laugh. ¡°Eight people would barely cover our little area. Much less Silas¡¯ or Julius¡¯ territories.¡±
Two Gun sighed. ¡°So what ARE you proposing?¡±
Inora sat up straight. ¡°We make your group Honorary Hunters. A select few from your group go through our Initiate Trial. That way, it makes your group a part of ours and you can receive all the benefits from our contract. Finally, your group¡¯s Magic users figure out how to unlock the latent potential in some of our people and do it.¡±
Kaleb held up a hand. ¡°Hold up. Trial?! What¡¯s that about and you still haven¡¯t told us why magic users are so important?¡±
¡°Equipment.¡± Carmine said before Inora could answer. ¡°We can make a lot from the Magical creatures we fight, but without enchantments, we are treading water. Our stuff degrades too fast or we don¡¯t have the enchantments we need to make a difference. So far we have traded with Silas¡¯ group, but from what we hear, they are having the same problem.¡±
¡°Julius.¡± Inora almost spat. ¡°Probably on orders from his HLO overlords.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°And the Trial?¡±
Inora smiled. ¡°Just a quick jaunt into an Enchanted Forest.¡±
Chapter 110 - The Sorcerer’s Problems
Kaleb sighed as they made their way back to Two Gun and Claire¡¯s car. He was thankful to see Two Gun heading for the driver''s seat at least. Claire seemed to snicker softly at the look on his face. Kaleb shot her a dirty look as he opened the back door.
¡°My driving wasn¡¯t that bad.¡±
¡°Sure it wasn¡¯t.¡± Kaleb muttered as he piled into the back seat.
After they had gotten everything squared away with Carmine and Inora, they were in a hurry to tell the others what all had transpired. No amount of haggling would work on the female hunter, although she agreed to help them apply for a contract to deal with the human criminal element in the area.
Kaleb laid down in the back seat. ¡°So if I understand correctly, we can still work with just a permit, but the big rewards are with contracts.¡±
He saw Two Gun shake his head as he started the car and turned it around. ¡°You really should¡¯ve listened to the duck, kid.¡±
¡°Hehehe. But you essentially have the right of it, though.¡± Claire chuckled. ¡°We get paid for helping the district, but if we have a contract, then we get bonuses depending on the type of contract.¡±
¡°So once we have that, we can start taking it to that Demon gang. The one you and Abby told us about,¡± Kaleb said to Two Gun.
¡°Yup, but first we have to go into a Magical Forest and find a magical Driadarin. Whatever the Hell that is.¡±
¡°Least they didn¡¯t ask me to make them some equipment.¡± Kaleb muttered, rubbing his temples with his hand.
Two Gun shifted in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Speaking of¡¡±
¡°As soon as we get back. I promise,¡± Kaleb said, moving his hand and seeing Two Gun¡¯s hand holding out his Cybar pistol. Kaleb took it and placed it back in its holster.
Two Gun chuckled. ¡°Haha! Didn¡¯t doubt you for a second, Prof.¡±
As they approached the entrance to the airstrip, Two Gun had to stop the car as Kaleb got out and raised the gate arm. Bob had left a note on the door asking people to phone the hanger and promising dire consequences for those that didn¡¯t. Kaleb didn¡¯t think they would get too many visitors for the moment. At least he hoped not.
¡°We need to hire some gate guards. That note isn¡¯t gonna be too big of a deterrent.¡± Two Gun said.
¡°Maybe our new friends could help?¡± Claire said.
Kaleb nodded as they pulled in next to Hangar. ¡°I was gonna ask the Brute clan as well.¡±
They all exited the car and entered the wide hangar. Jar-lock and Vivienne were seated at a table, both writing on pieces of paper. Daivor and Roy were working on something in the mechanic¡¯s room. Abby and Farrah seemed to be in a discussion near Farrah¡¯s computer setup. Although ¡®discussion¡¯ wasn¡¯t exactly right, if the looks on their faces were anything to go by.
¡°I just don¡¯t see why you can¡¯t do this real quick.¡± Abby was saying.
¡°Because I need to put this thing through its paces right now. I¡¯ll file the report with the city after I am done.¡±
Abby grumbled loudly as Kaleb approached. Two Gun and Claire had walked over to Jar-lock and Vivienne.
¡°You¡¯re flying a toy drone! That can not be that important. But these reports can make us money!¡± Abby whined, shaking Farrah¡¯s office chair.
Farrah spun on her chair and snapped back. ¡°I am having the drone find an optimized flight pattern so it can automatically fly over our district. Then I need to try taking direct control. That way, the next time y¡¯all lose a suspect, we can find him.¡±
Abby turned a unique shade of red, and Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure if she was embarrassed or pissed. Deciding interrupt than find out, he asked.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°So Daivor and Roy got a drone up and running?¡±
Farrah whipped her head his way before smiling. ¡°Yes, they did, and it works pretty . Despite being cobbled together from literal junk.¡±
¡°Back to us ¡®Losing¡¯ a suspect.¡± Abby interjected. ¡°We didn¡¯t lose him. He turned into a giant red cat and... poofed away.¡±
¡°Poofed?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°I didn¡¯t see it but, from the way Abby described it, it sounds like some form of teleportation.¡± Jar-lock said, having walked over with his own report.
Farrah spoke up, having turned back to her computer. ¡°The Demons are a gang of literal half-demons. They are ranked pretty low power-wise, but they have a few gifts. Teleportation, compulsion, strength, and a few others. My guess is the d
¡°And why were you chasing him?¡± Kaleb asked.
Abby and Jar-lock looked at each other before Abby answered. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure we witnessed a drug deal.¡±
¡°We put a stop to it and grabbed the buyers, but the seller bolted. I subdued the kids, while Abby went after the demon, or half-demon, in this case.¡± Jar-lock added. ¡°I handed the buyers off to the local police and then went to help, but by then the guy had... poofed.¡±
Abby threw her hands up. ¡°Red smoke, loud poof noise. What else should I call it?¡±
She was clearly frustrated at having lost the guy. Kaleb could understand that they were trying to build something here, and losing suspects didn¡¯t exactly look good for them. He wondered why the SPPD wasn¡¯t handling the Demons. But then again, he didn¡¯t know for sure if they weren¡¯t. As he thought about the Demons, Two Gun and Claire filled the others in on what went down at the diner.
¡°So all we have to do is go into a Magical Forest and grab some fruit?¡± Jar-lock asked disbelievingly.
Two Gun shrugged. ¡°It was my understanding that it might be a tad more difficult than we think.¡±
¡°Supposedly, it¡¯s a test for a group of young hunters. Showing they are ready to join in on the other hunts.¡± Claire added.
Kaleb was about to add his own two cents when a big metal ovoid shoved its way between them. Roy was carrying a beach ball sized metal drone in both arms as Daivor sat on top. The metal creation was oddly shaped and made from cobbled together metal, but it appeared to have enough repulsors on it to get it into the air. Kaleb could also see an antennae array and the camera lens nestled into the metal body.
¡°Here¡¯s another one, Farrah.¡± Roy said tiredly.
Farrah offered him a smile and waved at the side of her desk. ¡°Just set it down. I¡¯ll get it coded when I am done here.¡±
Roy sat the bot down and shook out his arms as Daivor whipped himself to the kid¡¯s shoulders. The two of them gave Kaleb tired waves and started back to the mechanics room. Kaleb held a hand out to stop them from asking.
¡°Hey, Roy, where¡¯s your grandpa?¡±
Roy turned and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°He got a call and said he had to run off. Something about his government handlers.¡±
¡°Ah, okay, cool. What are you two working on?¡±
Roy shrugged as Daivor tiredly wiped at his face. ¡°Another drone, probably. I know we are gonna need a couple.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°True, but we have 3 days, so we can take a break every once in a while.¡±
Roy and Daivor looked happy as they changed course and walked over to a little food table that had been setup near the office. Roy sat the Gnome down on the counter as he got himself a plate. The pair dove into the food someone had laid out on the table.
¡°3 days?¡± Jar-lock asked.
¡°Yeah, apparently the test has a bunch of pomp and circumstance attached to it. So the earliest they can be ready for us is Tuesday.¡± Kaleb answered. ¡°I figure I can spend that time working on some stuff and getting this place even more set up. Plus, it sounds like you lot have the Demons to keep you all busy.¡±
Vivienne walked over after finishing her own paperwork. Kaleb gave her a questioning look, having realized no one had said what she had been doing. The tall elf lady shrugged her shoulders. She gave Jar-lock a playful smile as she answered Kaleb¡¯s unasked question.
¡°Found some lost animals while those two were playing with the drug dealers.¡±
Claire snorted. ¡°And you have to file a report for that?¡±
¡°Just for the ones that had rewards. The others I wrote a Lost and Found notice for. I figured Farrah could pass it along to the police.¡±
Farrah groaned, annoyed. ¡°Another thing for the pile.¡±
¡°Is that your subtle way of asking for a logistical staff?¡± Kaleb smirked.
¡°You get me.¡± Farrah sighed melodramatically.
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°Another thing for MY pile, I suppose.¡±
¡°I¡¯d also see about upping your security.¡± A male voice said from the open hangar doors.
Their group spun as one, hands going to weapons only to see the pale face and brown hair of Varlin. The Sorcerer had bought a new set of robes and seemed to carry himself a little taller. But Kaleb could still see the Foci he had made on Varlin¡¯s chest. Varlin jumped a little at the aggressiveness with which they all turned around, but he laughed it off.
¡°Haha, whoa. Easy killers. It¡¯s just me. I thought I¡¯d come see how you all were doing and offer you some work.¡±
Kaleb sighed as the rest of his friends seemed to relax. All except Jar-lock, who Kaleb could hear muttering to himself. Kaleb ignored it for now and asked.
¡°What kind of work?¡±
¡°No! Please don¡¯t say it!¡± Jar-lock practically wailed.
Varlin looked a little nonplussed as he answered Kaleb.
¡°
Chapter 111 - Ants and Meetings
¡°
¡°
¡°
¡°
¡°
¡°
Kaleb was wondering about the other ¡®unaffiliated Supers¡¯ when Vivienne asked about them for him.
¡°
¡°Yeah. Some are just shy of vigilantes, though. Few players want to get a permit. Too much paperwork.¡± Varlin said, shrugging.
¡°What are they offering?¡± Jar-lock asked, having stopped his anti-ant rant.
Varlin just shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I figured you guys could do with the experience and I am sure they are paying something.¡±
Kaleb shook his head as he stared at the Sorcerer. They weren¡¯t exactly hurting for work right now. But looking around at his group of friends, he saw a few were interested in the idea. While he could understand, there was still far too much to do right now to worry about ants. They would need to all sit down and talk about it.
A soft blue glow coming from the office caught his eye, followed closely by
¡°
¡°
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°
¡°
*Quack*
¡°
¡°
¡°
¡°
¡°
¡°
¡°
¡°
¡°
Chapter 112 - Spies and Battery
Kaleb sighed as he stared down at his workbench. The meeting had ended over thirty minutes ago and he still did not know what to do for Two Gun¡¯s weapons. It was obvious the old cowboy favored revolvers, but Kaleb was unsure what to make the pair out of. Sure, he could make another set out of Ifrit bone. But D34d-I had told him that other than being heavy and having a slight damage boost, they weren¡¯t a massive improvement.
The diminutive duck was in the office, still going over various bits of paperwork. He had grumbled a bit, but judging from the grin the Alien was wearing, Kaleb thought he was having fun. Nearby Claire was lifting a makeshift curling bar Daivor and Roy had slapped together in an area she had deemed the Gym. Her husband was just outside the hangar, trying to get the system to identify a shooting range. Farrah was busy filing reports for the group and getting acquainted with her drones.
Abby, Varlin, Vivienne, and Mass had all left to introduce themselves to the House of Ainsley. It was decided that the four of them would help with the Sorcerer Houses¡¯ Ant problem while Kaleb, Claire, Two Gun, and Jar-lock would do the Magic Forest Test. D34d-I and Farrah would stay back at base and handle the paperwork.
Shortly after they had left, Kaleb had moved to his Mechanics Room, and the others went about their own business. Daivor and Roy, after helping Claire with her weights, had stuck their noses back into Kaleb¡¯s laptop to peruse Kersait¡¯s notes again.
Thinking about the pair, Kaleb looked around to find them both approaching him with wide grins on their faces.
¡°Okay you two. That¡¯s just creepy. What happened?¡±
Daivor harrumphed as he wiped the smile from his face. ¡°We found something and we think we can make it work.¡±
¡°Remember that battery design that was in here?¡± Roy continued holding up the laptop for emphasis.
Kaleb nodded slowly, looking at his two assistants.
¡°Well, it¡¯s some kind of battery designed to hold an alien power source. Now the two of us got to talking, Boss, and¡¡±
¡°We think it¡¯s for the solution in the generators downstairs.¡± Roy finished excitedly.
¡°Or at least some kind of diluted version of it.¡± Daivor quickly added.
Kaleb could almost feel the pair¡¯s excitement wash over him as he took the laptop and sat it on his workbench. The workbench seemed to identify the laptop as it quickly projected the screen above its surface. The three of them looked over the design, and Kaleb was sure they were right. His chemistry skill wasn¡¯t that great, but it appeared that the design included some kind of non-terrestrial liquid.
¡°Are we sure this is the Weikacol solution from downstairs?¡± Kaleb asked over his shoulder.
¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s old Wolfy¡¯s concoction alright.¡± Came a deep a voice. Making Kaleb jump.
He swiveled in his chair, noting the surprised looks of Daivor and Roy as he turned to face a grinning Obadiah. The old cyborg was carrying an old army duffel bag and was staring around them at the battery¡¯s design.
¡°Where did you slip off to?¡± Kaleb asked.
Obadiah shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m here to work. So I was working.¡±
Roy glanced at his grandpa¡¯s duffel bag. ¡°And you went shopping? I thought all your stuff was at mom and dads.¡±
Obadiah gave another shrug and gestured at the screen displayed over the workbench. ¡°Old Wolfgang could never find the correct alloy for that battery. Although, to be fair, they were much harder to come by back in the day.¡±
Kaleb shook his head, understanding that the old Cyberspook wasn¡¯t going to say anything more about his ¡®work.¡¯ He spun around to look over the battery notes as he heard Daivor fwip away on his magical cable.
¡°We weren¡¯t really on that part yet. I was wondering if it was made from the stuff downstairs and how much was needed for the battery.¡±
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
¡°I think Wolfgang worked out the correct ratios somewhere in here.¡± Obadiah said, leaning forward and scrolling down on the laptop.
¡°Half a page over.¡± Roy said as he leaned forward to help his grandpa.
Kaleb found himself almost pushed off his chair as the two Novas tried to use the laptop¡¯s track-pad. Soon enough, they found the page just as Daivor swung himself back onto the workbench. Before Kaleb could ask, the Gnome dropped several small bits of metal. The metal gleamed in the light, looking slightly wet. Kaleb recognized it as the metal they had ¡®procured¡¯ from the K-Tech dumpsite.
¡°Think these will work?¡± Kaleb asked, lifting the small rectangle of metal up to his face.
The Gnome shrugged as Obadiah looked over another bit of metal. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Boss. But it¡¯s the only Non-terrestrial metal we have.¡±
¡°Ole Wolfy was concerned that the metal may have an ¡®exciting¡¯ reaction with his Weikacol solution.¡±
¡°Says here, it will blow up if the ratio is wrong.¡± Roy added, still hunched over the laptop. ¡°Also, he suspected he would need to create a charging station so that the batteries could recharge. Just a simple electric recharging station, though.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Makes sense. That solution recharges through an electrical current. Well, nothing to it, but to try it.¡± He clapped his hands together as he looked at Daivor. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get us some of the solution while I form the metal into some kind of battery?¡±
Daivor nodded as he headed off, Roy hot on his heels to help. Obadiah looked around before he stared back at Kaleb. Kaleb understood the old man¡¯s meaning, and he gestured toward the workbench. They stood over the workbench, appearing to look over the laptop as Obadiah spoke.
¡°My associates in Austin dropped me off a care package. As well as some marching orders. I¡¯m gonna need those ¡®disposable assets¡¯ you mentioned, as well as a space to work out of.¡±
Kaleb glanced around and picked up a piece of the strange metal before saying. ¡°We are pretty squashed in here as it is, and I don¡¯t see the others signing off on expansion unless we tell them what it¡¯s for.¡±
¡°I was thinking about using the old ACT tower out on the runway. It¡¯s quiet, out of the way, and my people have already waved off the HLO from this area. Give you some breathing room.¡±
Kaleb let out a sigh. ¡°Geez. That will be a big help. We don¡¯t want them snooping around out here. Not that we are doing anything illegal, but¡¡±
¡°Better to not have bureaucratic noses in your business when there¡¯s work to be done.¡± Obadiah nodded. ¡°Now those assets?¡±
¡°I know a group of people who have no problem with questionable work. But they are down in Under-Town.¡± Kaleb said as he thought of the best way to work the metal into the shape they needed.
Obadiah raised an eyebrow. ¡°New friends?¡±
Kaleb shrugged as he picked up a metal saw. ¡°Amenable assets who can help me get some things I might need.¡±
Obadiah nodded as Kaleb started to cut the small chunk of metal in half. Surprisingly, the metal cut easily and soon he had an even smaller chunk of metal. Kaleb then moved over to his small forge and thought about melting the metal down and casting it into a smaller tubular shape. Obadiah gave Kaleb a strange look as he looked down at the small homemade forge.
¡°This is what you¡¯ve been working with?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been broke!¡± Kaleb snapped defensively. ¡°I work with what I have.¡±
Obadiah stuck his hands up placatingly, as Kaleb searched around the small room for something to make a mold with. Daivor and Roy returned with two small beakers full of the blue Weikacol solution. Kaleb glanced at the pair of them before gesturing at the beakers.
¡°Since when have we had those?¡±
¡°Since always, Doc. We had them back at the garage. They were in some of your old bins.¡±
Kaleb shook his head as he picked up an old bullet casing from a bin. ¡°We really need to do an inventory at some point.¡±
Both Daivor and Roy shot him dirty looks, causing him to raise an eyebrow in question. Daivor humphed as Roy sighed. Obadiah gave Kaleb a small smile before he walked away from the Mechanics Room. He gave Kaleb a knowing look before he said.
¡°I¡¯m going to set myself up like we talked about, kid. You can introduce me to your friends later.¡±
Roy gave his grandpa a wave before he turned back to Kaleb. ¡°You had us do an inventory a while back, Doc. We¡¯ve just gathered way more stuff since then.¡±
Kaleb scratched the back of his head as he put the casing down on the workbench. ¡°Ahem. Well, how about casting clay of some kind? I want to melt down the metal and then cast it into a smaller hollow shape we can pour the solution into.¡±
Roy moved off as Daivor swung to the table and asked. ¡°How are we gonna conduct the liquid, then?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll create two custom connection points. Going from the battery and then into whatever we want. We just have to make sure they are a snug fit. Don¡¯t want the things falling out.¡±
Daivor nodded as Roy came back over with some grey casting clay.
¡°So what are we¡¡± Roy started before he was interrupted by a gruff voice.
¡°WELP!¡± Two Gun shouted from the front of the hangar. ¡°I just ran my dumbass out of ammo!¡±
The old cowboy was red in the face and Kaleb could tell he was a little embarrassed. His wife stifled a chuckle from her position on the floor where she was doing sit-ups with a hunk on rock held to her chest. Two Gun walked slowly over to Kaleb, hands pressed together in a pleading gesture.
¡°Please tell me you have something for me, Doc. Please.¡±
Kaleb sighed as he looked down. Seeing the bullet casing he was going to make the mold out of, his brain sparked on a sudden idea. Grinning wide, he looked back up at Two Gun.
¡°That depends.¡± Kaleb said, holding up the bullet casing. ¡°How much do you care about being a guinea pig?¡±
Chapter 113 - Craft Craft Boom
|
Electrician skill increased to Level 2
|
|
Current success rate increase 3%
Chance of electrical injury due to incorrect wiring 15%
|
|
Chemistry Skill increased to Level 2
|
|
General knowledge of chemistry Increased
Chance for a rare mixture increased to 3%
|
|
Chemistry Skill increased to Level 3
|
|
General knowledge of chemistry Increased
Chance for a rare mixture increased to 4%
|
|
Metalworking Skill increased to Level 3
|
|
Speed at working with metal raised to 4%
Chance to change the condition of lower grade metals: 3%
|
¡°Are we sure about this, Professor?¡±
Two Gun¡¯s voice pulled Kaleb away from going over his notifications. Working on one of the old cowboy¡¯s revolvers had given him some decent increases. He, Daivor, and Roy had spent the past couple of hours working on a basic prototype for the new battery. It took a few tries, as well as a couple of loud explosions, before they got the mixture right. Without the proper equipment, they couldn¡¯t really gauge the battery¡¯s output. But Kaleb figured the small cylindrical battery with a faint blue glow had to be powerful, given how the thing seemed to hum.
After the battery was done, it was a simple thing to modify one of Two Gun¡¯s existing revolvers to house the battery. Wiring the thing up had taken significantly longer, and the thing still looked like a gun with a tangle of wires coming out the back. But they had figured that function was more important than form at the moment.
Kaleb glanced over at his friend as the old cowboy took off his hat and wiped sweat off his brow. Two Gun was wearing both hearing and eye protection and was standing in a shooting stance as Daivor and Roy puttered around him. They were just outside the air hangar, standing in front of Two Gun¡¯s makeshift firing range. Kaleb¡¯s two assistants were double checking the wiring on Two Gun¡¯s weapon before they did their first test fire.
¡°It¡¯s as safe as we can make it.¡± Kaleb shrugged. ¡°We tested the various metals until we got the right one. Then we zeroed in on the right ratio of Weikacol with enough conductive liquid. Really, the biggest pain in the ass was working your revolver into the right shape to slot the battery and all the wiring afterward.¡±
¡°Still not too happy with you chopping up one of my two means of defense, by the way.¡± Two Gun muttered.
Kaleb waved him off. ¡°It was necessary. The cylinder was in the wiring''s way and if all goes well, the battery should power all the shots you need.¡±
Two Gun grumbled as he twisted his revolver in his hand and looked over the reworked cylinder. Kaleb and Daivor had removed a good chunk of the cylinder and replaced it with what they were calling New Metal. Another chunk of the non-terrestrial metal they had that could carry the new solutions charge. They had built opposing connecting points into the battery and the cylinder, so the new battery slotted in and stayed in. If all went to plan, the battery would charge the new cylinder, which would then convert that energy into a small bolt and then shunt it out of the barrel.
¡°Besides, you still have me to protect you, dear.¡± Called Claire¡¯s voice from inside the hangar.
Two Gun and Kaleb turned to see the large green Xarthaksian women doing squats in her workout area. Kaleb raised an eyebrow as Two Gun grinned and blew his wife a kiss.
¡°How is she still at it?¡± Kaleb asked aloud.
¡°Alien constitution, my dear professor.¡± Claire shouted back.
Two Gun snickered. ¡°Also helps that she is kind of a gym nut IRL.¡±
Claire stopped her squats and started her cool-down, stretching her arms and legs while shooting her husband a withering look.
¡°This coming from the man that had to be dragged away from his farm work by his workers and family.¡±
¡°That¡¯s WORK!¡± Two Gun shouted back good-naturedly.
¡°Everything looks good, boss,¡± Daivor said, web cabling over to Kaleb¡¯s shoulder.
Roy nodded as he moved over as well. ¡°Yeah, we should be ready. Although overheating may still be an issue.¡±
¡°We accounted for it in the wiring and we did what we could with the New Metal. But we do not know how much of a charge this thing is going to let go.¡± Daivor shrugged.
¡°All we can do is hope that any excess energy will dissipate quickly rather than be transferred.¡± Kaleb said, rubbing his chin.
Two Gun glanced between his gun and the trio. ¡°Anything I should be worried about, Prof?¡±
Kaleb shrugged, his mechanical arm whirring slightly. ¡°I honestly can¡¯t say. But if your hyper-senses see the gun heating up, throw it away and run.¡±
¡°This gun isn¡¯t gonna explode. Right?¡± Two Gun asked wide-eyed.
Kaleb just gave another shrug as he and Roy took a big step back. Two Gun swore under his breath before he planted his feet and squared his shoulders. Claire had either stopped or finished her cool down workout and was now beside Roy, watching. The old cowboy sighted down his gun, took a deep breath, slowly released it and pulled the trigger.
The effect was instantaneous. Two Gun¡¯s revolver made a slight whirring noise, then a short elongated beam of blue energy rocketed from the barrel and burned into the dirt backstop. Roy and Daivor gave cheers before they were quickly shouted down by Two Gun, who gave a yelp and dropped the gun.
Claire rushed forward, placing herself between her husband and the gun. Two Gun took two steps back and waved the others off.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine. I just saw the barrel turn orange, so I let go.¡±
Kaleb and Daivor rushed to the gun just in time to see the orange hue of the barrel die down. They gave the gun a cursory look over before turning back to Two Gun. Roy was talking to the Cowboy asking how the gun felt. Was there any kickback? How was it different from normal, and other such questions. Claire was staring daggers at the weapon as if she thought it would jump up and attack her husband.
Kaleb gulped as he stared at the towering 7-foot woman. ¡°Uhh, looks like everything¡¯s cooled down over here. The gun barrel will not survive multiple repeated shots, though. We are going to have to replace it.¡±
Two Gun finished Roy¡¯s questionnaire and walked around his wife. He placed a calming hand on her arm as he asked.
¡°Do you have anything that will work?¡±
Daivor and Kaleb smiled at each other as they both seemed to think the same thing.
¡°Ifrit Bone¡± they said together.
Roy sighed aloud as he put his head down and started toward the hangar. Kaleb raised an eyebrow at his Gnome companion, who just shrugged. He picked up the revolver and left the couple outside to talk things over. They would have to cut the barrel off, then rework a piece of Ifrit bone and attach it to the body of the gun. He was wondering if welding would work when he looked up and noticed that Farrah was finished with her work and was stretching in front of her desk.
Noticing his gaze, the bunny-woman smiled and shouted, ¡°All the paperwork is filed with the authorities and I have one drone watching the entrance.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°That was a good idea. Anything else you need?¡±
¡°Ha! How much time do you have?¡± Farrah laughed. ¡°I still need a few more monitors and drones to have a hangar-approved Command Center. Not to mention there are a few niceties I would like for my room.¡±
Kaleb walked over to his small Mechanics Room, the only area of the hangar the system had recognized as a room. They needed to get more rooms up and operational. The bonuses for them were too good to pass up, and they would help to get a decent layout of the hangar going. Kaleb sighed as he set Two Gun¡¯s revolver down on his charred and half-exploded workbench.
Gesturing at Daivor and Roy, who still looked a little crestfallen, Kaleb said. ¡°You two can start work on the Ifrit bone while I get Farrah some funds.¡±
Farrah zipped over so fast Kaleb was sure she had used her Super-speed.
¡°Funds?¡± she asked happily.
Kaleb rolled his eyes as he led her into the hangar¡¯s office. D34d-I still sat at the desk poring over various folders and files, drinking a cup of something. The Alien duck had a small smile on his face as he shifted the various papers around. Kaleb ignored the duck as he walked over to the Hangar console that controlled their Super-Group¡¯s Lair.
¡°I¡¯m going to take out some credits so Farrah can get the monitors she needs for her Command Center.¡± Kaleb said over the pale blue screen that obscured his vision.
He heard the ruffling of papers followed by a quack.
*Quack*
¡°That¡¯s fine. We have more than enough petty cash to get a few monitors. I would also advise you to figure out how to share the Lair screen. I imagine handling finances and other such things would be easier with an interface.¡±
Kaleb sighed, but nodded. He quickly transferred the funds Farrah would need into her waiting credit stick, then poured over the menus. He was scrolling through various tabs before he found something that made him grin.
*Quack*
¡°What is it?¡± D34d-I asked as Farrah zipped out of the room.
¡°Claire¡¯s little workout area is apparently a Xarthaksian Workout Room. Gives a bonus to stamina regeneration and a boost to Endurance gain while in the room. At least it would if we paid the cost for the setup. 2,000 credits for an open area workout room.¡±
Kaleb heard the office chair move as D34d-I got up. He briefly wondered where that chair had come from as Farrah had procured the original chair that was in here. The four-armed duck appeared at his side, looking up at the blue screen.
*Quack*
¡°That sounds very useful. Can we make it so the rest of us get the bonuses?¡±
¡°Sure. We just need workout equipment more suited to people more normal-sized. I think the bonuses stay the same.¡± Kaleb answered, back to navigating the various tabs and menus.
The Hangar interface screen was surprisingly deep and Kaleb wished he had time to dive through all of it. But for now, he contented himself with finding a way to pass on access to it. He eventually found it under the Super-Group section of the Lair menu. Once he got their Super-Group registration number and linked it to their Lair, the screen lit up and he could allow access to various sections of the menus.
¡°Okay, looks like I can give people partial access depending on what they do for the Super-Group.¡± Kaleb said as he heard D34d-I shuffling back to the desk.
*Quack*
¡°Great. For now, how about just giving me access to our finances so I can get everything into the system? This working on paper only shit is nonsense.¡±
Kaleb snorted as he gave the duck access. Once he did, his hand froze as he looked at the Super-Group¡¯s account.
¡°How the fuck do we have close to 60,000 credits?!¡± Kaleb shouted, closing out the window.
D34d-I gave him a look over the rim of his own translucent screen before quacking.
*Quack*
¡°Well, for one thing. Mass and I added our own not inconsiderable amount of credits to the groups¡¯ pile.¡±
¡°No way you two had that much.¡± Kaleb interrupted.
*Quack*
¡°True. But we also sold that enormous pile of ant carcasses to the DAD. Or didn¡¯t you notice our runway is now free of the things?¡±
Kaleb sputtered for a few moments before he realized he had seen nothing out on the runway. Scratching his head in confusion, he asked.
¡°When did that happen?¡±
D34d-I shook his head. ¡°While you were blowing up that little mini-lab of yours with your teenager and Gnome.¡±
Kaleb grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but that sounds dirty when you say it like that.¡±
D34d-I just gave a snort and waved Kaleb out of the office. Kaleb shook his head and walked back into the hangar just in time to see Claire and Two Gun enter the hangar again. He waved the pair over to his Mechanic¡¯s Room and went to join his two assistants. They seemed to be arguing over the best piece of Ifrit bone to use. Well, Daivor was arguing while Roy just didn¡¯t seem to be in it. Kaleb shook his head and decided to ask the boy about his mood as soon as he talked to Two Gun and Claire.
The husband and wife looked questioningly at Kaleb before he spoke.
¡°I just learned we have a sizable nest egg we can use to build us all a nice little workout room.¡±
Claire raised an eyebrow. ¡°Finally noticed the ants, huh?¡±
Kaleb just cleared his throat, embarrassed, before Two Gun asked. ¡°So what do we need, and is it worth it?¡±
¡°Oh, it¡¯s worth it.¡± Kaleb said, quickly explaining about the benefits and cost of the Lair-approved Workout Room.
The pair agreed to go on another shopping trip to gather what they needed. After Kaleb directed them toward the Office to get some funds, he turned back to his mechanics room. Roy was watching the Gnome magically grind a piece of Ifrit bone into the shape they would need. The boy seemed listless and more than a little distracted. Kaleb tapped on the boy¡¯s shoulder.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡±
Roy started for a second before he realized it was Kaleb. ¡°Nothing important, Doc.¡±
Kaleb sighed. ¡°It¡¯s obviously got you distracted. So it¡¯s important enough. So what¡¯s going on? And don¡¯t hit me with any of that teenage ¡®you wouldn¡¯t understand¡¯ nonsense. You¡¯re going to be eighteen in a few days.¡±
Roy gave a genuine grin as he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Doc. It just feels like I am standing on the backs of giants here. All my gear is from a magical creature you killed. Everything I¡¯ve built is using either your or Doctor Kersait¡¯s notes and advice. You know, it¡¯s like, what have I accomplished?¡±
¡°Who cares where the stuff came from?¡± Kaleb asked, confused. ¡°You use what you have to make the most of the things. And when the chips were down, who saved my ass in Under-town?¡±
Roy snorted. ¡°Rhyme.¡±
¡°Shut-up.¡± Kaleb rolled his eyes. ¡°My point is: You¡¯re doing fine, Roy. Get out of your own head and help me and a magic Gnome make an Alien-powered revolver so my cowboy friend can shoot magical creatures in an enchanted forest.¡±
Roy¡¯s snort transformed into a full on laugh as he shook his head. ¡°Crazy world we live in, huh?¡±
Kaleb¡¯s smile faded a little when he remembered he was in a video game and Roy was an NPC in that video game. Sure, the advancements in AI had made gaming almost as realistic as real life, but the distinction was still jarring. With Kaleb having spent many so much time in-game already, the line was getting a little too blurred. He had to shake his head and remember he was here to decompress, not have an existential crisis about the nature of reality.
Roy looked down at their Gnome friend, who looked like he had completed his work on the piece of Ifrit bone. The gnome had carved a long piece of bone into the vague shape of what he needed. Kaleb saw sweat on the Gnome¡¯s brow as he leaned down to get a look.
¡°You¡¯re better than a lathe, Master Gnome.¡± Kaleb grinned.
Daivor shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m gonna be doing that all the time. You still have to use the lathe to get the thing to the right proportion. Not to mention, you have to hollow it out. Although I think we can skip the rifling this time. The way that blast left the barrel, I don¡¯t think it will matter.¡±
Kaleb nodded, ready to get down to business. ¡°And what will you two be doing?¡±
Daivor walked over on the table toward Two Gun¡¯s revolver. ¡°Working on this one. We have proof that the battery works. Now it¡¯s just testing, testing, and more testing. But first, I bet we can make this gun look all pretty for your friend.¡±
Roy just nodded along, and Kaleb shrugged his shoulder. ¡°Well then, you two get to work. I¡¯ll be at the lathe.¡±
Kaleb started up the machine and was well into shaping the Ifrit bone when he heard a shout from behind him.
¡°Oh wait, don¡¯t touch that!¡±
BOOM
Chapter 114 - Out With The Old
¡°So, that¡¯s how you lost your finger?¡± Vivienne asked Kaleb as she healed some light burn marks on Roy.
Kaleb shook his head as he looked down at his missing ring finger. ¡°Naw, that first explosion burned off Roy¡¯s eyebrows.¡±
¡°How was I supposed to know we had left some of the faux New Metal out?¡± Roy said, rubbing the space where his eyebrows used to be.
¡°The FIRST explosion?!¡±
¡°HA!¡±
Vivienne asked incredulously while Farrah laughed from her newly minted Command Center. After returning from her shopping trip, Farrah had quickly set about getting the room up and running. Kaleb and the others had just finished Two Gun¡¯s revolver, so she immediately demanded more drones. Apparently, she wanted a minimum of five.
Kaleb put Daivor and Roy on that while he continued experimenting with their small collection of alien New Metal. They had documented at least 4 different types. Each with their own properties and explosive qualities. It was the latter of which that had cost him his finger. But the system assured him it would grow back. Kaleb was happy Daivor and Roy hadn¡¯t been too close to that particular blast.
¡°Some mats we are working with are a little¡ exciting.¡± Kaleb said, shrugging his shoulder.
Vivienne just gave him a withering look as she finished healing Roy. Daivor gave his own bark of a laugh from his position on the workbench. He was finishing up Two Gun¡¯s second pistol. Once Two Gun returned and turned over his second gun, Kaleb went to work upgrading it. They now sat side by side as Daivor completed the magical welding of the Ifrit bone barrel onto the second gun. They weren¡¯t very pleasing aesthetically, having bodies that didn¡¯t match the barrels, but Two Gun didn¡¯t seem to care.
Two Gun and his wife, Claire, had returned with various workout equipment. They had quickly set a lot up and were now both going through some light workouts. Claire was lifting a comically proportioned dumbbell in each hand as Two Gun was doing some incline sit-ups on a bench they had purchased. Kaleb just smiled, happy that they had successfully got two new rooms set up.
¡°So how did things go with the Ainsley family?¡± Kaleb asked, turning his attention back to Vivienne.
Vivienne, Abby, and Mass had returned shortly after the ¡®finger incident.¡¯ Mass had gone to talk with D34d-I for a short while before he logged out. Abby had gone downstairs before reappearing with Jar-lock in tow. The pair had said they were heading back out to buy Abby a car, of all things. Vivienne had stayed when she saw the state Roy was in.
¡°Not too bad. Although I don¡¯t think they were expecting us to introduce ourselves.¡± Vivienne said, taking a sit at a nearby table.
¡°Varlin introduced us, then we went out back to check out the anthill. Some of their sorcerers had used magic to shape a larger entrance. Abby says it now looks like an old dungeon entrance from one of those fantasy games and I kind of agree with her. While we were there, we saw several groups of unaffiliated supers go in.¡±
¡°They are just letting people walk in?¡± Kaleb asked.
Vivienne shrugged and pulled a sandwich from out of the air. ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, taking a bite. ¡°they weren¡¯t too worried about who went in. But anyone who came out was asked if they had anything they would like to sell to the House of Ainsley.¡±
Kaleb nodded. Understanding. ¡°Ahh, so they are trying to milk the ants for as much profit as possible.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what Varlin and Abby guessed.¡± Vivienne said, finishing her sandwich. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going down to Jar¡¯s library and getting in some reading. Stop blowing other people up!¡±
¡°What about me? It¡¯s okay to blow myself up?¡± Kaleb asked, but the Wizard just smirked.
¡°Done, boss.¡± Daivor said from the workbench.
¡°Looks like Two Gun¡¯s upgrade is done. I¡¯m going to get started on some of my own upgrades. Maybe even build some more stuff to sell.¡± Kaleb said, shaking his head. ¡°Never thought most of my time in-game would be spent building stuff.¡±
¡°Regrets?¡± Vivienne asked.
Kaleb smiled. ¡°Not really. I¡¯m still having fun.¡±
With that, Vivienne gave a short ¡®goodbye¡¯ to everyone present and headed downstairs. Kaleb moved to his workbench, flexing his remaining fingers. Daivor moved away and Kaleb looked down at the black and white revolvers. They got the wiring squared away in the grip and around the cylinder. So, without the eerie blue glow that suffused the pair of guns, you could barely tell the difference.
¡°Hey! Two Gun!¡± Kaleb shouted, picking up the pair of guns and walking them over to the old cowboy.
Daivor and Roy followed, the latter of which was still forlornly rubbing his missing eyebrows. Once Kaleb crossed some invisible threshold, his vision was obscured by a notification screen.
-
-
-
-
|
Notice
|
|
You have entered a Gym
|
|
Stamina Regeneration Increased: 35%
Endurance Skill Gain Increase: 5%
|
Kaleb just grinned as Two Gun pulled himself from the workout bench and smiled greedily at his new guns. The cowboy¡¯s eyes looked a little confused until he seemed to notice the gun¡¯s odd blue glow. He gingerly took the weapons from Kaleb and made a beeline for the outside. Daivor and Roy moved to follow, but Kaleb just shook his head.
¡°Y''all let me know how it goes. I have to get started on my own upgrades now.¡± Kaleb said, moving back to his workshop. ¡°Oh, and if everything checks out, we also need to finish up Farrah¡¯s drones, then get to building more weapons and armor. Hopefully, with the three days we have, we can get the entire team outfitted.¡±
¡°YES!¡±
A girlish cheer drew Kaleb¡¯s attention back toward the workout room, where Claire was doing some strange celebratory dance. Catching Kaleb¡¯s eye, the 7-foot woman stopped and blushed.
¡°Sorry. I could just really do with an armor upgrade if you can swing it.¡± Claire said, adding quickly. ¡°I know you¡¯re real busy and everyone keeps asking you for more and more things, but¡¡±
Kaleb stopped her with a raised hand. ¡°I get it. It¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll put it on the list.¡±
Claire gave him a grateful nod as Kaleb entered his Mechanic¡¯s Room and did something he hadn¡¯t in a long while. He opened his Stats page.
|
Name: Professor Pack Rat
|
|
Health:147/147 (152) (-5 due to missing finger)
Stamina: 167/167
Mana: 110/110
Defense: 41 (Shield (12) + Shield Mastery (7) +Armor (15) +DIY Armorer (2) + Lab Coat (3) +DIY Armorer (2))
Research Points: 105 (The Pit: 5/day, Mechanic''s Room: 5/day)
Gadget Slots: 1/4 (3 Arms + 1 Head)
|
|
Skills
|
|
|
Genetics ¨C Beginner Lvl 4
Mechanical engineering ¨C Beginner Lvl 3
Gadget Mastery ¨C Beginner Lvl 4
Shield Mastery ¨C Intermediate Lvl 1
Regen ¨C Beginner Lvl 4
Dodge ¨C Beginner Lvl 1
Toughness ¨C Beginner Lvl 2
Endurance ¨C Beginner Lvl 2
DIY Armorer ¨C Beginner Lvl 2
Electrician ¨C Beginner Lvl 2
Metalworking ¨C Beginner Lvl 3
Robotics ¨C Beginner Lvl 3
Microbiology- Beginner Lvl 1
Chemistry ¨C Beginner Lvl 3
Weaponsmithing ¨C Beginner Lvl 3
Hand-To-Hand Combat¨CBeginner Lvl 2
Sneak¨CBeginner Lvl 2
Conditioning ¨C Beginner Lvl 3
Swordsmanship ¨C Beginner Lvl 3
Magical Creature Knowledge ¨C Beginner Lvl 1
Sewing ¨C Beginner Lvl 1
Knife Fighting ¨C Beginner Lvl 1
In-Fighter ¨C Beginner Lvl 1
|
|
Abilities
|
|
|
Special Diet
Limb Regeneration
Robotic Limb
|
¡°Whew. Over a week in game and my skills still mostly at Beginner.¡± Kaleb thought. ¡°Although, they have done a bit of Yo-Yo-ing due to combining skills.¡±
Kaleb shook his head as he looked over his stats. Genetics still sat there, unused and annoying him. But really, what could he do? He still needed the proper equipment and sure they had a decent amount of funds now. But would the group just let him run out and buy several pieces of very expensive and very specialized equipment on the off chance he found something? Probably not. Best to let that lie for now.
Health, Stamina, and Mana all looked fine. Although he was sure his Mana was far below where it could be. His Defense had seen him through a lot so far. But with his new Intermediate Shield Mastery bonus being almost as big as the defense his shield provided probably meant his shield was due for an upgrade. He scanned down his Status Page looking over his Research points.
¡°105 Research Points?¡± Kaleb wondered, surprised.
Kaleb knew that every time he built a gadget he was using RP, but he was not really keeping track of how much he had. Not to mention a few of his weapons had just been repair jobs. Probably not spending much in the way of Research Points. That he was still gaining points from his home lab was a welcome surprise, but he imagined once he didn¡¯t pay the housing cost that would go away.
¡°Might be worth it to just keep paying for the house.¡±
Finally Kaleb¡¯s eyes fell to Gadget Slots. If he remembered right, he had 11 total Gadget Slots. One for each limb and then six for his head; eyes, ears, mouth and head. He also had one extra in his robot arm that housed Shocky, his shield. He had used RP to unlock the head slot for his communication Headband, but that was now useless and he left it at his old house.
¡°So, starting with three. Two arms and the extra for the robot limb. Then I unlocked the fourth.¡± Kaleb sighed. ¡°I really need to get around to building more gadgets. One out of four slots being used? Some Inventor I am.¡±
Giving his skills a quick glance, Kaleb swiped over to his equipment tab and looked over his weapons.
-
-
-
|
Sun Gun
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
|
|
Damage: 0 ¨C 35
Stun chance: 55%
Upgrades: 0/1
Durability:10/35
Shots: 35/35
Grade: D
|
|
Description: A low grade energy weapon powered by the sun. It has two settings kill or stun. It recharges in thirty minutes while in direct sunlight. Takes hours while not in the sun. Can not charge in total darkness. Not as powerful as most other energy weapons, but if it¡¯s in daylight, you¡¯ll never be without a weapon. Unless you lose it.
|
-
-
-
|
Modified Cybar Mark I Pistol
|
|
Damage: 25 Burning Damage
Shots till vent: 9
Vent speed: 17 seconds
Upgrades: 0/2
Durability: 30/90
Grade: D
|
|
Description: A modified Cybar Mark I Pistol. Repaired to a workable state with an Elentian power crystal. It packs a more powerful punch, but vent speed is slower and the shot count is lower. It may not look fancy, but it¡¯s an impressive repair job.
|
-
-
-
|
Magic Gun
|
|
Damage: Variable
Upgrades: 0/1
Durability: 85/110
Spell Upgrade: 1 Tier
Grade C-
|
|
Description: A magical revolver made from Ifrit bone and powered by magical jellyfish sludge. The gun can fire and upgrade the spell of any magic user who channels their Mana through the central Focus. Sturdy and well-made, it can be a powerful tool.
|
-
-
-
|
Shocky 2.0
|
|
Defense: 12 +7 (Shield Mastery)
Electric Damage: 20
Electric Shot Damage: 35
Durability: 20/85
Chance to Stun: 15%
Failure rate: 10%
Research Point cost: 10
Upgrades: 2/2
|
|
A buckler modified to deliver an electric shock which can stun or fire a burst of electrical energy. Built upon the remains of the first Shocky.
|
-
-
-
|
Spike Launcher
|
|
Damage: 30
Pierce: 20%
Slot: Left arm. Embedded.
Durability: 115/155 (Arm: 100, Launcher: 55)
Ammo: 8
Ammo type: Railroad Spikes
Research point cost: 20
Upgrades: 0/3
|
|
Description: A pneumatic spike launcher installed in a robot limb. Spikes are launched from the underside of the arm and with enough force to pierce some armor. While large and clunky, it is a decent backup weapon.
|
¡°Oh man. All my shit is damn near broken.¡± Kaleb grimaced, looking at his equipment¡¯s durability.
He was definitely overdue for an upgrade. He had been getting by with luck and his friends, but he didn¡¯t think the Magical forest they were about to head into would pull any punches. His Magic Gun was doing okay, but that was more because he rarely used the thing. He thought briefly about passing the gun on to Jar-lock, but he liked the versatility it gave him. Besides, the big man had already denied it once.
He was about to scroll over to his armor when a flashing red icon caught his eye toward the bottom of the page. Apparently, he had another weapon, and it was broken. He raised an eyebrow as he tapped the red icon.
|
Heel Spikes (Broken)
|
|
Damage: 10 (35)
Pierce: 10% (40%)
Slots: Left and Right Foot (Warning! Slots Locked. Damage severely reduced)
Durability: 0/35 (broken)
Research Point cost: 10
Upgrades: 0
|
|
Description: Spikes built into a pair of boots. Unconventional but resourceful. Just don¡¯t stick them into anything you don¡¯t want to get real friendly with real quick.
|
¡°Whoa.¡± Kaleb thought, looking down at his feet. ¡°I forgot I even had those. Didn¡¯t I use those against the Rick Demon-thing? Apparently, they even counted as a gadget. Well, at least I know the penalty for using a gadget in a locked slot.¡±
Kaleb quickly removed his boots and set them on the workbench. The metal frame he had built to house the spikes were pitted and broken. It looked like one spike had fallen out at one point. The boots themselves weren¡¯t in very good shape either, for that matter. Kaleb contemplated repairing the boots, but shook his head. He had originally built them because he was tired of being thrown around. He figured being stabbed into the floor was better than the humiliation of being tossed. But really, he mostly used them to stab people. Which proved awkward and not really effective.
Kaleb disassembled the entire apparatus from the boot. As he did, he thought about unlocking the gadget slots in his legs. He could probably come up with all sorts of gadgets that he could use if he attached them to various boots. Rocket boots or Hover Skates for a few, or maybe he could heavily reinforce the things and kick people in the shins.
Kaleb grinned as he finished up and put his boots back on. Going back to his menu, he looked at what unlocking a few Gadget Slots would cost.
-
-
|
Cost to Unlock Left Leg Slot: 20RP (+10 RP for every slot after the first)
|
¡°So, 50 RP for both legs.¡± Kaleb grimaced as he thought about it. ¡°If I do it now, I will have to build something for them. No sense buying it just to leave them unused. Better upgrade my arsenal first before I buy any extras.¡±
Kaleb looked over at his weapons again. Making quick notes on what he wanted to change. As well as making a mental note that Shocky had been upgraded all the way. Which meant if he wanted a better shield, he would need to build a new one.
¡°Shocky 3.0 here we come.¡±
Finally, Kaleb pulled up his armor tab and gave everything a quick run through.
-
-
-
|
DIY Body Armor
|
|
Defense: +15 +2 (DIY Armorer)
Upgrades: 0/3
Durability: 3/95
Pieces: 6/6
Grade: D
|
|
Description: Lightweight aluminum armor with a Kevlar lining. Light with good flexibility. This armor is good for when you want to keep on your feet. Now with leg protection. Good Job!
|
-
-
-
|
DIY Lab Coat
|
|
Defense: +3 +2 (DIY Armorer)
Upgrades: 1/1
Durability: 24/24
Grade: D
|
|
Description: Bright white and shining, this is lab coat has been crafted with increased carrying capacity and Kevlar lining. It is coated in self repairing plastics and stainless cloth giving it its bright shine. For the scientist who doesn¡¯t care who sees them coming.
|
¡°Man, and I thought my weapons had taken a beating.¡± Kaleb grimaced again. ¡°At least the self-repairing lab coat has held up.¡±
Kaleb took off his armor just as Two Gun and the others walked back inside. The trio all had wide grins on their faces as they made a beeline for Kaleb. He ran his fingers over the various indents and claw marks on his old armor as he thought up new armor ideas. He briefly remembered stealing the K-tech armor from the junk site¡¯s guard. But before he could start digging through the various boxes in the room, he heard Two Gun hoot loudly.
¡°WHOO-WEEE, son. Now that was some very fine work.¡±
Kaleb grinned at the old cowboy. ¡°Glad you like them.¡±
Two Gun frowned. ¡°Like them? Shit, these will keep me in business for a good while. I fucking LOVE them.¡±
He quickly drew both guns and began twirling them around. Their blue glow fanning through the air. Both Daivor and Roy took several steps away for fear the man would drop the things. Kaleb just smiled as Two Gun expounded on how much of an improvement his new guns were over his old ones. Both Daivor and Roy moved over to the workbench and moved Kaleb¡¯s various bits of equipment around.
¡°... and the recoil? Practically nonexistent. It¡¯s amazing.¡± Two Gun said, finally holstering his guns.
Kaleb waved his hands, trying to calm the old man down. ¡°Okay. Okay! I get it. I¡¯m happy you¡¯re happy. But I have even more work to do. I want to get myself outfitted, then maybe give everyone else an armor upgrade. Then I have to build some weapons for my friends in Under-town.¡±
Two Gun panted, coming down from his excitement and grinned sheepishly. ¡°Sorry, son. I¡¯m just happy with the new guns. But you¡¯re right, there are games to play and fun to be had.¡±
¡°What were you thinking, love?¡± Claire called over, letting her dumbbell drop to the hangar floor.
Two Gun shrugged. ¡°Just the two of us. A night on the town. Getting into trouble.¡±
Claire chuckled. ¡°Oh, you romantic.¡±
*Quack*
¡°I hate to interrupt, but I might have something for you two.¡±
D34d-I said. He had apparently come out of the office at some point and was walking around the walls of Kaleb¡¯s Mechanics Room.
*Quack*
¡°I have the paperwork completed so we can apply for a new contract in this area. We just need to get it submitted.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his hands together. ¡°This will allow us to take care of the gangs in the area?¡±
D34d-I nodded.
*Quack*
¡°Technically, it¡¯s only for the gang elements in the area. So it will probably be a temporary contract. Once we eliminate the various gangs, we will need to re-apply.¡±
Two Gun¡¯s face looked like he tasted something sour. ¡°Oh great. Paperwork.¡±
Claire reached over and rubbed her husband¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Come on, love. Once we are done with that, we can get to our Super Hero Date Night.¡±
¡°I hate paperwork.¡± Two Gun said sullenly.
Claire nodded, turning her husband toward the hangar doors. ¡°I know dear. But think about it. Once we are done, we can take down some gang members AND get paid for it.¡±
¡°We already would¡¯ve gotten paid.¡±
¡°More money is more money.¡± Claire said as the pair walked out of the hangar.
Kaleb sighed as he watched the pair leave, then turned back to their erstwhile duck accountant.
¡°Anything else right now?¡±
D34d-I shook his head
*Quack*
¡°No. Nothing that can¡¯t wait. Which is good because I need to log out for a while.¡±
Kaleb just nodded and turned toward his workshop. ¡°That¡¯s good. Well, I¡¯ll be in my lab if anybody needs me. Hint: Don¡¯t need me.¡±
D34d-I just went back to his office as Kaleb joined his two friends near the workbench. The pair were going over Kaleb¡¯s equipment, discussing what could and could not be repaired. Kaleb sighed as he looked over at everything. It was going to take a lot of work, but by the end, he should have some decent upgrades. Kaleb took up his armor and moved over to his homemade furnace, contemplating what he could make next.
¡°It¡¯s going to be a busy three days.¡±
Chapter 115 - Upgrades
¡°Breath in. Hold it. Now, breath out.¡± Jar-lock said. ¡°Again. Breath in. Through your nose, and then out.¡±
Kaleb held his position on the floor while staring daggers at the large Mage. He was flat on the floor with his legs straight out behind him. His palms were pushing down into the new plastic mat they had purchased, bending his hips and upper body upward in what Jar-lock had called the Cobra Pose. Although Kaleb was beginning to think of it as pain in the ass position #47.
¡°How did you talk me into yoga?¡± Kaleb asked through gritted teeth for what had to be the 7
th time.
Jar-lock sighed from his position in front of the mat. ¡°Everyone, release your positions and relax.¡±
Kaleb quickly rolled over and splayed his legs out in front of him. Around him, Abby, Two Gun, Claire, and Vivienne all came out of their positions. Some more gracefully than others. Kaleb was happy to hear some commiserating grumbling from the others. He wasn¡¯t the only one that disliked Jar-lock¡¯s spartan daily training. But the former soldier actually knew a fair amount about getting the most from their exercising. As Kaleb¡¯s increased Endurance showed.
Over the past two days, Kaleb had spent most of his time building new equipment and a few gadgets. But Jar-lock had logged in and immediately latched onto the gains that could be had with the new Gym Area. He quickly convinced Kaleb and the others to schedule in a morning and afternoon workouts into their days. At first they had all been happy to do it, but now¡
¡°I didn¡¯t talk you into anything. Yoga is just a good workout. It stretches and warms up the body. But it¡¯s also good for cooling down after a workout as well.¡± Jar-lock explained, moving some of the gym equipment back onto the mats.
Claire got up to help as she said. ¡°You can¡¯t argue with the results either.¡±
Kaleb gave a noncommittal shrug. ¡°Sure. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m just not a fan.¡± He rubbed his aching thighs.
¡°It would probably help if you had some proper work-out gear like the rest of us,¡± Abby said, her eyes glancing up and down at his jeans and t-shirt covered body.
Kaleb stood up on unsure legs, grumbling. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy.¡±
Kaleb had dove headfirst into crafting. Replacing or upgrading a good deal of his arsenal and getting the others some armor upgrades as well. Two Gun glanced over to where he had leaned his new armor against a weightlifting bench.
¡°They are a hell of an upgrade, son. I¡¯ll give you that.¡±
Abby snorted. ¡°He didn¡¯t even work on them that much.¡±
Kaleb winced. The young, dark-haired Mutant wasn¡¯t wrong. He had stolen five sets of armor from the K-Tech guards down at the dump site near Under-Town. But he had quickly found that the armor was stubbornly resistant to most forms of modification. He had tried all sorts of things to either add to or shape the armor to fit someone his size. He even lost a chest piece when he and Daivor tried melting one down to make an alloy Kaleb could use to make new armor. The mixture had turned out more slag than anything useful.
In the end, he had to say ¡®screw it¡¯ and he gave the remaining pieces to the smaller members of their party. They could slightly bend the edges, but nothing too drastic. So he and Jar-lock had to find alternatives. Abby and Two Gun also had the good idea of respraying the armor to different colors. The glossy black armor may not have been immediately recognizable as K-Tech brand armor. But they all figured, better safe than sorry.
¡°Now that¡¯s not fair,¡± Jar-lock cut in, passing Vivienne a water bottle. ¡°He sewed a Kevlar lining into my robe and, don¡¯t forget, he forged his own new armor.¡±
Claire grimaced as she jogged in place. The Alien woman always seemed more amped after a workout.
¡°We are unlikely to forget. With all that blasted hammering he was doing.¡±
Two Gun began walking toward the stairs leading down to the lower level as he said. ¡°Oh, come on. How often do you get to see someone use an old fashion hammer and anvil to make armor?¡±
¡°Fantasy Apex Online.¡± Abby deadpanned.
Kaleb just grinned as he moved over to his own armor and put it on. Unfortunately, he had only gotten the chest piece done, but with the system and Daivor guiding him, he thought he did pretty well. Also netted himself two levels in the new Armorsmithing Skill. Along with a new rank in DIY Armorer.
|
Armorsmithing Beginner Level 2
|
|
Chance to create higher grade armor increased to 2%
Chance to increase durability increased to 2%
|
His new armor wasn¡¯t that complicated. It even counted as just an upgrade to his old armor. He had only added another layer of a slim steel sheet he had mixed with some of the Alien metal that had gotten from the K-Tech dump site. The new alloy had given his armor a bluish sheen and a small resistance to magical attacks. Kaleb opened the stat window on his new armor with a smile.
-
-
-
-
|
DIY Body Armor Mk. 2
|
|
Defense: +15 +3 (DIY Armorer)
Magical Resistance: 10%
Upgrades: 2/3
Durability: 90/90
Pieces: 3/3
Grade: C-
|
|
Description: Lightweight aluminum armor with a Kevlar lining and upgraded with steel sheeting. Light with good flexibility. This armor is nice when you want to keep on your feet. Doesn¡¯t protect the legs, though. Stay frosty. Or walk around while crouching.
|
Kaleb grinned and closed the window as he re-equipped his armor. The others, except for Claire and Jar-lock, had gone below to shower and change as Kaleb had been looking at his window. Claire was jumping rope nearby as Jar-lock, having finished moving the gym equipment back into place, closer to the stairs. The armor had originally comprised a bodysuit and 4 pieces of armor, two bracers, two shin guards, and a chest piece. Kaleb had gotten rid of the matte black body suits and just passed the rest out to the others. Abby, Two Gun, Vivienne, and Claire all got a set.
Each had also sprayed painted their set a different color. Abby was dark blue, Two Gun and Claire¡¯s were grey, and Vivienne had gone with a dull pink. She argued that since she was wearing it under her wizard robes, it really didn¡¯t matter what she colored it. But each had also used a stencil of a star to paint a small white star on each of their chest armor. Two Gun and Jar-lock had said it would be like having a team uniform and reminded them of their Super Group name: The Lone Star Hounds.
Jar-lock caught Kaleb staring at the color sets of armors. ¡°They are pretty useful. Regardless of where you got them.¡±
¡°True,¡± Claire huffed as she continued to jump rope. ¡°Abby took some type of weird laser beam to the chest the other day. While we were out patrolling. The armor just seemed to absorb and then redirect it.¡±
¡°Straight into a little bodega¡¯s glass window.¡± Abby griped as she reappeared from downstairs. Her hair was still slightly damp from the quick shower she had taken.
¡°Could have been worse.¡± Jar-lock said.
¡°It was good for the ants as well.¡± Came Vivienne¡¯s voice shortly, followed by the tall blonde herself.
Vivienne, Abby, and Mass had all signed up to help the house of Ainsley with their large ant problem. But the small Sorcerer house had seen fit to try to profit from it, by sending in teams of Heroes and then buying the excess ant parts. Varlin had confirmed that the house was then reselling the parts back to the city. There was talk of the city recognizing it as an official dungeon if the Ainsley could box in the ant queen. While Kaleb worked, the others had all taken a dive into the large ant tunnels. All except Jar-lock, that is.
While the others discussed the ants and put on their armor, Kaleb sighed internally. He had spent the last two days crafting while everyone else was off kicking ass and taking names. Not to mention getting paid. The Super Group''s contract allowed them to tackle the gangs and make a dent in the criminal activity. At least the way they put it.
¡°And here I sit. Building new toys and never playing with them.¡± Kaleb thought and sighed.
Abby slid a brand-new black hoodie over her armor. She apparently had a couple of them. ¡°What are you sighing about?¡±
Kaleb snapped out of his reverie and grinned. ¡°Just thinking I should go out and play. I¡¯ve upgraded my weapons and armor, built some new gadgets, and I have a new Shocky to try out.¡±
¡°We do still have our excursion to the magical forest tomorrow.¡± Claire reminded him, appearing to be done with her workout.
¡°What better time to test things?¡± Kaleb said, summoning his new shield with a thought.
-
-
-
-
|
Shocky Mk. III
|
|
Defense: 15+7 (Shield Mastery)
Electric Damage: 30
Durability: 125/125
Chance to Stun: 15%
Magical Resistance: 5%
Failure rate: 7%
Research Point cost: 15
Upgrades: 0/2
|
|
A buckler built from scratch. Like previous versions, it can send electricity through the front of the shield to stun targets. Made of an alloy of various alien and human metals has made the shield slightly magically resistant. The spirit of Shocky lives on.
|
The shield was made of his new steel and alien metal alloy. He had forged it himself with as little help from the system as he could manage. Although Daivor was still whispering in his ear, helping. Kaleb rubbed his hand over the shield as new footsteps sounded from the entrance to downstairs.
Two Gun appeared, hair wet and looking refreshed until he saw Kaleb gently caressing his shield.
¡°You know, if you keep playing with it, you¡¯ll go blind.¡±
Kaleb glared at the older man. ¡°Yeah? And how often are you fondling those new guns I made you?¡±
¡°All the time.¡± Claire said as she joined her husband in putting on their armor.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
¡°Back to the point,¡± Said Jar-lock. ¡°What all do you need to test? You and two Gun have damn near obliterated our ¡®shooting range¡¯ outside with your new weapons. That egg launcher thing you built had the hangar smelling like ozone¡¡±
¡°Also, your new wrist computer thingy needs your NPC girlfriend to finish coding it.¡± Abby teased.
A bright blue flash of electricity signaled the arrival of the so-called NPC. ¡°I¡¯m not his girlfriend. And I completed the coding for the Thermal Imager this morning. Although I still think you should wire it into a helmet or something. Checking your wrist every three minutes is a good way to get sniped.¡±
Etha-Farrah said from where she appeared behind Abby and the others. She was holding Kaleb¡¯s new gadget in her hand and trying not to look too pleased with herself. Kaleb thought she was failing. Kaleb gingerly took the slim wrist-mounted computer from her hand and brought up its stats.
-
-
-
-
-
|
Wrist Mounted Thermal Imager
|
|
Scan Range: 25 Feet from device
Slot: Right Arm. Forearm.
Durability: 30/30
Grade: C+
|
|
Description: A K-Tech brand wrist computer modified to scan the immediate area for thermals. Slim, with a new Moldi-Screen that wraps and conforms to any forearm it is attached to. It is the go to device for K-Tech security in the field.
|
Kaleb grinned. ¡°Thank you, Farrah. You¡¯re right too. I want to get this hooked up to that helmet I found, but getting the wiring squared away is proving trickery than I imagined.¡±
¡°I imagine you¡¯ll want me to code that too?¡± Farrah asked with a long-suffering sigh that Kaleb didn¡¯t believe for a second.
Farrah had proven indispensable as their command center liaison. With the drones Roy and Daivor had built her, she could help coordinate when the team was in the field. She had also become a sort of den mother to the group, using her super speed to race around and help the group get squared away in the base. They had all collectively agreed that the first person who they could go to for help was Farrah.
Kaleb was sure most of it had been done by the Farrah AI that took over when the person playing as Farrah went offline, but he legally couldn¡¯t spill that secret. He gave Farrah a toothy smile as he nodded.
¡°Of course. What would I do without you?¡±
¡°You¡¯d be someone else¡¯s problem.¡± Farrah smirked as she sauntered back to her little command center.
Abby gave a shudder. ¡°Creepy lifelike NPCs.¡±
Claire helped her husband strap on a shin guard as she said. ¡°I like them. Makes the world feel more real.¡±
¡°Plus, remember the old days? NPCs with only 15 to 20 lines of dialogue before they wrapped around to saying the same old things. It was annoying.¡± Two Gun added.
¡°I also like these new AI driven NPCs, but we are off-topic. The Professor wants to go out and finally pull his weight.¡± Jar-lock grinned at Kaleb. ¡°So what do we have?¡±
Abby spoke up. ¡°We were going to raid the Demon¡¯s drug warehouse tonight!¡±
¡°Alleged drug warehouse.¡± Jar-lock rolled his eyes.
¡°Hey!¡± Abby yelped, indignant. ¡°I did some digging and supposedly it¡¯s a big public secret. Rumor is the Demons pay the cops to overlook it.¡±
¡°Sounds like a good chance to test this out.¡± Kaleb said, tapping his new thermal imager.
¡°We are always up for a night on the town,¡± Two Gun grinned up at his wife.
Jar-lock sighed. ¡°Fine, we can all at least go check it out. If it is a drug warehouse, it will probably be well defended.¡±
¡°Umm¡¡± Vivienne started.
¡°Except you, Viv. I know you have that thing, IRL.¡±
Vivienne gave the others an apologetic smile. ¡°I might help around here before I log out? Get some of those books over to where we want to start the library.¡±
The others nodded except Jar-lock, who looked pensive.
¡°Not this again.¡± Kaleb said, seeing Jar-lock¡¯s expression.
¡°I just think the library would be better off downstairs,¡± Jar-lock said.
They had had this conversation multiple times over the last two days. The group had come to an agreement to put the library alongside the other rooms in the hangar. Because they didn¡¯t have to buy more room like they did on the second floor. Meanwhile, the main hangar was nearly 40 feet high, they could build some rooms upwards if they needed to. D34d-I had assured the team that was the cheaper option.
¡°You just don¡¯t want to part with your precious books.¡± Abby joked.
Claire laughed. ¡°He also doesn¡¯t want to read up here where the Professor makes his racket.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Hey if y¡¯all don¡¯t want me to build stuff, I can go ahead and stop.¡±
¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± Two Gun chuckled.
Kaleb shrugged again, silently agreeing with the old cowboy. Sure, he had missed out on some fun, but he got to build some pretty neat stuff. Soon he would be able to put that stuff to good use. After tonight¡¯s test run, he would make some alterations, then head into an enchanted forest full of magical creatures.
¡°Let me go grab my T.E.L and then we can head out.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°T.E.L?¡± Claire asked.
¡°I¡¯m driving!¡± Abby said, eager to drive her new car some more.
Kaleb just smiled over his shoulder as he moved to his Mechanics Room. ¡°My Taser Egg Launcher.¡±
He heard the others groan as he rounded the wall into his Mechanics Room. He saw Daivor perched on the workbench, filing an Ifrit bone down to a point. Roy had gone home for a little while. Tomorrow was his eighteenth birthday and his mom was adamant he spend it with his family. She had even roped Obadiah into coming.
Daivor noticed the shadow Kaleb cast over the workbench and glanced up. He pulled his new goggles off his face and smiled. The goggles had been another gift from the Gnome Workshop. They supposedly could see the confluence of magical energies in a material. Kaleb couldn''t verify that claim cause they were too small for him, but he trusted his Gnome friend.
The Gnome Workshop had been a bit of a mixed bag so far. It had spat out another two rigging vests, which Daivor and Kaleb and disassembled for parts. The goggles, which the Gnome rarely took off now, and then it had spat out something called and Infinity Mug. Something Daivor said was essential for any Gnome. Kaleb had figured out it was just a mug that instantly replaced any drinkable liquid that was placed in it. The mug, too, barely ever left the Gnome¡¯s sight.
¡°Last one¡¯s done, boss.¡± Daivor said, holding up the slim piece of Ifrit bone.
Kaleb took the spike and smiled down at the gnome. He opened the housing on his left arms spike launcher and loaded the spike next to the other bone-white spikes in his arm. His spike launcher also got an upgrade over the past couple of days. He increased the pneumatics and rewired everything.
-
-
-
|
Spike Launcher Mk. II
|
|
Damage: 35
Pierce: 40%
Slot: Left arm. Embedded.
Durability: 155/155 (Arm: 100, Launcher: 55)
Ammo: 8
Ammo type: Ifrit Bone Spikes
Research point cost: 20
Upgrades: 2/3
|
|
Description: A pneumatic spike launcher installed in your arm. Spikes are launched from the underside of the arm with enough force to pierce some armor. Upgraded pneumatics and wiring have made this once decent back-up weapon into its own powerhouse. Still large and clunky, though.
|
¡°Where did I put the egg launcher?¡± Kaleb asked, still smiling.
Daivor shook his head and waved downward. ¡°The boy put it down there once he was done playing with it. Everything¡¯s reloaded and ready.¡±
Kaleb ducked under the workbench and grabbed for his newest gadget. He had built a small wrist-mounted egg launcher that could hold and launch his taser eggs. A few of the others had not been amused thinking the eggs more a gag than anything. But Roy and Kaleb knew how useful they could be.
Getting the amount of pressure needed to launch the plastic eggs without breaking them in the launcher had taken some testing. He and Roy had dialed it in, though. Also, the thing wasn¡¯t really much to look at. A small box strapped to his wrist with Velcro.
He pulled the device from the shelf and strapped it to his left wrist.
-
-
-
-
-
|
Taser Egg Wrist Launcher
|
|
Damage: 10
Stun Chance: 85%
Chance to Entangle 70%
Slot: Left Arm. Wrist.
Durability: 25/25
Ammo: 3
Grade: C
|
|
Description: A small blocky wrist mounted egg launcher. It uses a powerful blast of compressed air to launch taser eggs, breaking their casing and causing minor bruising to the target. Another weird gadget invented by Professor Pack Rat.
|
Kaleb couldn''t help smiling as he stood back up. The sound of metal scrapping against metal drew his eyes back up to the workbench. Daivor was pushing his Cybar Pistol across the bench toward Kaleb. The Gnome was grinning again.
¡°Of course, we can¡¯t forget the pi¨¨ce de r¨¦sistance.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he picked up the gun.
-
-
-
-
-
|
New Cybar Mk. I Pistol Variant.
|
|
Damage: 50 Energy Damage
Shots till vent: 12
Vent speed: 10 seconds
Upgrades: 2/2
Durability: 90/90
Grade: C
|
|
Description: A heavily modified Cybar Mark I Pistol. It has been repaired and upgraded to near factory conditions. The power supply has been replaced with an unnamed Alien Power Unit. The new power supply makes the gun run a little hotter, which may increase wear and tear, but it sure packs a punch.
|
Both Kaleb and Daivor were proud of this one. They had taken the old misshapen Cybar pistol and damn near restored it to perfection. Then they had added the new power supply they had developed for Two Gun¡¯s weapons. It had taken a good chunk of time that first day, and Kaleb was glad the Gnome took on the job of drilling new vent holes into the thing.
¡°You gonna take the Sun Gun.¡± Daivor asked, looking over at Kaleb¡¯s other go-to weapon.
Unfortunately, Kaleb hadn¡¯t gotten around to upgrading that one. No ideas had sprung to his mind, and he had busied himself with other things. But it was another ranged non-lethal option. Kaleb nodded as he reached for the gun. Daivor looked up at him and produced a pipe from thin air.
¡°Maybe we could upgrade the casing? Or maybe rewire the solar panels for a better energy transfer.¡± Daivor puffed on his pipe before adding. ¡°Maybe use some of the &%^$ metal.¡±
Harsh screeching assaulted Kaleb¡¯s ears as the Gnome said the alien word. Kaleb grimaced down at his Gnome friend, seeing him smiling widely.
¡°You¡¯re doing that on purpose now.¡± Kaleb stated.
¡°Maaaaaybe.¡±
Kaleb shook his head. With all the work they had been doing the past couple of days, the Gnome had leveled up. Kaleb had quickly gotten the Alien Knowledge skill for his diminutive friend, hoping he could help identify the various metals they had. Some he could, but others proved to be K-Tech prototypes with no names. The bad part was that the Gnome seemed to delight in using the true alien words for the metals. Words Kaleb could never make sense out of.
¡°You can take the night off, Master Gnome. I will be out saving the city.¡±
Daivor nodded, taking another puff on his pipe. ¡°Think you could set-up your laptop for me. I want to dig back through the Kersait file.¡±
¡°Sure. But seriously, dude, get some sleep. We will always have more work. Remember, I also want to bring a gift to the Brute Clan again.¡±
¡°I know.¡± Daivor nodded. ¡°It will be something to read before I pass out.¡±
Kaleb shrugged his shoulders and got the laptop set up on the workbench before he waved goodbye to the Gnome.
¡°Just one last thing.¡± Kaleb thought as he brought up his Research Point total.
-
-
-
-
-
-
After all the upgrading and building, he had just enough to unlock both slots on his legs. He considered the pros and cons of unlocking the slots over the past two days. Ultimately, he had decided if he had enough points, he would do it. Sure, the three days weren¡¯t up yet, but he figured he was just putting off the inevitable. Toward the late game, he would want all his slots unlocked just to use various amounts of gadgets.
¡°You coming!?¡± Shouted Abby from the front of the hangar.
She and the others had gathered their gear and were looking back at Kaleb. Kaleb gave them a wave as he clicked through his menus and found what he was looking for.
¡°20 points for the first one and the 30 for the second.¡± Kaleb thought as he unlocked both his legs gadget slots. ¡°Just need to think of something cool now.¡±
Kaleb joined his friends outside the hangar. Two Gun passed him a small ear-comm unit which immediately came to life with Farrah¡¯s voice once Kaleb placed it in his ear.
¡°Hey Noob! Don¡¯t forget your comms.¡± She said good-naturedly.
The others laughed as they all had heard the jibe. Kaleb just shook his head and said. ¡°Let¡¯s get this show on the road.¡±
They all piled into Abby¡¯s small black hover-sedan and set off into the setting sun. As they did, Kaleb had one other thought as he checked his gear.
¡°Man, I sure hope nothing blows up.¡±
Chapter 116 - The Beat
Abby¡¯s new car glided noiselessly over the road as they made their way to the warehouse. Along the way, the others filled him in their district. All the ins and outs they¡¯ve discovered, some people they met, and the suburbs that might need a closer look from the group.
Their district, which went from Decker lane to 130 highway, wasn¡¯t that big. Maybe a seven-minute drive or an hour-long walk end-to-end. But it was a well-packed area. Having a small school district, two suburbs, an extensive farming area, and then the shopping district along Blue Bluff. With less than ten people in their Super Group, it was more than big enough for them. For a start at least.
¡°¡and then there¡¯s Detective Dick.¡± Abby said with a sneer.
¡°Detective Richard Caskelmore.¡± Jar-lock appended from his place in the passenger seat. ¡°Is kind of our unofficial liaison to the police around here.¡±
Two Gun gave a rough chuckle. ¡°I like him. He¡¯s a no nonsense type of cop. Big stickler for the rules.¡±
¡°And the paperwork.¡± Abby grumbled as she turned her car onto a smaller side road. ¡°I mean, who cares if my report has a typo? You know what I meant to write!¡±
¡°Well, if you don¡¯t care about the details, how can he trust your investigative work?¡± Kaleb asked.
Abby rolled her eyes in the rear-view mirror. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you start too. We¡¯ll see what you say after tonight¡¯s raid.¡±
¡°Did we contact anyone with the PD out here? I imagine we are going to make a lot of noise.¡± Claire asked.
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°No. We aren¡¯t sure who the Demons have on their payroll and we didn¡¯t want word getting out.¡±
¡°Can we just do that?¡± Kaleb asked, wondering about how much autonomy their little group had.
¡°It is a gray area.¡± Two Gun chuckled.
¡°We have the license to work in this district and part of that allows us to do whatever we can to get the job done.¡± Jar-lock explained. ¡°But we are also trying to make friends out here. We step on too many toes and paperwork will be the least of our worries.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he looked out the window. They were on the outskirts of Austin. Out here were more desert and trees than people and buildings. It looked like they were heading further east, away from the city as well. Their hangar was just to the south, in an area that was even more empty.
¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Kaleb remembered.
¡°After our excursion into the enchanted forest tomorrow.¡± He started. Two Gun snorted, but let Kaleb continue. ¡°I think we should head down to Under-town so I can ask the brute clan to help us out with security.¡±
¡°I thought we were doing fine so far. With the Santa-looking guy and the other old guy who is now hanging around.¡± Abby said.
¡°We can¡¯t rely on them forever. Bob¡¯s a nice guy, but he is mainly just doing a favor for Obadiah.¡± Kaleb explained. ¡°And Obadiah has got his own things he needs to be doing.¡±
¡°What is he doing out here? I doubt he came all the way here just to visit you.¡± Jar-lock said.
¡°His family is out here, too. Don¡¯t forget that. But, no. He is out here doing more clandestine work. The type that will get anyone caught doing it disavowed by the people who told them to do it.¡±
Two Gun grinned across at Kaleb. ¡°So he¡¯s a spy?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Something like that. Keep it under your hat, though. I don¡¯t think he wants too many people to know.¡±
¡°So he was out here to recruit you?¡± Claire asked, wearing the same grin as her husband.
¡°Not really. He was wondering if we¡¯d be interested in doing that work for him. I wasn¡¯t. Not my type of thing.¡±
¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really see you doing spy work.¡± Abby snickered. ¡°Too many explosions.¡±
Kaleb gave her a mock glare as Jar-lock asked. ¡°So, the offer was for all of us?¡±
¡°Sure, I just didn¡¯t know if anyone else would be interested. When I hear ¡®deniable asset¡¯, I kind of check out of the conversation.¡±
Jar-lock shrugged his massive shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Happened all the time in the military.¡±
¡°Talk to him then.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°I was going to introduce him to more of my more morally flexible friends in Under-town. Maybe I can take him tomorrow after Roy¡¯s birthday.¡±
Abby swung their car into a narrow alley as Claire asked him. ¡°Do you think Roy will register with the HLO?¡±
Two Gun snorted. ¡°Unlikely. He loves working with the ¡®Doc¡¯ here.¡±
Kaleb just shrugged as they piled out of the car. ¡°I doubt it. But who can say?¡±
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Abby and Jar-lock moved to the end of the alley and looked down the street. The sun had just gone down, leaving an orange streak on the horizon. Abby and Jar-lock exchanged a few words before Kaleb and the others joined them. Abby then vanished into the massive shadow of the wall. Kaleb gave Jar-lock a questioning look as Two Gun and Claire fell in behind him.
Jar-lock pointed upwards toward the roof of the building. ¡°She¡¯s getting a better view. We are about two blocks out from our destination, but we want to make sure we are in the clear.¡±
Kaleb nodded as Two Gun asked. ¡°We going in now or waiting for dark?¡±
Abby stepped back out of the shadow on the wall and said. ¡°All clear, and I say we wait for dark.¡±
¡°Surprising no one.¡± Claire quipped.
¡°No, she¡¯s right.¡± Jar-lock smirked. ¡°Besides, maybe there will be more of them at night, anyway. We want to arrest as many as we can.¡±
Kaleb glanced done to his holstered Cyber pistol and sighed. Claire watched him and gave a short giggle and Two Gun put a hand on his shoulder.
¡°I know how you feel, son.¡±
Jar-lock looked between them. ¡°You have non-lethal options, right?¡±
¡°Yeah, Sun Gun and Taser Eggs.¡± Kaleb answered. ¡°Only got six eggs, though. Three in the launcher and three in my pocket.¡±
Two Gun shook his head. ¡°We gotta find someone to name your stuff for you.¡± Kaleb gave the old man the finger as Two Gun answered Jar-lock.
¡°I don¡¯t have anything except my guns. But you should know by now, with my reflexes, glancing shots are easy enough.¡±
Jar-lock nodded. ¡°Alright then, how about we move closer and Abby can scout out the main building? We will wait till it gets dark, then go in quiet.¡±
¡°Quiet in, loud out?¡± Claire asked.
¡°Likely with the professor around.¡± Abby said, jamming an elbow into Kaleb¡¯s side.
Kaleb coughed as he pretended to write an imaginary note in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t build anything for the snarky mutant. Got it.¡±
Abby just laughed as the group walked out of the alley and onto the sidewalk. Kaleb looked around, realizing they were in a more desolate area of their district. The shops were boarded up, more than one street lamp was broken, and trash was blown across the street by the night wind. Kaleb smirked as he thought about how clich¨¦ it was for a gang to have one of its hideouts out here.
They all remained quiet as they slowly made their way down the street. Abby took the lead ranging further ahead of the group as Jar-lock lead the rest of the group. Two Gun and Kaleb followed along with their respective weapons drawn. Claire brought up the rear, looking more relaxed than any of them, and Kaleb could swear she was humming. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would¡¯ve thought she was just out for a delightful night stroll.
After a block, Jar-lock signaled them to move into a nearby alley as Abby continued on. Kaleb took in the nearby environment, mostly because he was bored. He could barely make out the two-story warehouse down at the far end of the road. Abandoned shops and stores were on either side of the road. As Kaleb scanned them from his position inside the alley, a thought occurred to him.
¡°Why is the warehouse the only thing on this street with working lights?¡±
Jar-lock looked around before he pointed to a flickering street lamp further back the way they came. Kaleb nodded, indicating that he saw it, but then he pointed back at the warehouse.
¡°Yeah, I get that. But the few streetlights that have power are all flickering. Which means there¡¯s barely any juice running through the lines.¡± Kaleb pointed at the twenty-foot warehouse a block away.
¡°But that power is constant. There¡¯s no flickering.¡±
Two Gun looked up and down the street between the streetlights and the warehouse. ¡°You think they are sapping the city¡¯s electricity?¡±
¡°So we can charge them with stealing utilities?¡± Claire grinned.
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°No. The city would notice the power draw. I think they are running off their own generator.¡±
¡°And if they have their own on-site generator, we can hit it.¡± Jar-lock smiled.
Kaleb just grinned back as the Alien and cowboy couple looked between them. Eventually, they just shrugged and went back to waiting. But Kaleb and Jar-lock put their heads together and discussed where they thought the generator would be. Kaleb figured that outside the warehouse would be better. That way, they didn¡¯t have to take up space. Jar-lock, however, figured that it would make too much noise, and would be too noticeable outside.
¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s underground. Probably just below the warehouse.¡± Jar-lock said.
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°No way. This is a gang. I can almost guarantee they are lazy. Simple power generator just outside the warehouse. Who¡¯s gonna know?¡±
Jar-lock sighed. ¡°Anyone driving by and seeing a big lit-up warehouse?¡±
¡°Oh, come on. We¡¯ve been out here for forty-five minutes. Have you seen any cars?¡±
Jar-lock stopped short and Kaleb was sure he had won the argument, but his friend gave him a curious look and asked. ¡°That is odd, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°What?¡± Kaleb asked, getting the feeling they weren¡¯t talking about the generator anymore.
¡°No cars, no trucks. Hell, we have seen nothing go into or leave that warehouse.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Well, we are a block away.¡±
¡°Still, we should¡¯ve seen something, right? How are the Demons getting in the building, not to mention getting their product, whatever it is, out?¡±
Kaleb stared at the warehouse as he thought about it. He truly did not know and looking at Jar-lock, he could see he didn¡¯t either. He¡¯s thoughts were cut off as Abby stepped out of the shadow in the wall next to them. The small woman was almost hopping with excitement.
¡°TOLD you it was drugs! I knew it. I just knew it.¡±
Kaleb and Jar-lock shared a look as Two Gun quipped. ¡°So you found drugs? Did you bring enough for the rest of us?¡±
Abby swatted at the old man as she laughed. ¡°Ha! No. but I saw them moving crates all over that warehouse.¡±
Jar-lock beat Kaleb to the question. ¡°Where are they moving them to?¡±
Abby¡¯s excitement faltered a bit. ¡°I¡I don¡¯t know. I mean, I saw them moving them about the warehouse, but I didn¡¯t want to stay next to the window for too long.¡±
¡°Did you see any cars or trucks stop by?¡± Kaleb asked.
Abby shook her head again. Two Gun scratched his forehead as he asked. ¡°So that means they must have a tunnel or something, right?¡±
¡°Or something.¡± Jar-lock said.
Kaleb shrugged his shoulders before asking Abby, ¡°What about an electrical generator? Did you see something like that?¡±
Abby smiled again as she nodded. ¡°Oh yeah, there¡¯s actually a big one just outside the warehouse. It¡¯s surrounded by a big wrought-iron fence, though.¡±
Claire cracked her knuckles loudly. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±
The others all nodded. Kaleb grinned at his friends as an idea came to him. ¡°Why don¡¯t we use that generator to lure out a couple of them first? Deal with them piecemeal.¡±
¡°Good idea.¡± Jar-lock said. Turning to Abby, he asked. ¡°Any idea how many were in the warehouse?¡±
Abby shrugged. ¡°Well, I saw fifteen. But if they have a tunnel or a portal, they can probably get more easily.¡±
¡°Another reason to draw them out. We don¡¯t want to get flooded in the warehouse. Also, we can fight outside where we are less like to damage any evidence.¡± Two Gun said with a glance at his wife.
The tall green alien sniffed haughtily, turning her nose up at her husband. She crossed her arms and turned her back on the others, grumbling something about being underappreciated. The others all knew she was hamming it up, so they let her be.
Kaleb turned and watched the ever darkening sky as he drew his Sun Gun and checked its charge. Stun shots were less energy than kill shots, but once it was out, he would have to rely on his taser eggs and wits. He looked around toward the Demons supposed Drug Warehouse and grinned. They were gonna do so much mayhem.
Chapter 117 - The Demons
Their little group made their way quickly but quietly up the darkened street toward the warehouse. Aside from the warehouse itself and the flickering streetlights, the rest of the neighborhood was almost pitch black. Abby lead them to the chain-link fence surrounding the warehouse, then turned to them and pointed upward, showing they would have to go up and over. After waiting for everyone to acknowledge they understood, the petite mutant flung herself up, caught the top of the fence, and swung herself over.
Kaleb and the others looked at each before Claire flung herself over the fence, nearly clearing it from a standing jump. The tall green woman caught herself at the top and then lowered herself down to avoid making too much noise. Two Gun looked between Jar-lock and Kaleb before he shook his head. Jar-lock looked at Kaleb, who nodded in understanding. Jar-lock jumped and caught himself much like Abby did, but then he straddled the top and put a hand down toward Two Gun.
Kaleb put his back against the fence and put his hands together for Two Gun¡¯s foot. He then hoisted Two Gun up to Jar-lock, who pulled the old cowboy the rest of the way over. Once that was done, Kaleb leaped up and pulled himself over, careful not to catch his lab coat on anything. Sure, the self-repairing fabric could probably take care of it, but he figured it was best not to rip a hole in it.
Once they were all over, and Two Gun had finished pantomiming how hurt his knees were, they followed Abby around the right side of the warehouse. Kaleb thought he could hear chatter coming from inside, but he couldn¡¯t really make anything out. Abby lead them to a twelve foot high enclosure that was surrounded by a large wrought-iron fence. Through the bars in the fence Kaleb could see a seven foot tall power generator. But it was a mess.
¡°What the fuck?¡± Kaleb whispered, drawing a louder ¡°Shush¡± from Abby.
Kaleb gave her an incredulous look before he waved a hand at the monstrosity of a generator. It appeared the Demons had somehow cobbled together a working power generator out of junk, spit, and unholy prayers. He couldn¡¯t really tell what was powering the thing, except he thought he saw a gas cap and tank attached to one side. But he didn¡¯t smell the pungent odor of benzene from old gasoline type fuels.
The others were all giving him questioning looks, but he didn¡¯t know how to answer them without speaking. Abby, seeing his dilemma, lead the group over to where two large blue dumpsters leaned against the far right wall. Now safely away from the warehouse and with the hum of the generator, they could talk quietly.
¡°That things a Frankenstein.¡± Kaleb whispered indignantly.
Two Gun took off his hat and swatted Kaleb¡¯s arm with it as the other just stared at him. ¡°Really, son? That¡¯s it? I thought there was going to be a problem with turning the damn thing off.¡±
The others nodded as Jar-lock asked. ¡°Should we turn it off? Or just destroy in outright?¡±
¡°Well, first we have to deal with the fence. Now it had a door, but I left my pen-laser with Daivor.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°Oh, that won¡¯t be a problem, dearies.¡± Claire smiled as she flexed her fingers.
Abby shook her head and whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s not make more noise than we have to.¡±
The others agreed, and Kaleb raised a finger. ¡°I can probably pick the lock. Let me try.¡±
Kaleb quickly searched his pockets, then the nearby trash dumpster, before he found a slim bit of metal he thought would work. The others gave him dubious glances as he quickly snuck back toward the wrought-iron fence and its gate. Kaleb smiled at the old-fashioned tumbler lock and inserted his bit of metal and gave it a bit of a twist.
SNAP
Kaleb pulled his hand away, half the bit of metal still in his hand while the other half was now embedded in the lock. Kaleb grimaced as he glanced back over at his friends. Through the dim light pouring off the warehouse windows, he could see them trying to contain their laughter. Sighing to himself, Kaleb threw the bit of metal on the ground and sneaked back to his friends.
|
Sneak Skill Level Up
|
|
Noise reduction while crouched increased by 4%
|
¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice at least,¡± Kaleb thought as he got behind the dumpster where his friends grinned at him with mirth.
Abby quirked an eyebrow at him. ¡°So how did that work out for ya, super-spy?¡±
Kaleb just gave her the finger as Claire chuckled silently. ¡°Can I go break it now?¡±
Abby shook her head as she finished returning Kaleb¡¯s gesture. ¡°I can break it quieter than you can.¡±
She raised her right hand and black inky shadows gathered around her arm and up toward her hand, ending in a point. Abby waved her shadow-blade at them before sneaking back over to the generator and cutting the lock off the gate. Kaleb barely heard a thing as Abby returned, a smug look on her face.
¡°Okay, that¡¯s done. Now, how do we break it?¡± Jar-lock asked.
Kaleb wobbled his head in a non-committal way. ¡°Well¡ Do we want to?¡±
¡°Oh lord, kid. No! You can¡¯t take it home with you.¡± Two Gun said, shooting Kaleb an exasperated look. ¡°You just said it¡¯s a hunk of junk.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just thinking in terms of long-term assets. We can probably work the thing over into a workable state back at the hangar, then we have a back-up in case the one underground fails.¡±
¡°And is that likely?¡± Jar-lock asked.
¡°Not very. No.¡± Kaleb admitted.
¡°So let¡¯s just break the damn thing, then jump whoever comes out.¡± Claire said, rubbing her temples.
¡°Or we could just turn it off.¡± Abby said.
Kaleb glanced at his friends before they all shrugged their shoulders. Abby snorted at them before turning back and making her way back to the generator. Shortly after she ducked into the enclosure, the hum of the generator cut off and the lights in the warehouse died. There was a loud clamor coming from inside as Abby made her way back to the group and they all huddled behind the dumpsters.
Kaleb brought up his new thermal imager, pointing it toward the front of the warehouse. He could hear Two Gun telling his wife to crouch lower so her head didn¡¯t stick out over the dumpster. Kaleb kept his eyes glued to his new toy, waiting for something to happen. Pretty quickly, he saw a bright red dot appear at the far edges of the display¡¯s little mini-map. He waved his hand at the others and put a finger to his reptilian snout.
The others all nodded as they waited silently. Abby shuffled her feet in her crouched position while Claire was angling to peer around the dumpster as Two Gun tried to stop her. Kaleb had his eyes trained on the screen when Jar-lock tapped him on his shoulder. Looking up, Kaleb saw the Mage waving everyone closer.
¡°Who¡¯s gonna take him?¡±
Claire made a whispered ¡°Oh oh oh!¡± sound as she gave a short hand raise.
Kaleb and the others shrugged before nodding at Claire and continued to wait. He didn¡¯t really care who knocked the guy out as long as they did it quietly. On Kaleb¡¯s imager, he saw the bright dot grow closer. Soon they could all hear a low grumbling as someone approached the generator. Kaleb risked a look over the rim of the dumpster just as Two Gun was, again, stopping his wife from doing the same thing.
He saw a six-foot tall human male with large red horns sticking out of his head swearing loudly at the gate¡¯s broken lock. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Claire sneak around the edge of the dumpster. They all watched as the tall, muscular green woman crouch-walked toward the gang member. Once she was close enough, Claire stood and raised her right arm, fist clenched, then brought a hammer fist down on top of the horned man¡¯s head.
The man promptly collapsed and Claire grabbed him under his arms and dragged him back toward the dumpster. Kaleb heard Two Gun let out a breath as he turned back to his friends and mouthed a silent ¡®wow.¡¯ Jar-lock nodded his head in agreement and Abby snorted. Once Claire rounded the corner with her captive, Jar-lock pulled something out of his pocket and used it to restrain the man¡¯s hands and feet. Looking closely, Kaleb could see that Jar-lock had used large zip ties.
Kaleb nearly face-palmed at having forgot to bring something similar. Nearby, Two Gun was silently congratulating his wife.
¡°Way to go, Claire Bear. So what¡¯s next?¡±
¡°We wait for the next one.¡± Jar-lock answered.
¡°How many times are we going to get away with this little trick?¡± Two Gun asked.
Abby gave a quiet laugh. ¡°As many times as they let us.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he checked his imager again. ¡°She¡¯s not wrong. Let¡¯s just keep doing it until we can¡¯t, then we go loud.¡±
The others all nodded and settled in for the next fish to bite at their bait. Kaleb monitored his imager and about four minutes later, another two dots showed up. Kaleb waved at the group again and raised two fingers and pointed toward the warehouse. Claire got an excited look in her eye until Abby got her attention. The short mutant pointed between herself and Claire, then pointed two fingers toward the generator. Claire looked a little sad she couldn¡¯t take both by herself, but she nodded in agreement.
Kaleb watched the two dots get closer and when he could hear the pair arguing, he peered over the dumpster again. This time the Demons had sent out a rabbit-woman, not unlike Farrah, except this woman was furrier and her fur was black and red. The other gang member was a short, fat toad like Alien. His long tongue lulled out of his head as he grumbled angrily about being sent to fix the generator.
Abby and Claire went around the dumpster and crouch-walked toward their targets. Abby angled to take out the woman, while Claire made a beeline straight for the toad-man. Kaleb held his breath as the pair got closer. Claire already had her hand up and was ready to bring it down as Abby got closer to the woman. The pair of Demons appeared to be arguing about the generator when Claire brought her fist down.
The toad-man collapsed just as easily as the first one. Rabbit-lady had just turned and looked ready to shout for help when Abby delivered a chop to the side of the woman¡¯s throat. The rabbit woman choked loudly for a second, before her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed as well. Claire gave the younger girl a disapproving look as she grabbed the pair and drug them back toward the dumpster.
¡°We¡¯re gonna run out of room at this rate.¡± Two Gun grinned as he moved back to give Claire space.
Kaleb glanced at his imager before asking. ¡°Did Abby just kill that woman? I don¡¯t think the cops like when we do that.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Jar-lock said. ¡°And the cops don¡¯t like it at all.¡±
Kaleb was about to ask more when Abby and Claire rounded the dumpster, having a heated, whispered conversation.
¡°¡The vagus nerve in the neck. She¡¯s perfectly fine. Look, you can even see her breathing.¡± Abby was saying.
Kaleb and the others glanced at the rabbit-woman and could see that her chest was slowly rising and falling with the woman¡¯s breath. Claire exhaled in relief before turning stern eyes back at Abby.
¡°Still, that was incredible dangerous. You could have crushed her trachea.¡±
Abby snorted and waved her hand as if to brush the comment aside. ¡°Oh please, I¡¯ve been training in martial arts since I was five. I knew what I was doing.¡±
Claire looked chagrined, but ready to continue arguing the point when Jar-lock spoke up. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fair, but you scared the rest of us. We weren¡¯t aware of your training and it looked to all of us like you just killed that woman.¡±
Abby shoved her hands in her pockets and grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s only an NPC.¡±
¡°Or not.¡± Kaleb thought, thinking of Farrah.
Two Gun placed a consoling hand on the younger girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s just bits of code, but it also has repercussions for us as a group. None of us would be mad at you for ¡®killing¡¯ an NPC, but when it can have a negative impact on the group, you can understand we are going to get a little tweaked.¡±
Abby just nodded as Kaleb glanced at his wrist before adding. ¡°He¡¯s right. We are trying to be Heroes in this game and unfortunately that means pulling our punches sometimes. Although now that we know you can do that better than any of us, prepare for us to rely on you more.¡±
Jar-lock grinned. ¡°Oh yeah, you are definitely teaching us some of what you know in the gym sometime.¡±
¡°Oh, come on. I play this game to get away from all the teaching.¡± Abby complained, but Kaleb could see she was smiling.
Two Gun chuckled. ¡°And I play this to get away from running a ranch and being a cowboy.¡± He gestured at his large hat and six-shooters jokingly.
Claire pushed her husband playfully. ¡°Oh, shush you. Like you could ever dress any other way.¡±
Kaleb was about to pick on the old cowboy about his clothes when he saw three red dots show up on his imager. He quickly gestured for the others to remain quiet. When he indicated that three more were on their way, Claire looked questioningly at everyone. Two Gun stared down at his guns and shook his head. Jar-lock looked to be thinking about it, when Kaleb waved his hand and grabbed a taser egg from his pocket. He held it up as he pointed at Claire, Abby, then himself.
The others all rolled their eyes as Kaleb glanced at the incoming gang members. His eyes grew wide as he saw what was coming. Gesturing for the others to look, Kaleb was rethinking his strategies. Three Demon gang members were making their way cautiously toward the generator. One was a six and a half foot tall red Demon with black horns, who was almost as wide as he was tall. His horns bent back almost a full foot away from his body. The second one was a twitchy pale-skinned alien with bright red eyes, and the final one appeared to be a mundane human with an assault rifle.
¡°Well,¡± Claire whispered. ¡°I think I can take the big one with your help, dear husband.¡±
Two Gun just nodded as Abby spoke up. ¡°I have something for the speedster. Won¡¯t keep them quiet, but it will slow them enough for me to do my thing.¡±
¡°I guess that leaves gun-dude to me.¡± Kaleb smiled, raising his egg.
Jar-lock looked like he wanted to say something, but a booming voice came from near the generator.
¡°Told you. They just got lazy. Probably took a piss or a break somewhere.¡±
A stuttering voice responded. ¡°I-I-I-I don¡¯t know, Boss. A-A-A-All three of them?¡±
¡°Bah! What does it matter? We need to get the new shipment put away before morning. I¡¯ll just tell the big guy these three didn¡¯t think they had to work tonight.¡±
Kaleb glanced over the dumpster to see the gang members approaching the generator enclosure. He waved for the others to go first and then followed Abby, crouching. When they were half-way there, Kaleb stopped and got ready to throw his plastic egg when the others were in position. Abby raised her left arm in front of her as she walked and the nearby shadows gathered around her own and shot out along the ground. Two Gun and Claire lined up behind the big one, who was just about to take a step into the enclosure.
Claire jumped forward and spun the big red guy around, wrapping her arms around his neck in a full nelson. Two Gun leapt, brandishing his pistols as clubs and slamming them down on the man¡¯s temples. The speedster looked like he wanted to help, but when he went to move, black shadows wrapped around his legs, stopping him. He didn¡¯t even see Abby as she delivered another neck chop. Meanwhile Kaleb launched his taser egg, and it wrapped the unwitting gang member, shocking him just as he was bringing his gun up.
Unfortunately, that meant his finger was on the trigger just as several volts of electricity went through his body. Fortunately, the wires from the egg made the man jerk, avoiding hitting any of Kaleb''s friends. But he managed to shoot a full round of bullets into the warehouse before fainting.
¡°Well¡looks like we are done with stealth.¡± Two Gun panted as Claire lowered the now unconscious demon man to the ground.
Kaleb grimaced as Jar-lock came running forward. ¡°That just means it¡¯s time for shock and awe. You guys get inside while I tie these people up.¡±
¡°Oh, absolutely.¡± Claire smiled as she ran headlong toward the side of the warehouse.
Kaleb drew his Sun Gun, and Two Gun gave a shout for his wife to be careful. Abby ran past both of them, hot on the heels of the green alien woman. Claire raised her forearms in front of her face and threw herself straight in through the warehouse wall. Kaleb thought she would have merely dented it or made a small hole, but Claire ran straight through, laughing the whole way.
Abby squeezed through as bricks in the wall fell slowly. Two Gun and Kaleb waited as they watched the wall, both silently fearing it would collapse. But after a few seconds, the old gunslinger sighed and ran in after his wife. Kaleb gave chase and followed the old man through the humanoid-shaped hole in the wall.
As Kaleb passed through, he heard the obvious sounds of fighting. Humanoids of various colors and sizes were flying or being thrown through the small warehouse. Two Gun fired a shot up at one of the flying demons, hitting him in the leg before he could toss the lightning he held in his hand. Nearby, Kaleb saw Abby punch into a bare-chested red demon-man¡¯s stomach. The black mass of shadows on her arm told Kaleb she was using her mutation to empower her strikes. He took a few pot-shots at a woman with a tangle of snakes for hair that was approaching Abby as he moved toward the center of the warehouse.
When he arrived, he saw Claire side-stepping between a man and a woman who matched her in size but had muscles more than twice the size of Kaleb¡¯s head. Claire danced around the pair as they got in each other¡¯s way. When the man¡¯s back was turned, Kaleb fired three yellow orbs of energy from his Sun Gun into the bigger guy¡¯s back. The man gave a raw shout of pain before he turned around and glared at Kaleb. Kaleb saw Claire land a solid hook against the woman she was fighting as the giant of a man grabbed a nearby crate and tossed it at Kaleb.
Kaleb dove away. Coming up onto a knee, and put two more shots into the man¡¯s chest. The big guy grinned, ignoring the shots, and stomped forward when Claire popped up behind him and put him in a choke hold. She smiled at Kaleb before her eyes got big and she gave a shout. Kaleb couldn¡¯t hear it over the noise in the warehouse, but her voice still sounded in his ear thanks to the comm unit he wore.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
¡°Behind you!¡±
Kaleb lay flat on the floor and rolled to his back as he felt something slash across where he had just been. Looking up, he saw a short purple alien wielding two long black blades grinning at him. He quickly raised his weapons and fired five shots straight into the grinning alien¡¯s chest. The purple alien jerked back as the shots hit him, collapsing to the floor when the fifth sank into his chest. Kaleb got to his feet and turned around to see how Claire was doing. He found his friend cackling madly as she flung a short demon-woman with horns into three of her companions. Deciding the strong-woman could handle herself, Kaleb looked around for a new target.
He found one as an arrow whizzed through the warehouse and missed hitting Claire¡¯s calf. Looking up, Kaleb could see a metal walkway connecting a second-floor office room to a staircase going to the bottom floor. Standing on the walkway was a male humanoid with small black horns wielding a crossbow, of all things. Kaleb fired a few shots to make the crossbowman take cover as he ran for the stairs leading up. Once he was on the walkway, he could see the demon had reloaded his crossbow and was pointing it straight down the walkway. He let fly more shots from his Sun gun and as the demon-man dove forward and fired.
Kaleb felt the bolt slam into his chest armor and glance off. A sharp sting in his cheek told him his armor had deflected the bolt upward and across his face. Kaleb ignored the stinging as he continued to fire. The horned man looked like he was getting up when Kaleb¡¯s shots slammed into him. The demon fell limp and Kaleb gave a quick glance toward the office before he surveyed the fight from the walkway. Abby and Jar-lock were running around zip-tying anyone they could. Claire had a long-horned gang member in a headlock as she kicked another into a stack of crates.
¡°Where¡¯s Two Gun?¡± Kaleb thought as he scanned the warehouse again.
A flash of blue light from the far end of the warehouse caught Kaleb¡¯s eye. As he watched, he saw the old cowboy run through a stack of crates, a small black imp flying after him. Kaleb almost laughed before he saw three more Demons following the imp chasing the older man. Kaleb swore, as it was too far for his gun. Instead, he spoke and hoped the ear comms would pick up his voice.
¡°Claire! Two Gun needs help at the back of the warehouse!¡±
He had shouted just in case, but the sudden jerk of the woman¡¯s head made it clear she had heard him. Kaleb glanced around again before he decided to check the office before going down to help tie people up. The flat squat room sat in the warehouse''s corner. Two large windows looked out over the warehouse floor, and Kaleb could see several desks and computers inside. As he stepped into the empty room, Kaleb was about to write it off when the door slammed shut behind him.
Spinning around as fast as he could, he put three rounds of energy into the door. The blast blackened the door slightly, and a low chuckle echoed through the room. Kaleb glanced around at the desk and computers. There was a door separating another room, but that one was closed. It didn¡¯t appear that anyone else was in the room with him.
A sharp blow slammed against Kaleb¡¯s cheek, followed by another howl of laughter. Kaleb swung his arm out but felt nothing but air. Another blow slammed into his back, sending him into a nearby desk. He stood just as he felt the air pressure from a punch pass by his head. He heard the hit slam into the desk and he kicked randomly in that direction he thought the blow came from. His foot connected with something, but not hard enough to do damage.
¡°Great. Invisible assholes now.¡±
¡°Whoops. You missed me.¡± A disembodied male voice echoed in the small office.
Kaleb grinned and brought up his wrist computer. ¡°Well, give me a minute.¡±
He saw several red dots coming from the lower floor, but one seemed to be closer to him than the others. Swinging his Sun Gun in the general direction of the dot, Kaleb fired a few shots. The first couple missed, but the third one found its mark. Yellow energy crackled over the torso of somebody and something slammed into a nearby filing cabinet. The voice grunted before whining petulantly.
¡°Not fair! Not fair!¡±
¡°Said the invisible man.¡± Kaleb quipped as he put his back to the office window and looked back down at his imager.
But before he could get another shot off, he felt the invisible bastard slam into him. A crushing force was pushing against his throat, holding him tightly to the window. Kaleb put his right hand on the invisible man¡¯s chest and tried to push him away. He felt his chest hairs as the invisible man¡¯s chest pushed forward and cackled into Kaleb¡¯s face. Kaleb tried to turn away, but he was still held firm. He reached down with his other arm, hoping for a belt so he could go for a hip toss. But all he felt was more skin as he reached around the invisible man¡¯s waist.
¡°Oh dear lord, he¡¯s naked.¡± Kaleb thought, terrified.
¡°Oooooooh,¡± the invisible demon cackled as he pushed Kaleb further into the office window. ¡°buy me dinner first, handsome.¡±
Kaleb could hear the window behind him crack as his vision swam. He reached lower with his left arm until he felt the man¡¯s testicles in his metal fingers.
¡°Naw,¡± Kaleb said as he squeezed. ¡°Let¡¯s get right to the action.¡±
He felt the pressure on his neck weaken and he put more pressure into his left hand. Slamming his right hand around the Invisible demon¡¯s throat, Kaleb lifted as best he could and spun. The window cracked further as the invisible body slammed into it. Without thinking, Kaleb raised his foot and slammed it into his opponent¡¯s chest, sending his invisible foe into the window again. But now, the window cracked, and the invisibility flickered briefly, revealing the frightened expression of a man as he fell backward from the office window.
A short scream and a loud thump later made Kaleb swear under his breath. Looking out the window, he saw the naked man lying flat on his stomach, face to the side, and blood trickling from his mouth. Kaleb groaned as Abby ran up to the man and looked back up at Kaleb.
¡°He alive?¡± Kaleb asked.
Abby checked the man¡¯s pulse and gently rolled him over. Kaleb could see her eyebrows raise at his nudity, but she ignored it as she turned back to Kaleb.
¡°Yeah, but I think he broke his jaw and he might have swallowed a tooth.¡±
Kaleb sighed in relief and asked. ¡°How are we doing?¡±
Abby glanced around. ¡°I think we are cleaning up right now. Claire took the brunt of the attack, but she¡¯s fine. Two Gun took a couple of bites from something and I got hit by a crossbow bolt, but we¡¯re all fine. Haven¡¯t seen Jar-lock since he gave me a stack of these, though.¡±
She held up a handful of Jar-lock¡¯s zip-ties. Kaleb grinned and let her get back to securing the naked guy on the warehouse floor as he searched the rest of the office. He found nothing of interest. In fact, it appeared the Demons hadn¡¯t even used the space. Kaleb started walking to the warehouse floor. On the walkway to the stairs, he saw Jar-lock¡¯s enormous frame squeezing around some boxes. Catching Kaleb¡¯s eye, the big mage waved him over and then gave a shout.
¡°Hey, if we¡¯re all done up here, I think I found something!¡±
Kaleb looked around the warehouse as he made his way down and toward his friends. The floor was littered with wooden slats from crates and moaning gang members. Most of whom looked to be secured with Jar-lock¡¯s zip-ties, but a few were frozen solid in blocks of ice. Probably the work of the mage, who was waving everyone over to where he stood next to several large wooden crates. Kaleb moved over to the large mage and waited for the others.
Two Gun, Claire and Abby, soon joined them. Two Gun had a few bite marks on his face, and Abby was bleeding from the shoulder, but they all appeared well otherwise. Claire was grinning like mad. She had obviously enjoyed the fight. When they all crowded around Jar-lock, the mage put a finger to his lips and squeezed back through the space between two crates, waving for the others to follow.
Kaleb shrugged his shoulders and squeezed in next. As he did, he ran a hand over the boxes on either side of him. They felt off; Like they weren¡¯t made of wood. They felt like they were made of metal and they didn¡¯t move when he pushed against them. When he was finally through, he came to a small area surrounded by boxes and a grinning Jar-lock look down into a trapdoor on the floor. A loud screeching noise brought Kaleb around to see Claire pushing her way through to them. He heard Jar-lock sigh.
¡°We were trying to be quiet.¡±
Claire snorted. ¡°Says the man who shouted through the warehouse a few seconds ago.¡±
Jar-lock just shrugged as the rest of their group made it into the small hidden space. Gesturing down, Jar-lock explained.
¡°I followed a few Demons who snuck away in the fighting. They went down here, but I wasn¡¯t going to follow without back-up.¡±
¡°Well, we are here now. Let¡¯s see what we can find.¡± Claire said, nearly hopping with energy.
The tall woman was already half-way down the hole while the others just smirked at each other. Two Gun gave a long-suffering sigh as he followed his wife. Kaleb followed with Abby and Jar-lock coming next. The trapdoor had a ladder that went straight down and ended in an old, well-lit brick tunnel. Once everyone was down and with only one direction to go, the group made their way further in. Claire nearly bouncing in the lead.
The short tunnel ended after about eighty feet, with a small doorway on the right-hand side. Claire peered in before whipping her head back a giving a small gag in revulsion. Two Gun rubbed his wife¡¯s back as Kaleb and Jar-lock moved up to look into the room. The smell of blood and shit assaulted Kaleb''s nose as he looked around. The room was something out of a horror movie.
A large blue hexagon was drawn onto the ground with a black star and a red moon draw within it. Candles were placed at all six points of the hexagon, and a bowl of what Kaleb assumed was blood was at the far end of the room. Kaleb felt a little queasy while in the room, and judging from the look on his face, so did Jar-lock. Although he wasn¡¯t sure where the feeling came from. It wasn¡¯t the smell, although that didn¡¯t help. It was almost like the room itself made him feel sick.
Jar-lock paced around the room as he studied the symbol on the floor. Abby walked into the room and looked around, followed by Claire and Two Gun, who both seemed content to stay near the door. Kaleb turned to Jar-lock, seeing the Mage sweating in discomfort.
¡°What is it?¡±
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°It looks like some kind of array. But I can¡¯t tell what it does. It¡¯s obviously powered by blood, though.¡±
Claire coughed as she continued to cover her nose. ¡°So we spill the blood and then get out of here.¡±
¡°Whoa! Wait a minute,¡± Abby interjected. ¡°What if this is a portal? We could follow them to wherever their base is.¡±
¡°And then be immediately killed.¡± Two Gun. ¡°We aren¡¯t equipped or ready to take on the entire gang and that¡¯s if that¡¯s where this goes. For all we know, this could lead us straight into another warehouse.¡±
¡°All the more reason to go,¡± Abby reasoned.
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°Not if they¡¯re waiting for us.¡±
¡°At the very least, we need to study this array.¡± Jar-lock said, rubbing his foot against the blue chalk of the hexagon.
The drawing stayed on the floor no matter how Jar-lock wiped at it. The mage even tried water magic, and it didn¡¯t come clean. Abby remained adamant that they should activate the portal and follow while the others disagreed. Eventually, they convinced Abby it was foolish to give chase through a portal if they didn¡¯t know where it lead. They were just about to spill the blood and see if that broke the array when it came to life.
A red circle hovered in the air above the symbol and opened wider. But once it was barely a hand-width apart, the portal stopped. They all watched as a green and grey sphere sailed through the portal and landed at Jar-lock¡¯s feet. The Mage was already moving for the door as he shouted.
¡°Grenade!¡±
Kaleb, Jar-lock, Abby and Two Gun were out the door and pressed into the door-side wall when they noticed Claire blocking the door with her body. Two Gun gave a cry as the grenade went off and the tunnel shook. Kaleb tried to maintain his balance as he watched Claire get blown out of the room and slam heavily into the opposite wall. She landed heavily on her butt in an upright position, armor and hair smoking a little. Her face blackened from the explosion.
¡°Ah damn it!¡± Two Gun swore as he ran to his wife.
Jar-lock joined them, already casting some kind of healing spell. Abby and Kaleb stayed out of the way and Kaleb ventured a look into the portal room. The portal was gone, as was the symbol on the floor, and the blood. Abby shook her head as she looked between the room and their still smoking friend. Claire¡¯s eyes were twitching slightly as her husband gently wiped away the soot and grime on her face.
Jar-lock maintained a hand over her as a yellow light shone across her body. Kaleb assumed Jar-lock had learned some healing from Vivienne and regretted never learning one himself. Soon Claire¡¯s eyes opened, and she coughed roughly. She gave a quick look around before she relaxed.
¡°Oh good, you¡¯re all okay.¡±
¡°WE¡¯RE all okay?!¡± Two Gun asked loudly. ¡°What the hell were you thinking?!¡±
Claire patted her husband¡¯s cheek and smiled. ¡°I was thinking ¡®I am the tank, I have the largest amount of HP and decent armor.¡¯ I figured I could take the hit and save you all a trip to the graveyard¡or whatever this game uses.¡±
¡°Deathville.¡± Kaleb answered automatically.
The others shot him all looks, but he just shook his head and let it drop. He looked over Claire¡¯s armor. The sheen had gone from the front of the armor and it looked pitted and burned in places. Kaleb wondered if the armor¡¯s energy dispersion ability remained, but he felt it crude to ask. Once Claire could stand again, they all made their way back to the warehouse.
¡°Well, now what?¡± Abby asked, sounding somewhat sour.
¡°Now,¡± Jar-lock started. ¡°We get back to the warehouse, wait for the police, then go back to the Hangar and fill out our reports. Everything by the book, remember?¡±
Abby scrunched up her face in disgust. ¡°I know. I just hate paperwork. Besides, what about the Demons?¡±
¡°They¡¯ll still be here in the morning.¡± Kaleb muttered as they made it to the ladder leading to the warehouse. Jar-lock went up first and waved for the others that the coast was clear.
¡°Plus, if we had gone after them, that would¡¯ve probably meant more paperwork.¡± Claire wheezed. She still sounded short of breath. ¡°I think I remember a form entitled ¡®apprehension of criminals via means of magical teleportation.¡¯ when we did our last bit of paperwork.¡±
Abby snorted out a laugh. ¡°You did not.¡±
¡°Could very well be true.¡± Kaleb said as he made his way up the ladder.
Halfway up, Kaleb heard shouting coming from the warehouse. Sighing loudly, he sped up his climb and arrived to see Jar-lock shuffling his way out of the hidden alcove of crates. Kaleb looked down to see Claire climbing up after him. Figuring the others were fine, he followed his Mage friend out into the warehouse proper and into the line of fire.
A group of police officers were lined up in riot gear, guns all aimed at Kaleb and Jar-lock. The bulky Mage had both his hands up and sighed as the police all shouted various orders at the pair of them. Kaleb followed suit and raised his hands as the cops approached slowly. They were almost within arm¡¯s reach when Claire stepped out from between the crates. That started up another round of incomprehensible orders, and Kaleb could see Jar-lock sigh again.
Kaleb was just getting annoyed when a human male in a police uniform stepped away from the group and shouted at everyone in the room to be quiet. Taking a glance at the man¡¯s name tag, Kaleb saw it read ¡®Caskelmore.¡¯ This was their so-called liaison with the local PD. Kaleb didn¡¯t think the man looked too happy as he glared over at their little group. Abby was just squeezing her way out of the crates when Caskelmore got everyone quiet.
¡°Oh great, it¡¯s you jokers again. What did I tell you about working in this area?¡±
Jar-lock snorted. ¡°And you remember what you were TOLD after you demanded we leave the area?¡±
Caskelmore got a dirty look on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t care what paperwork you have. Your lot is always trouble. We were doing fine without you.¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Abby cackled. ¡°kids snorting Demon Dust, Manthian boars running throughout the district, warehouses like this left to their own devices. I bet you lot didn¡¯t even know this was here.¡±
¡°And what exactly is this? Hmm? It looks to me like a group of Supes just attacked and injured a bunch of legitimate warehouse workers.¡±
Kaleb laughed this time. ¡°Really? Legitimate workers, in a defunct warehouse, using a generator not tied to the local power grid? Not to mention carrying all manner of weapons.¡±
Caskelmore glared at Kaleb before he blinked and took in all six feet of Kaleb¡¯s lizard body. ¡°You¡¯re new.¡±
¡°Old actually. Professor Pack Rat. Team Mechanic.¡± Kaleb gave an elaborate bow. ¡°And I must say, I am delighted to meet a walking clich¨¦ for the first time.¡±
¡°Walking clich¨¦?¡± Caskelmore asked, eyebrow twitching.
Kaleb doubled down on his snark and stepped toward the police officer. ¡°Yeah, you know. The whole ¡®you kids need to get out of my district. We were perfectly fine without you¡¯ yada yada.¡±
¡°Yada¡Yada?¡± Caskelmore asked again, face growing red.
¡°Yeah, the whole song and dance you do, to convince yourself that your district wasn¡¯t going to hell in a hand-basket. When we all know that you weren¡¯t getting any Hero Support from the HLO.¡±
Caskelmore grit his teeth audibly as he replied. ¡°We were perfectly fine without them.¡±
¡°No, you weren¡¯t Richard.¡± Jar-lock said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Kaleb¡¯s shoulder and pushing him back gently, trying to deescalate things. ¡°We have all seen the numbers. Your station is understaffed, underfunded, and even with the help of the retired Hunters, overworked. We are here to take some of that pressure off.¡±
Caskelmore took several large breaths and color flowed back into his face. He glared at a grinning Kaleb as he said. ¡°The chief agrees with you. So my hands are tied. Now, does one of you want to tell me why you attacked a warehouse?¡±
Kaleb was about to open his mouth again, but a stern look from Jar-lock made him keep his mouth shut. Jar-lock and Abby took Caskelmore through the entire night¡¯s events. From arrival to their discovery of the portal underground. Caskelmore sent his men to verify everything they said, even the placement of their car a few blocks over. When Caskelmore''s men found weapons and vials that Kaleb thought might be Demon Dust, Caskelmore became more serious. He even asked Jar-lock to describe the Magic array they had seen downstairs. Once he had, Caskelmore grit his teeth in anger again.
¡°Damn it! That¡¯s not the first one of those that¡¯s been found. But we can¡¯t verify what they are until an expert from the Wizard College comes down here and tells us what it is.¡±
Kaleb snorted. ¡°We just told you what it is. A portal to wherever the Demons are currently hanging out.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care what you say it is.¡± Caskelmore said angrily, glaring at Kaleb. ¡°Procedure dictates we get an expert down here to verify the array.¡±
¡°And while you¡¯re doing that, I am sure the Demons will sit back and wait for your slow assess to catch up.¡±
Caskelmore looked ready to explode, but Jar-lock cut him off. ¡°Professor! Enough! We work within their system, not around it. Okay!¡±
Kaleb put his hands up and walked away. Two Gun and Claire were seated on some nearby crates, nursing their wounds. So Kaleb joined them.
¡°Man, he really winds you up, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Two Gun chuckled.
Kaleb exhaled loudly. ¡°I have never been good with authority. Especially lazy authority.¡±
Claire shook her head, wincing slightly. ¡°That¡¯s not fair. He¡¯s not lazy. Just a bit of a stick in the mud and he loves his rules.¡±
¡°You see a problem, you fix the problem. None of this sign three forms in triplicate, so we can ask for permission, to see if we can get a meeting with the right guy, who might help us designate what the problem is.¡± Kaleb grumbled.
A laugh came from behind them. Turning, Kaleb saw Abby looking into several containers.
¡°I¡¯m with you. The guy¡¯s got a stick up his ass.¡± She said, digging through a crate until a nearby cop shouted at her to quit.
¡°That¡¯s the way the system works, folks. Slow, but powerful.¡± Two Gun said.
¡°Doesn¡¯t matter how powerful you are, if you miss the target ninety percent of the time.¡± Kaleb complained.
Any further conversation was cut off by Jar-lock arriving and waving for them to head out. Kaleb and Jar-lock shared a look, but each said nothing as they made their way out of the warehouse. They both knew they were going to have words over how things went with Caskelmore. But for now, they both wanted to just get home.
¡°Make sure you all get your paperwork in before the morning!¡± Caskelmore shouted.
Abby groaned loudly as Kaleb bit back a smartass reply. The group made their way to the car in silence, got in, and Abby drove them away. As they moved, Claire and Two Gun cuddled in the backseat and Kaleb rested his head against the window.
¡°So¡¡± Jar-lock started.
¡°Yeah?¡± Kaleb said nonchalantly.
¡°How the hell did the Demons get a teleport array?¡± Jar-lock asked.
¡°What?¡± Kaleb asked, confused.
Jar-lock turned in his seat to look at Kaleb. ¡°They are a bunch of low-rent thugs, in a small ass district, on the outskirts of Austin. How the hell do they get a powerful magical array like that?¡±
Kaleb sat back as he thought about it. Abby spoke up from the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Maybe they found it?¡±
Jar-lock sat forward again and rubbed his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Besides, even if they found a scroll or something. Would that tell them how to complete the rituals necessary to protect the array?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s your area, my man. But they are called THE DEMONS. Maybe one of their demon daddies gave it to them.¡±
Abby covered a laugh so as not to wake up Two Gun and Claire. Jar-lock snorted as he asked. ¡°Demon daddies?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. They obviously have backing, so maybe whoever is helping them gave them a few magical toys to play with.¡±
Jar-lock nodded. ¡°Food for thought.¡±
The car got quiet after that and they all sat in silence as they made their way back to their hangar. Kaleb set his forehead back against the window and thought about the night. It hadn¡¯t gone too badly minus Claire being blown up. But Jar-lock was right. Someone had helped the Demons set up a portal network. The only question they had to figure out was who.
Chapter 118 - Off To The Enchanted Forest
¡°1000 Credits?!¡± Kaleb groaned. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±
He currently had his Sun Gun disassembled on his workbench in front of him. Kaleb was replacing the wiring on his weapon the morning after the warehouse raid. After writing up their reports for the local Police Department, an overly tedious affair, they all called it a night. Kaleb woke up in his bare bones room and, after reminding himself to buy some heat lamps, he went to his workshop.
He wasn¡¯t too happy with his Sun Gun¡¯s performance. It had taken far too many shots to drop some Demons. After Daivor had woken up and the two bandied about ideas, they agreed that maybe rewiring the whole thing would help. They considered getting a more powerful power supply, but the Elentian crystal¡¯s weak output was also what gave the weapon its stun setting. Anything more powerful would defeat the purpose of the weapon.
Daivor had left to work on his own project while Kaleb set about his work. He was halfway done when Farrah showed up and went to her command center. Shortly thereafter, she mentioned the atrocious amount of credits the city was going to pay them for the raid. He finally looked up from his work and saw the bunny-woman giving him a pointed look.
¡°Are you really surprised?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We took out a fairly big drug warehouse, run by one of the biggest gangs in the area. I would like to think we would get more than a thousand credits apiece.¡±
Farrah sucked in air through her teeth in a grimace. ¡°Ooh no. It¡¯s not a piece. You all got a thousand credits for the whole shebang.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s mouth opened in shock. He couldn¡¯t even fathom how anyone could stay working with payouts that small. His jaw flapped ineffectually, as he couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. That wasn¡¯t true. The emotional part of his brain wanted to rage at the city government. But the more rational part of his brain made him realize these payouts had been going on for a while and no complaint he would have would change things.
¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± Farrah said, finally taking pity on him.
¡°That is less than someone on minimum wage makes in a month!¡±
¡°Which you made in a night. If you go out and do it again. You might get the same, or maybe more.¡± Farrah explained. ¡°Also, this is only the contract payment, not the city payment we will get for having a permit to work in this area. That¡¯s the bulk payment we will get at the start of the month.¡±
Kaleb nodded, finally accepting the ridiculous nature of their payments. Farrah continued.
¡°Y¡¯all also incurred a penalty for not informing the local PD about your raid. Although that was only around two hundred credits.¡±
Kaleb grumbled to himself as he turned back to his work. ¡°Fine. At least we have the Enchanted Forest today. Maybe we can make some money during this little test for the Hunters Association.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a Magical forest.¡± Farrah corrected, turning back to her various computer monitors.
¡°It¡¯s the same thing.¡± Kaleb said as he finished the wiring and put the weapon back together.
He slotted the yellow crystal back into its housing in the weapon¡¯s grip and put the loose wires in the spare space. Once done, he closed the grip and straightened the wires near the firing ring, and closed up the barrel. Kaleb gazed down at the silver rectangular gun. Its silver shine was scuffed and nicked in places, and the energy blast from the barrel had slightly warped the metal, but it wasn¡¯t much. He picked up the gun and gave its stats a look.
| Sun Gun Mk. 2 |
|
Damage: 10 ¨C 40
Stun chance: 55%
Upgrades: 1/1
Durability:35/35
Shots: 35/35
Grade: D+
|
| Description: A low grade energy weapon powered by the sun. It has two settings kill or stun. It recharges in thirty minutes while in direct sunlight. Takes hours while not in the sun. Can not charge in total darkness. The efficient wiring has increased the output of energy, making it slightly more dangerous. |
-
-
-
-
Not that great of an upgrade, but Kaleb figured any bit would help. He heard a loud yawn come from behind and turned to see a small black monster. It looked like a lumpy rabbit with two long, black ears sticking up from its head. Long, white, sharp teeth shone in the blackness just below its ears. Kaleb almost reached for his weapon when he heard Abby¡¯s voice.
¡°What? You¡¯ve never seen a woman in onesie pajamas? Where the hell¡¯s breakfast?¡±
Kaleb blinked and took in the entire outfit. It was a large black onesie with a hood that went from a pair of large furry feet and up to the sharp teeth and ears making up the hood. Abby had elected to stay in-game last night. She said she had a few days off work so she could live in-game for a while.
¡°What the fuck are you supposed to be?¡± Kaleb asked.
Abby raised the hood of her pajamas and glared at him with tired eyes. ¡°It¡¯s the humanoid Jackrabbit boss from Kingdoms of Ravivar. You never played?¡±
Kaleb just shook his head. Abby walked around for a bit before she seemed to remember the coffeemaker in the office and she shuffled off. Two Gun and Claire joined them shortly after, with Jar-lock and Vivienne logging in a few hours later. Their little group sat around discussing the upcoming trip into the magical forest before hunger got the best of them. Two Gun and Claire took everyone''s order and took off with Vivienne to grab everything.
Jar-lock went to the section of the hangar they were planning to use as the new library and sat down with a book. Abby was working out and Farrah still had her head buried in her monitors. Kaleb helped Daivor make a few spears and clubs for the Brute Clan in Under-town when Daivor reminded him about Shaggy.
¡°What about him?¡± Kaleb asked.
Daivor puffed a large cloud of smoke from his pipe as he stared up at Kaleb. ¡°You promised to get them some weapons for helping with the K-Tech job.¡±
Kaleb slapped his forehead. ¡°Damn it. Okay then, I guess I need to jump on that right now. We still have those K-Tech rifles, right?¡±
¡°Yeah, but given how difficult it was to modify their armor without breaking it, I wouldn¡¯t hold out too much hope for changes. Unless we use the new battery.¡±
¡°No. I like those guys, but let¡¯s be a little more careful with where we show off that battery,¡± Kaleb said, shaking his head.
Daivor nodded as he finished sharping a metal spearhead. ¡°Then we need to do something for them. They helped us out and may again in the future.¡±
¡°For sure. Especially with how we are going through the metal we got. I can rewire the K-Tech gun and maybe rework the barrel. Maybe a beam will have more penetrating power than those orbs it shoots.¡±
¡°Those orbs seemed to do fine against the Quinica.¡±
Kaleb nodded, remembering Shaggy cutting through the younger Quinica. ¡°True, but I told Vlad I would do something with it. Then maybe a hammer for Ren?¡±
Daivor blew another cloud of smoke and sat at the end of the workbench. ¡°That¡¯s going to take a lot of metal, boss. Not to mention a lot of shaping on the anvil.¡±
¡°I know, I know. If you can take the gun, I¡¯ll get to work on the hammer.¡±
Daivor nodded and swung himself up onto Kaleb¡¯s shoulder. The pair of them walked over to the pile of materials and boxes that were laid out next to the Mechanics Room. Daivor and Roy had done a lot of work cleaning up and organizing the area, but it still had the feel of a junkyard. They both dove into the various piles, with Daivor finding the gun first before Kaleb could find a sizable enough bit of metal for a hammerhead.
¡°We really need a proper forge, boss. Melting down metal takes us way too much time.¡±
¡°I agree, but unless we can build a large-scale forge ourselves, I don¡¯t see how we can get one.¡± Kaleb said, taking the metal over to his workbench and bringing up the workbench¡¯s interface.
¡°We can probably order one.¡± Shouted Farrah from her chair.
¡°Yeah? And how much is that going to cost us?¡± Kaleb shouted back, not looking forward to the answer.
¡°I don¡¯t know. But you lot have a good bit of money.¡± Farrah said.
¡°Run it by the duck.¡± Jar-lock added. He was seated in a large cushioned chair surrounded by books. ¡°If he gives the okay, we¡¯ll order whatever you two are talking about.¡±
¡°It¡¯s still kinda annoying that we can¡¯t understand the gnome.¡± Abby said as she did push-ups on their workout mat.
Kaleb shrugged and looked down at his Gnome friend working to take the K-Tech gun apart. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get around to dusting everybody, eventually. Then you can all bask in the glory of his wit.¡±
Daivor shot Kaleb the finger and kept working. Kaleb chuckled and turned to his own work. Digging through the workbench interface until he found what he was looking for. He planned on using the interface to auto-build a few molds he could pour the metal in to give himself a larger piece of metal to work with on the anvil. He could also use the same method to make a large metal staff to hold the head of the hammer. Daivor was right: they were going to go through a lot of metal today.
The next few hours were spent heating metal and pouring metal into the mold the workbench had built. Thankfully, Daivor had finished his own job relatively quickly, and the pair fell into a good work rhythm. Kaleb was hardly aware of the passage of time as he worked. Sometimes, he noticed the others moving around the hangar, but he stayed focused on melting metal. He had just finished pouring the metal into the mold for the hammer head when he heard Jar-lock speak up from behind him.
¡°Time to wrap it up, Professor. We got a test to take.¡±
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Kaleb groaned as he turned away from his work. The others looked all ready to go, although Abby had disappeared. But Kaleb remembered she wasn¡¯t coming with them today. He glanced around before he raised an eyebrow in question.
¡°She¡¯s out working.¡± Jar-lock said, point a finger over his shoulder at Farrah who was typing away at her keyboard and giving instructions through her headset.
Kaleb shrugged and looked down at the sizeable chunk of metal he was going to make into a hammer. He was planning on a large head, about twelve inches across and six inches thick. So the chunk of metal he had was bigger and looked like a large grey metal brick. He glanced at Daivor, who gave him an incredulous look.
¡°I know you can¡¯t work the metal.¡± Kaleb said, rolling his eyes. ¡°Just keep making weapons. If Roy comes in, maybe the two of you can brainstorm weapons. Also ask him if he can take a trip to one of the legitimate junkyards out here. We could always use more metal.¡±
¡°Where is the brat? Usually, he is out here at first light.¡± Daivor asked.
¡°It¡¯s his birthday, so I imagine he is celebrating with his family right now.¡± Kaleb grabbed his gear and joined his friends.
With a wave and a few goodbyes, their group all piled into Two Gun and Claire¡¯s car. Kaleb breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Two Gun take the driver¡¯s seat. Claire gave him the evil eye, but Kaleb just shrugged his shoulders. Jar-lock observed the exchange with curiosity, but remained silent as they left the airstrip and headed towards the meeting point with Inora and Carmine.
The pair of Hunters had said that there was a certain amount of ceremony having to do with inducting new members. Sure, there was the test of retrieving a fruit in the magical forest. But first you needed to meet the heads of the other Hunter groups. Which Kaleb knew meant meeting Julius again, which, if he was honest, he was kind of looking forward to. There was nothing like winding up an asshole, especially one who was an HLO lackey.
Their group rode in relative silence for the first few minutes. But eventually, Two Gun and Jar-lock started up a conversation about what they would find in the Magical Forest used by the Hunters. Two Gun said he was expecting more Goblins and other magical creatures. But Jar-lock was skeptical.
¡°They rarely leave the Fae realm. Even if they do it usually for one of their ¡®hunts.¡¯¡±
Two Gun shook his head, his wide-brimmed hat scrapping the car¡¯s ceiling. ¡°Come on, Jar. You don¡¯t think a few of them buggers haven¡¯t slipped into this fancy forest? Even if not the goblins, what about something else from this Fae realm?¡±
¡°I just don¡¯t see it. These are monster hunters. I just don¡¯t see them hunting anything other than magical beasts. Even given how beastly the goblins may act, they are still somewhat sentient.¡±
¡°Are they a playable race?¡± Kaleb asked, entering the conversation for the first time.
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°Naw, in-game lore says that after the discovery of more planes of existence, the world, and a few alien communities, tried to move across the realms. It did not go well. Even the goblins can¡¯t exist long in this realm. Something in the air slowly attacks their immune system. But if they are sufficiently powerful¡¡±
¡°Like a Demon or Ifrit?¡± Kaleb asked, nodding.
Jar-lock just smiled as he continued. ¡°Then they can stay longer. Really, I just think it¡¯s the devs revving up for expansions later on.¡±
Everyone else in the car nodded along, understandingly. MAO was already a big game, but none of them doubted the developers wouldn¡¯t be adding to the game later. Games were practically living, breathing worlds in their own right. With AI¡¯s carrying a large brunt of the weight for devs when it came to story writing and handing out quests, the game¡¯s programmers could work on other things.
Kaleb was excited to see where they would take things and was about to ask the group¡¯s thoughts when Two Gun slowed down the car. Looking out the window, Kaleb could see that they had arrived at the parking lot for Long Park. The park itself was obscured behind massive 40 foot high concrete walls that only barely blocked the forest¡¯s massive trees. Kaleb could see a large group of people crowded around the park¡¯s large gate.
Two Gun parked the car, and they all piled out. They all checked their weapons and armor before approaching the entrance. When they got close, Kaleb could see that the group outside the gate was composed mainly of hunters. He was sure he could see a few of the hunters that helped with the goblin horde. But some others appeared to be from two distinct Hunter groups. One group clearly favored forged steel and iron armor, while the other group wore mainly green-skinned animal hide of some kind.
Judging from the looks the green-clad hunters were giving them, Kaleb assumed they were with Julius'' group. None of them looked happy that Kaleb¡¯s small group was here. The other metal-clad group appeared more curious than outright hostile. Kaleb could hear raised voices as the large iron gate came into view.
¡°... and it breaks with all our traditions!¡± Kaleb heard a familiar voice shout.
¡°Oh! Now he cares about traditions?¡± A gruff male voice asked sarcastically.
Kaleb and his friends broke through the crowd and came upon a group of three people in a heated argument. Kaleb immediately identified Inora and Julius standing almost nose to nose. Both were red-faced with anger. They had obviously been screaming at each other for a while now. Standing next to the two was a gentleman in full plate armor, carrying his helmet in his left hand. The man appeared to be in his early sixties with long grey hair in a ponytail and a rather large mustache.
Kaleb guessed that the man was the one Inora had told them about, Silas. Judging my the man¡¯s annoyed expression, he was seconds away from smacking both of his compatriots.
¡°ENOUGH!¡± the armored man shouted. ¡°It matters not what we did in the old days. This is the here and now! Some of our groups are growing weaker, while more and more incursions are happening. Not just in our little town, but all across Austin.¡±
¡°Yes, Silas, which is why we should join with the HLO and share in the resources they can provide.¡± Julius stated, panting.
Inora¡¯s face grew even redder. ¡°SOME of us would rather die than be the dog of those slippery bureaucrats!¡±
Julius'' voice got quiet as he stared daggers at the small woman. ¡°That can be arranged.¡±
Silas¡¯ eyes grew wide, and Kaleb guessed another round of shouting was about to happen. So he threw oil on the fire¡
¡°Wow, Jules. I didn¡¯t know you were such a lady killer.¡±
Julius¡¯ head snapped around and he glared and Kaleb¡¯s group. ¡°You¡¡± He stomped closer. ¡°I should have known it was your little group of piss-ants that were begging a group of hunters to let them take the trials. Well, it¡¯s not happening! Not only are you not Hunters, but the time is not right. All new Hunters must undergo the trials during a FULL MOON! That has always been our way!¡±
Two Gun tipped his hat up with a finger stared at Julius while asking Kaleb, ¡°What¡¯s up his ass?¡±
Kaleb grinned. ¡°The HLO, if I understand it right,¡± next to Two Gun, Claire cracked her knuckles while Jar-lock folded his arms across his massive chest. Turning to his friend, Kaleb continued, ¡°Gentleman, Lady... Two Gun, allow me to introduce the HLO¡¯s local bitch-boy, Julius.¡±
Julius looked ready to attack as Kaleb finished his introduction and grinned back at the tall, lithe hunter. Silas, however, interrupted before he could.
¡°If you cared for tradition so much, you wouldn¡¯t have invited outsiders into Hunter business in the first place, Julius. But you did and now here we are.¡±
Julius turned back around to face the other Hunter leaders. ¡°We all know that was inevitable. I just bargained a better deal for us so that¡¡±
¡°STOP!¡± Silas shouted, pointing a finger at Julius. ¡°We have heard your arguments before and they rung hollow then and they ring hollow now. We shall allow this group to undertake the trial. At least two leaders of our fractured council agree to this deviation from tradition. Which was more than enough when our council was whole.¡±
¡°And it¡¯s more than enough now.¡± Inora added.
Julius scrunched his face up in obvious disgust. But suddenly he got a contemplative look on his face. ¡°Does that mean we are going to be treating this like a normal trial, then?¡±
Kaleb was pretty sure he didn¡¯t like Julius¡¯ tone. Meanwhile, Silas and Inora glanced between each other and grimaced.
¡°Yes.¡± Inora answered.
Silas tried to add something, but Julius whirled around and gestured to his troupe of hunters. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it convenient, then, that I brought along some young hunters needing to undergo the trial? As we all know, it is customary for us to send in our groups together.¡±
Julius shot Kaleb a smug grin before Silas spoke up. ¡°Yes, which is why I brought along some as well.¡±
He gestured toward his own group of iron-clad hunters. Julius¡¯ grin fell away, and he glared at the stoic Silas. Meanwhile, Jar-lock and Claire walked over to question Inora.
¡°Are we doing this as a group?¡± Claire asked.
¡°No one mentioned that. Will they be allowed to interfere with our trial?¡± Asked Jar-lock.
Inora held up a hand and gestured for Kaleb and his group to follower her. She lead their group over to her batch of hunters and explained in hushed tones.
¡°No. They are not technically allowed to interfere. The only obstacle during the trial is supposed to be the forest itself.¡±
Two Gun shook his head. ¡°Awful lot of qualifiers in those sentences there, Chief.¡±
Inora grimaced. ¡°Yes, well, there have been reports of some of Julius¡¯ group bothering ours during the last few trials. Silas seems to have expected this, though. His guys will probably help y''all out.¡±
¡°And there we have another qualifier. Probably?¡± Two Gun raised an eyebrow as Inora just shrugged.
Kaleb glanced around at Inora¡¯s hunters, seeing none of the kids that they had seen fighting the Manthian boar. ¡°What about your hunters? None of you are coming to help?¡±
Inora grimaced again and sucked in air through clenched teeth. ¡°We can¡¯t risk it. Our kids just aren¡¯t ready and with Julius this riled up, his is liable to do something stupid.¡±
¡°Which you have no problem with if it happens to us,¡± Kaleb snapped.
Inora glared back at him defiantly. ¡°No offense, but I don¡¯t know you. You claim you¡¯re out here to help, and sure, your friends have knocked out some local problems. But I¡¯m not putting our hunters into a trial they are not ready for just to protect you.¡±
Kaleb grimaced, but he understood. They had just met a few days ago and really; the hunters were doing them a favor. They didn¡¯t have to put up with a local group of heroes trying to muscle in on their turf. Sure, this deal was contingent on giving Inora¡¯s hunter¡¯s access to magic, but it was a mutually beneficial relationship.
Kaleb also wondered if this was the game¡¯s way of showing his reputation with certain groups. He had seen several notifications on getting increased rep with different factions within the city.
As he pondered his various reputation levels with the groups he had met in the city. He noticed that Silas and Julius had walked over to their respective groups and were handing something out to them. Upon closer inspection, they appeared to be handing badges to their hunter groups.
¡°What¡¯s up with that?¡± Kaleb asked as he pointed his chin at the badges.
Inora glanced over and grimaced again. ¡°Safety badges. They make sure we don¡¯t lose anyone in the forest. If any hunter gets too injured, they are teleported out of the park.¡±
¡°And ours would be¡?¡± Two Gun asked.
¡°Unfortunately, my group has never had access to them.¡± She said, looking forlornly at Silas and his group. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about what Silas had to agree to so that Julius would part with some.¡±
Jar-lock sighed loudly. ¡°So we are heading to enemy territory, with possibly hostile forces, along with friendly forces. Both of who have emergency teleport badges, so they probably won¡¯t be holding back. Did I miss anything?¡±
Before Inora could say anything, Two Gun grumped. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the forest is full of goblins, fairies, and other some such nonsense.¡±
Inora shot them a quizzical look as the enormous gates to the Magic Forest opened and the sight of a large and lush forest stood before them. ¡°There aren¡¯t any goblins or creatures of fae in the woods.¡±
¡°So, what will we be facing?¡± Claire asked as she watched Silas¡¯ and Julius¡¯ hunters run ahead through the large open gate and disappearing into the forest.
¡°The forest is full of magic, so it attracted large and enhanced creatures. Not unlike the animals you would see in the world today. Y¡¯know, just bigger. Although there have been reports recently of various portals dumping strange creatures into the woods.¡±
Kaleb pulled his Cybar pistol. ¡°You mean like the boar?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡± Inora said, giving him a forced smile.
¡°Well, that¡¯s brilliant.¡± Claire said, stepping forward and cracking her knuckles. Turning to the Kaleb and the others, she added. ¡°Gentlemen, shall we?¡±
Two Gun and Jar-lock grinned, obviously relishing the challenge. Kaleb himself felt the thrill of challenging something new in the game. After they had checked their weapons and armor, their group hurried into the Magical Forest. Excited at what they might find.
Chapter 119 - Heroes in The Woods
Kaleb and the others marveled at how different the park looked compared to suburban Austin. They had gone from a sparsely populated rural suburb into what was essentially a jungle. The trees towered over them, almost blocking out the sun entirely. The grass was brushing against their ankles as they walked. In the distance, they could hear the sounds of various animals chittering in the woods.
Kaleb was surprised at how densely packed the park appeared to be. There was no trail or path for them to follow, just an uneven trek between the trees. Kaleb thought he could see a slightly worn path in the grass where past hunters had walked. Also, he was pretty sure he saw the remains of various rusted metal weapons at the feet of a few trees, which was worrying but not surprising.
Their group walked in silence for a short while. Basking in the serene calm of the forest. Until the sounds of clanging weapons and shouting broke through the forest. Kaleb looked at his fellow party members before taking off into a quick jog toward the sound. However, once they got closer to the noise, it mysteriously stopped. Kaleb and his friends came to a halt and waited to see if the noises started up again.
¡°Anything?¡± Kaleb asked quietly.
The others simple shook their heads as they waited. But no other sound came. Two Gun drew his pistols and scanned ahead while Jar-lock was looking back the way they had come. Claire was standing closer to her husband and flexing her fingers. Kaleb let out a breath and realized how tense everyone was. Sure, the forest was beautiful, but they all seemed to realize on some level that the place was dangerous.
Letting out another breath, Kaleb asked. ¡°Do we try to circle away from the noise, or do we continue on from here?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think it matters. So long as we make it to our goal,¡± Claire said, eyes staring at the surrounding forest.
Jar-lock nodded as Two Gun put one of his pistols away. ¡°And that¡¯s the magic tree at the center of all this, right?¡±
¡°If I remember what Inora told us about this trial,¡± Kaleb nodded. ¡°We have to find the largest tree at the center of the park and take some fruit from its branches. Piece of cake.¡±
¡°No way in hell do you believe it¡¯ll be that easy.¡± Jar-lock said, as they all seemed to relax a little.
¡°Nope.¡±
Two Gun put his other weapon back in its holster and said. ¡°Well, let¡¯s¡¡±
SCREE
But he was cut off as a loud screech punctured the silence of the woods and a large black blur charged out of trees at Two Gun. Jar-lock conjured an icicle and threw it as Kaleb got a shot off with his Cybar. The icicle seemed to bounce off the fast moving creature while Kaleb¡¯s blast barely clipped the top of it. Just as Two Gun raised both of his guns and started firing, Claire¡¯s slim green arm shot out and struck the front of the thing. Her punch sent the creature careening into a nearby tree.
The creature remained immobile as Jar-lock and Kaleb approached. As they got closer, they found it was a bird. A very large raven, to be more precise. Kaleb glanced at Jar-lock and raised an eyebrow. The large mage returned the gesture as they examined the thing. Behind them Kaleb could hear Two Gun blow out a large puff of air before shouting.
¡°What the hell?!¡±
Claire turned and put a hand on Two Gun¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well, at least you got a few shots off, dear.¡±
Kaleb could hear the old cowboy¡¯s grin as Two Gun said. ¡°Sure I did, but that was only because of my mutation and even then the damn thing was faster than me.¡±
¡°What was it?¡± Claire asked.
¡°Bird.¡± Kaleb and Jar-lock answered at the same time.
Kaleb heard the grass rustle as Two Gun and Claire moved closer. Scooting over a little to give them a better view, Kaleb pointed at the large raven. It was a deep black with light-yellow legs, talons, and an almost comical orange beak. But the beak and head were twisted at an unnatural angle. A consequence of the things recent meeting with the tree.
¡°Lord, that¡¯s a gigantic bird.¡± Two Gun exclaimed.
¡°Damn fast too, apparently. It broke its own neck when it slammed into the tree.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°Do you think this forest promotes growth in its ecosystem?¡±
¡°No.¡± Jar-lock said. ¡°It¡¯s magical.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Look at it with your sight. The thing lights up like a Christmas tree.¡± Jar-lock said, pointing at the bird and standing.
Kaleb focused his magic into his eyes as he heard Claire say. ¡°Well, that makes sense. This is a Magic forest.¡±
Kaleb felt his magic settle in his eyes and he studied the bird. He had to turn his head, because Jar-lock was right. The damn thing lit up in a bright white light. As he looked around, he saw the same white light pulsating throughout the forest.
¡°Do you think everything in here is the size of a damn car?¡± Two Gun asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Jar-lock and Kaleb answered again. Kaleb was still busy examining their surroundings, crouched near the bird.
Jar-lock set a hand on Kaleb''s shoulder. ¡°We need to get going, so don¡¯t even think about trying to take the bird.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not that bad!¡± Kaleb said, letting the magic go from his eyes and standing up.
The others simply gave him unbelieving looks. Kaleb snorted and waved them ahead. As best he could tell, they were aimed north, so that was the direction they continued in. Kaleb gave the enormous bird one last look before he sighed and followed his friends. Now a little less awed by the majesty of the forest.
Kaleb could see both Claire and Two gun ahead of him watching the trees for signs of movement. Jar-lock kept his head moving, taking in everything he could as they moved deeper into the forest.
They traveled a surprising distance without incident before arriving at a large lake. As near as Kaleb could tell, the lake filled the center of the forest. Off in the distance, at the center of the lake, he could see a small island with an absolutely massive tree climbing into the sky. Kaleb shot a grin at his companions before he spoke.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s exactly where we need to go. Isn¡¯t it?¡±
The others simply nodded as they all moved down to the shore of the lake and glanced up and down the shoreline. Claire sighed loudly before turning to ask.
¡°We¡¯re not swimming across, are we?¡±
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°Given that the woods are full of giant creatures. I don¡¯t want to even think what could be in that lake.¡±
¡°Not to mention that would be a hell of a swim.¡± Two Gun added.
Kaleb was about to add his own opinion when the sound of rustling bushes caught his ear. Quickly drawing his pistol and turning, Kaleb saw three hunters charging out of the forest straight for his group with their weapons raised. He heard the others move as he rolled to the side and came out firing with his Cybar and Sun gun. Two Gun and Jar-lock also adjusted to the side, allowing Claire to swing her fists in wide arcs if she needed to.
This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Two of the hunters hung back as the third moved to intercept Claire. Kaleb¡¯s shots went wide as he came out of his roll and looked at their attackers. They were an eclectic group. They all appeared to be aliens of some kind, all different colors as well. One purple, one yellow, and an almost translucent grey.
The large purple alien collided with Claire and surprised Kaleb by tackling the larger woman to the ground. Kaleb and Two Gun aimed their weapons to help. But the yellow alien threw her arms at Kaleb, stretching them across the distance and grabbing his right hand and lab coat. Kaleb heard Two Gun start firing as the alien dragged Kaleb bodily across the beach. He struggled in the loose dirt and sand of the lake¡¯s shore as the alien grinned, showing a row of sharp teeth.
Realizing he still had his guns, Kaleb pointed his weapons and sent several bursts of blue and yellow energy toward the alien hunter. The blasts caught her in the chest and Kaleb could see some of the blast get absorbed into the armor before his attacker screamed in pain and released him. Kaleb¡¯s shot had set the alien woman¡¯s chest armor on fire and she was bent over screaming in pain and trying to put herself out. Charging forward, Kaleb aimed a kick at her head, but before he made contact, the scream cut out and he kicked nothing but air. Looking down, he saw bright yellow motes of magic dispersing where the Hunter had been.
¡°Watch out!¡± someone screamed to Kaleb¡¯s left.
Turning and raising his Cybar, Kaleb felt all the air leave his body as something collided with his chest and stomach. He went sprawling onto the ground with whatever hit him on top of his stomach. But as Kaleb looked down to push it off of him, he saw on unconscious Two Gun. He shifted the older man off of him as he looked to where Claire was fighting. He was just in time to see the large green woman grip her purple opponent¡¯s shoulder and jerk violently.
Kaleb could hear the loud pop as the hunter¡¯s shoulder was dislocated. But Claire wasn¡¯t finished. Keeping the screaming hunter standing with one hand, she raised her left leg and kicked into his right knee. Another loud snapping sound resounded through the forest as the purple alien hunter screamed in pain again. Seemingly finished, Claire lifted the hunter bodily off the ground and casually flung him into the lake before she rushed over to her husband.
Kaleb glanced around for Jar-lock as Claire checked on Two Gun. He found the mage standing ten feet away from the final alien hunter. The two were just staring at each other. Kaleb thought he could see sweat on Jar-lock¡¯s face. Sighing to himself, Kaleb aimed his Cybar pistol at the grey alien¡¯s chest and pulled the trigger. Again, a blast of blue energy flew from his pistol and slammed into the alien¡¯s chest armor. But this time, there was no screaming. The alien just stood there, staring into Jar-lock¡¯s face.
Kaleb was about to fire again when he noticed blood seeping out of the hunter¡¯s nose. Soon after, the alien collapsed to his knees and disappeared into grey motes of light. Kaleb shot his friend a curious look as Jar-lock sighed loudly and wiped a large hand down his face. Seeing Kaleb¡¯s questioning look, Jar-lock grinned.
¡°Psychic duel. First one I¡¯ve done in this game. Good thing I found those books on psychic defense.¡±
Kaleb shrugged his shoulders and turned to look back at Two Gun and Claire. The old gunslinger was standing again looking a little punch-drunk but otherwise ok. Claire was standing next to her husband, sending worried glances up and down his body.
¡°I told you, I¡¯m fine, Hun. The jackass just got to me quicker than I expected.¡± Two Gun said, patting his wife¡¯s back gently.
Claire gave him a sharp look before snorting. ¡°Enhanced reflexes and he got the jump on you? Seems unlikely, and the bird also was a little faster than you were.¡±
¡°Yeah, well, we haven¡¯t been fighting a lot. I don¡¯t have a lot of points to put into evolving my abilities.¡± Two Gun clarified.
Kaleb thought that sounded plausible. He certainly hadn¡¯t been out that much. But Claire snorted again.
¡°Bullshit! You¡¯re doing that dumbass thing again, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°What?¡± Jar-lock asked, having joined them.
Two Gun looked affronted. ¡°It¡¯s not stupid! It¡¯s a legitimate strategy!¡±
Claire turned to Jar-lock and Kaleb, shaking her head. ¡°He does this in almost every game we play. He saves his points until the last minute, just in case he needs a certain ability later on.¡±
¡°Oh, come on, dude!¡± Kaleb complained. ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±
Jar-lock, however, shook his head. ¡°No, he¡¯s right. It¡¯s a great strategy. What if you need to lock-pick your way through a door and you''re only a few points off?¡±
Claire pointed a slim green finger at the Mage. ¡°And what if you''re not fast enough to stop a purple alien with enhanced strength from tossing you like a sack of potatoes? All those points aren¡¯t gonna save you if you die and get sent to respawn. It certainly won¡¯t help us.¡±
¡°Yeah, gramps.¡± Kaleb added. ¡°Not a lot of baddies are gonna wait around while you play with your menus. Not to mention is that even how the Mutant evolution trees work?¡±
Two Gun shook his head. ¡°Not really. Mostly I have to push points into my Reflexes and my Sensory Synchronicity. One to be fast and the other to keep my mind working at the same speed as my body. Other than that, though, I can increase my general abilities. Enhanced agility, Enhanced recover, things like that.¡±
¡°Well, get to it. We don¡¯t have all day.¡± Claire snapped. But the grin on her face took the sting out of her words.
Two Gun just sighed before he got the far off look of someone looking at their menus. Kaleb glanced up and down along the shore before he holstered his gun. They appeared safe for now and none of them were injured too badly. Kaleb was about to offer to scout down the shoreline when a large blueish tentacle reached out of the lake and shot straight for them. Kaleb shouted a warning as three blue streaks slammed into the tip of the tentacle, burning it and making it retreat into the water.
Kaleb turned to see Two Gun grinning down at his new pistols. A proud-looking Claire standing just behind him. The white Ifrit bone barrel of his gun had a red tinge from firing so fast. But the redness dissipated quickly.
¡°Now enough with this ¡®saving points¡¯ nonsense. Let¡¯s find a way across this lake.¡±
Jar-lock nodded. ¡°Yeah, but let¡¯s go into the woods a little. No reason to let whatever hell that was try again.¡±
Kaleb and the others agreed and headed into the woods before they trekked around the lake. The majesty of the woods was now completely broken. None of them looked out into the woods with reverence or awe anymore. Now they all searched every corner for the next thing that might try to kill them. Kaleb watched Two Gun as the old man seemed to have gotten twitchy-er after putting points into his ability.
His movements weren¡¯t exactly jerky, but Kaleb could see the old gunslinger¡¯s eyes dancing back and forth across the woods. He even spun around a few times, taking in the entire forest as they all moved through the dense woods. Kaleb was watching Two Gun¡¯s fingers beat an erratic tune on his gun handle, so he almost missed the tree limbs up ahead of them shake.
Two Gun hadn¡¯t, however. Faster than Kaleb could see, Two Gun had both of his pistols trained on where the noise had come from. The rest of the group got into fighting positions, Claire moving up ahead of them and Jar-lock conjuring another large icicle. Kaleb drew his own pistol as a bundle of brown fur crawled down the tree and came to a stop fifteen feet away from them.
¡°Awwwwwww.¡± Jar-lock said, dismissing his spell and smiling.
Standing just over four feet tall, hunched over slightly, and with its large bushy tail shaking ever so slightly, the squirrel eyed them curiously. Kaleb silently agreed with Jar-lock. The thing was adorable. But given the number of things that had attacked them since they got into the woods, he felt it was better not to take any risks. Two Gun and Claire seemed to be of the same mind as they closed ranks around the squirrel, who just stared at them.
¡°Brave little sucker, isn¡¯t he?¡± Kaleb said.
¡°He¡¯s just curious.¡± Jar-lock said, still smiling at the giant squirrel. ¡°Hey, do we have any snacks we could give him?¡±
¡°This ain¡¯t a petting zoo, Lock. What makes you think he won¡¯t take your arm off?¡± Two Gun said.
Jar-lock snorted. ¡°Well, first off is that he hasn¡¯t attacked yet. Everything else tried to ambush us.¡± He waited for them to agree before he continued. ¡°And second, is that he¡¯s just so damn cute.¡±
Kaleb slapped his metal hand into his face. The sudden face-palm hurt him worse than intended, but he still felt it accurately portrayed his feelings. Claire and Two Gun just laughed as the Squirrel continued to sniff curiously at them. Kaleb looked around the trees to see if there were any more of the things, but all he saw were tree and leaves. Eventually, though, he spotted a large acorn tree. Smiling, he took aim and fired with his Cybar pistol.
For a moment after firing, Kaleb worried that the tree would catch fire, but somehow, the tree seemed to absorb part of the blast. Kaleb¡¯s eyes widened as the tree seemed perfectly fine after being shot. Thankfully, the acorn he had seen fell to the ground, and Kaleb hurried to collect. Kaleb held up his prize and turned back to his friend. They were all staring at him wide-eyed, and the squirrel was nowhere in sight.
¡°You scared it off.¡± Jar-lock said, sounding a little miffed.
Kaleb shrugged, embarrassed, before he set the large acorn down next to the squirrels tree. ¡°Ahem, well, we need to be hurrying, anyway. Who knows how many more of Julius¡¯ hunters are waiting for us up ahead?¡±
Kaleb quickly hurried into the woods, keeping an eye on the lake¡¯s shoreline to make sure he was headed the right way. Behind him, he heard the others chuckling before following behind him.
Chapter 120 - The Lake
Their group continued walking through the woods, monitoring the massive lake. They went mostly unbothered, with only a few large birds swooping down on them occasionally. But with Two Gun¡¯s newly enhanced reflexes, he managed to wound or scare them off before they became too much of a bother. Kaleb was even getting a little bored just walking through the forest and, from the looks on Claire''s and Jar-lock¡¯s faces, the others were feeling the same.
Not for the first time since they entered the forest, Kaleb thought he heard the clanging of weapon-on-weapon combat. He and the others had heard it several times before and assumed it was Silas¡¯ and Julius¡¯ teams fighting somewhere in the woods. Jar-lock had floated the idea of going to help, but Claire had argued that they were fighting to give them time to get the Driadarin. After a brief vote, they had continued on. But now, the sound was a lot closer than it had been.
¡°That¡¯s close by,¡± Jar-lock stated, echoing Kaleb¡¯s thoughts.
Claire sighed loudly. ¡°Should we go look?¡±
One of Two Gun¡¯s eyebrows climbed up as he gave his wife a bemused expression. ¡°I thought we were supposed to be going for the goal here?¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m bored!¡± Claire said, throwing her hands up. ¡°We¡¯ve been traipsing through this forest for hours!¡±
¡°It¡¯s been forty minutes.¡± Kaleb said, suppressing a chuckle.
¡°Whatever! I need to punch something!¡± Claire said, pointing a finger at Kaleb¡¯s reptilian snout.
Kaleb put both his hands up in a placating gesture and looked at his other companions. ¡°I don¡¯t disagree. Maybe we should give it a look.¡±
Two Gun and Jar-lock grinned but nodded as they all started jogging toward the noise. The various grunts and clanging of weapons grew louder as they rushed forward. Luckily, it seemed the noise was coming from ahead of them and slightly toward the lake. Kaleb grimaced as they got to the tree line near the bank of the lake.
¡°What madman would fight anywhere near the lake with that tentacle monster-thing?¡±
Jar-lock pointed along the bank. Ahead of them, several people were fighting on a pier jutting out into the lake.
¡°I¡¯m guessing those people.¡±
¡°They appear to be burning the boats!¡± Claire shouted as she sped forward.
Kaleb and the others followed their friend as a bright orange fire blazed over one of the small rowboats tied to the dock. The fighting was still raging on the small dock, and Kaleb thought he could see someone trying to set the other boats on fire.
¡°It looks like Julius¡¯ group is setting the boats on fire.¡± Two Gun said as he took a running pot shot at an enemy hunter. But his shot slammed into the guy¡¯s shoulder armor, creating a large scorch mark.
¡°And Silas¡¯ group is trying to defend them.¡± Jar-lock said as lobbed what appeared to be an ice grenade toward Julius lackeys.
The grenade went off and ice encapsulated the legs of two hunters. Which was unfortunate for the hunters, as Claire had just made it to the pier. She planted a running haymaker into one a hunter¡¯s stomach so hard his legs broke free of the ice and he went flying into the lake. She squared off against another one as their group slowed and began rapidly firing.
¡°Grab us a boat, Hun.¡± Two Gun shouted as Kaleb started firing his Cybar.
It didn¡¯t look like Silas¡¯ hunters needed too much help. But with Jar-lock, Kaleb, and Two Gun offering long range support, they made quick work of the remaining hunters. Claire was assaulted a few times as she tried to move a boat away from the scrum of hunters. But the large green alien would simply backhand the offender and keep moving. Kaleb saw more than one hunter dissipate into a motes lights after she hit them.
Pretty soon the pier was empty save for Silas¡¯ plate-mail clad hunters, Claire, and a few remaining motes of light from the emergency badge teleport. Kaleb and the others made it to the pier and cautiously waved at the remaining hunters. One hunter removed his helmet, revealing an alien Kaleb wasn¡¯t familiar with. This one had segmented insectoid eyes.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
The hunter raised his hand in greeting. ¡°Hail, Initiates. We have defended this pier from the machinations of our former brethren.¡±
Kaleb was brought up short by the alien¡¯s eyes, but his well-honed manners kicked in. ¡°Uhh, yeah. Thanks. Are you guys taking the other boat?¡±
The insectoid man grinned as he looked at his fellow hunters. ¡°Ha! Nay, Initiate. We have long passed our trials. We are merely here to make sure Julius¡¯ rogues do not impede your progress.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s helpful.¡± Two Gun said as he moved to help his wife with the rowboat.
¡°And risky.¡± Jar-lock added. ¡°You guys are just wasting those life-saving badges on us? Not to mention upsetting Julius. Doesn¡¯t he sell you those things?¡±
The insectoid man¡¯s human lips compressed into a tight line. ¡°No. Julius has never graced us with his badges and I am not at liberty to discuss where we acquire such items.¡±
Kaleb could see that Jar-lock wanted to ask more questions, but the hunter waved them toward the boat.
¡°Please board your vessel and continue on your quest. We shall defend this location until we can be assured that the last of Julius¡¯ brood has been dealt with.¡±
Kaleb grabbed his friend¡¯s shoulder and lead him toward the rowboat as he said. ¡°Sure thing, you lot take care. We''ll go get this magical fruit and become real hunters. Y¡¯all have fun now.¡±
¡°That was a good time to get some information.¡± Jar-lock said was the both got into the rowboat.
Kaleb threw his arms out as he tried to balance himself. ¡°Not the time, dude. Better to just get our magical thing and get out of these woods.¡±
Claire grabbed Kaleb¡¯s lab coat and jerked him down into a seat next to Two Gun. Kaleb grunted a thanks as she agreed with him.
¡°He¡¯s not wrong. Plus, how would you knowing where they got their little badges be helpful?¡± She picked up the boat¡¯s paddles and pushed off the pier.
Jar-lock took a seat at the front of the boat as they drifted toward the island in the middle of the lake. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s interesting though, and I was just wondering. Also, you never know what could open some quest lines or work for us down the road.¡±
Kaleb turned and gave his large friend an incredulous look. ¡°We are already working out of a defunct airstrip that needs work, with weapons that need upgrading, against magical creatures which randomly attack our district. And you want more?!¡±
Two Gun chuckled as Claire started rowing them across the lake toward their destination. ¡°Let us not forget the demonic gang, which also takes up residence in our new home area.¡±
Jar-lock threw his hands up. ¡°Fine. We have enough to keep us busy for a while. I¡¯m still not curtailing my natural curiosity.¡±
¡°Curiosity is good, dear.¡± Claire said. ¡°But let¡¯s deal with the devils we know first.¡±
Jar-lock agreed and Kaleb sat in silence as the others discussed the other forces arrayed against them in their new home. Kaleb looked out across the clear blue lake and wondered where the tentacle monster was at the current moment. He was waiting for some scripted event to occur where they would have to fight off the tentacle as they made their way across the lake. But with the advent of Advanced Game AIs, such scripted events were no longer the norm.
He could see that the others were also a little jittery. Although with Two Gun that could¡¯ve been his mutation. But they all seemed on edge, waiting for an attack. Jar-lock was going over what he and Abby had been investigating about the Demons while he scanned the lake. Two Gun was fidgeting and listening as Claire rowed them ever closer to the island. Kaleb was only half listening as he kept his pistol at the ready.
As they drew closer and closer to their goal, the island and the large tree at its center got bigger and bigger. The massive tree threw everything around it into shadow as its large branches and leaves spread over the small island and lake. Darkness crept over their small rowboat as they got closer. Kaleb was sure their lake monster friend was about to make a surprise visit. The others seemed to agree as they all grew deathly quiet and waited for the inevitable.
Their boat glided up onto the small island and, one by one, they carefully got out and watched the lake. The water seemed eerily still as Kaleb cast an eye over it. Jar-lock wrung his hands out, as if he had been preparing a spell that he didn¡¯t get to cast. Two Gun wiped his brow with his hat before he chuckled loudly.
¡°Hehe. Well, that wasn¡¯t so bad. Who says games have become predictable?¡±
Claire sucked in a harsh breath through her teeth as she swatted at her husband. ¡°Oh hush. Why did you say that? That¡¯s just asking for it.¡±
Two Gun waved his wife off dismissively as Jar-lock and Kaleb agreed.
¡°Yeah dude, that¡¯s a big ole death flag.¡± Jar-lock said, grinning.
¡°Yeah. That means that whatever shows up to kill us will go for you first.¡± Kaleb piled on.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s all just bull¡¡± Two Gun started to say, before a loud roar echoed from the center of the island.
Kaleb and the others laughed as the old cowboy swore.
¡°Sonofabitch! Now that¡¯s just not fair!¡±
Claire wrapped an arm around Two Gun. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, love. I¡¯ll help you deal with the consequences of your death flag.¡±
Kaleb and Jar-lock continued to laugh as the roar sounded across the island again. Kaleb felt oddly good about facing whatever the creature was. The forest, in general, hadn¡¯t been that difficult to traverse. Thanks, in no small part, to Silas¡¯ hunters clearing the way for them. But now, there was an obvious threat ahead which he felt they were more than ready to deal with.
Chapter 121 - Bears, Spiders, and… Mongooses?
¡°Well, shit¡¡± Kaleb thought as they stared up at the base of the utterly massive tree at the center of the island.
They were standing in a clearing in front of the tree, which had already seemed massive when they were across the lake. But now that they were at its base, ¡®massive¡¯ didn¡¯t seem to encapsulate just how big the tree was. Kaleb guessed it was at least a few buses across, but he couldn¡¯t even gauge how big around it went. He might have been distracted by the three massive animals protecting the tree.
¡°Yeah, you¡¯re fighting the bear Captain Death Flag.¡± Jar-lock muttered as they all stood stock still.
Kaleb just nodded in agreement as he stared at the largest of the three animals. The bear was easily twenty feet tall at the shoulder as it paced back and forth in front of the tree, staring at them. He tore his gaze away from the large brown menace to study the other two creatures.
¡°And the spider?¡± Kaleb asked.
He was kinda disappointed at the trope of a large black spider guarding the treasure in the dungeon. Sure, they were on an island and not deep in a moldy dungeon, but still it felt trite. The spider was crouched on the massive tree, staring down at them, ignoring the two other creatures entirely. Kaleb guessed that all three creatures were programmed to defend the tree. Although he wasn¡¯t sure how that worked in the game. Maybe the tree ensorcelled and empowered nearby creatures.
Jar-lock interrupted his thoughts. ¡°Oh, I got Charlotte. Which leaves you with the ferret.¡±
He conjured a fireball and stared daggers at the spider as Kaleb glanced at his target. The large tan-furred creature looked like a ferret, but Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure that¡¯s what it was. The coloration seemed wrong, but he was not an expert.
¡°I think it¡¯s a mongoose, dear.¡± Claire said. ¡°The ears are different and I¡¯ll be helping with the bear. It seems like the bigger threat.¡±
Kaleb shook his head and smirked. ¡°Sure. And that it helps your jinx-riddled husband is just a happy accident?¡±
Claire just stuck her tongue out at him before she cracked her knuckles and stared down at her target. The gigantic bear shifted its front feet, seeming antsy.
Two Gun checked both his pistols, more out of habit than needed. Kaleb¡¯s upgrade meant the old gunman didn¡¯t have to worry about ammo. After Two Gun looked over his equipment, he grinned up at the group.
¡°Y¡¯all can blame me all you want, but you know you¡¯re having fun.¡±
¡°Say that again after I¡¯ve had my ass handed to me by the giant mongoose-ferret thing.¡± Kaleb said as he checked his own weapons. Both his weapons were ready and his taser-egg launcher was primed.
He glanced up at the mongoose as it flitted back and forth between several trees. He was hoping the damn thing wasn¡¯t as fast as it seemed, but he had a feeling it was probably faster. The damn thing was over forty feet long and its teeth looked sharp as hell. But as he glanced at the bear and the spider, he couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat relieved. At least his target wasn¡¯t quite as intimidating as the other two. Overused or not, that spider looked downright terrifying.
¡°What are they waiting for?¡± Jar-lock asked.
¡°Unless I missed my guess, they look like they are guarding the tree.¡± Kaleb said.
Claire shuffled on her feet, eagerly, as she asked. ¡°So you think they won¡¯t attack until we go for the fruit?¡±
Kaleb nodded as Jar-lock asked another question. ¡°Does anyone see the fruit?¡±
Kaleb and the others quickly glanced up at the massive tree looking at its large highway-sized branches. Kaleb figured that with the size of the tree, the fruit would¡¯ve been huge as well. But it didn¡¯t look like any such fruit existed on the tree. As Kaleb searched the tree, he could half-see the others doing the same. After looking around for a few minutes, they all glanced at each other.
¡°Well, that¡¯s not good,¡± Kaleb said.
¡°You don¡¯t suppose we have to climb the damn thing, do you?¡± Two Gun asked as he spun his revolvers.
Jar-lock just shrugged. ¡°Or we have to defeat the tree¡¯s guards first.¡±
¡°Well, it is a game,¡± Claire said.
Kaleb sighed loudly. ¡°Well, nothing to it, but to do it.¡±
¡°Ready when you are.¡±
¡°Oh, this is going to be fun.¡±
¡°Watch your health and call-out if you need help.¡±
¡°Sure, sure,¡± Kaleb said. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±
Kaleb raised both his pistols and sent blue and yellow energy blasts toward the mongoose. The creature zipped between the trees before rapidly climbing the nearest one. Kaleb dashed into the woods surrounding the clearing, firing the odd shot at the beast. The mongoose jumped between branches as it tried to close the distance. Kaleb saw a few of his shots collide with the mongoose¡¯s flanks, leaving burnt fur and large angry red welts along its skin.
The creature let out a screeching scream as it tossed itself to the forest floor near Kaleb. He leapt away and rolled into a standing position, still firing away until his Cybar needed to vent again. Quickly venting his pistol, Kaleb aimed his Egg-launcher at the beast¡¯s side and fired. The plastic egg spun through the air before slamming into the mongoose¡¯s side and breaking. A tangle of wires sprung free of the egg and bounced off its singed fur.
¡°Damn it! It¡¯s too big.¡± Kaleb thought.
Kaleb brought his pistols back up as the mongoose darted forward and head-butted him in the chest. He felt the air leave his lungs as he was sent flailing backward. Grateful that he wasn¡¯t close enough to the nearby trees to bang against one, Kaleb sent more energy blast into the thing¡¯s furred body. The stench of burning fur was filling Kaleb¡¯s nostrils.
The mongoose gave another ear-piercing screech as it stood up on its hind legs. Kaleb had to cover his ears as the noise resounded through the forest. Trying to shake off the sonic attack, Kaleb missed the large paw lashing out and swatting him across his right side. Once again, Kaleb was sent flying a short distance away, landing roughly on his side and skidding across the dirt. Kaleb gave his HP a quick glance as he stood and tried to think.
HP: 101/147
¡°Ok, so the son of a bitch hits fast, but not hard. Got to slow it down.¡±
Kaleb sent a few more blasts at the mongoose before he ran deeper into the forest. Hoping the trees would slow the thing down. He could hear the thing running after him, kicking up dirt and rocks as it chased him. After a short distance, Kaleb dropped to a knee and continued firing as his pursuer continued to charge. Kaleb thought the thing was going to leap over him, but at the last second the Mongoose leapt up to a nearby tree, then bounced to another tree, then another, and another.
The creature was pinging between the trees so fast all Kaleb could see was a tan blur. Thinking quickly and knowing the creature was winding up for a big attack. Kaleb, still crouched, pulled a taser egg from his pocket and placed it on the ground near him. Tracking the creature with his pistol as best he could, Kaleb fired off a few more shots before the mongoose made its move.
The beast dashed down the side of the tree and appeared before Kaleb¡¯s eyes before he could blink. He watched as the beast threw itself backward into a rapid back-flip. Kaleb could only stare, wide-eyed, as the thing¡¯s tail lashed out, mid back-flip and slammed into his chest. This time he had enough forethought to exhale before he got sent tumbling end over end before he slammed into a nearby tree.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
HP: 43/147
Kaleb was, once again, reminding himself that he couldn¡¯t throw up in a video game as his eyes spun and his chest and back ached. Nearby, he heard the mongoose give another ear-splitting screech as an electric snap sounded out, and the air was suddenly filled with the smell of ozone. He momentarily thought about inventing some earbuds as he gazed at his annoyingly spry adversary.
His Taser Egg had worked like a charm. Ensnaring the mongoose¡¯s back legs and sending sharp jolts of electricity through its body. He quickly searched around for his weapons, as they had been dropped during his flight through the air. Kaleb found his Cybar first and began firing toward the beast as his eyes continued looking for his Sun Gun. The mongoose kept up its screeching as the blast of blue energy created more and more patches of burnt fur.
Kaleb spotted his Sun Gun a short way ahead of him and moved to pick it up. As he did, the mongoose finally kicked its back legs free of the entangling wires. Kaleb snapped up his pistol as the creature gave another screech before pausing. Kaleb curtailed his instinct to keep firing as the mongoose went eerily still and seemed to stare off into space.
After a few seconds, the mongoose seemed to come back to itself and Kaleb braced himself for another round of attacks. But the enormous beast just chittered at him before dashing off into the forest. Kaleb exhaled loudly before he walked back toward the clearing where they had initially met the gigantic creatures. As he walked, he reflected on the mongoose¡¯s strange behavior.
If he had to guess, he had hit on some kind of ¡®win state¡¯ where he had successfully convinced the thing that he was too much trouble to deal with. Luckily, before his HP had dropped any lower. He hoped the Driadarin would show up somewhere. He didn¡¯t look forward to hunting the giant mongoose if he was supposed to kill it. Although the others might help if they had finished their own targets.
As Kaleb got closer to the clearing, he heard the fighting still going strong. The loud sound of Two Gun¡¯s energy revolvers was going off ahead of him and he could hear Claire shouting as he broke through the treeline into the clearing. Two Gun was giving it both guns as his wife was going toe-to-toe with the large brown bear. The bear, for its part, was doing its best to swat the slender green woman out of his way. But the pair seemed easily matched and with Two Gun providing ranged support, Kaleb figured they would be done soon.
Kaleb noticed Jar-lock standing by a nearby tree, seemingly waiting for the fight to finish. Waving until the Mage looked his way, Kaleb shot his friend a questioning look. Jar-lock nodded at him before he walked over to Kaleb. Kaleb could see that the muscled mage hadn¡¯t gotten out of his fight with the spider unscathed. Jar-lock was limping and seemed to clutch an arm to his chest.
¡°Spider tag you?¡± Kaleb asked.
Jar-lock simply nodded as he looked Kaleb over. ¡°Yeah. It was smarter than I expected. It got in close when it realized I could burn it pretty well from outside its range. Still crushed the fucker, though.¡±
Kaleb raised an eyebrow. ¡°It didn¡¯t take off after freezing for a bit?¡±
¡°No¡.¡± Jar-lock said, looking perplexed. ¡°It seemed to freeze up for a few seconds. I was nursing the arm wound at the time, but once it snapped out of whatever it was, it went back to attacking me. Did the ferret-thing take off?¡±
Kaleb nodded as the loud roar of the bear sounded next to them. ¡°Should we help? I¡¯m low on HP, but I can still shoot.¡±
¡°Sure. Although I¡¯m a little low on MP, but I can throw the occasional ice spear or fireball.¡±
¡°You gonna be okay until we get back to the hangar?¡± Kaleb asked, looking at Jar-lock¡¯s hurt arm.
There was a large, open wound on the man¡¯s arm. Kaleb guessed the spider had raked a leg through Jar-lock¡¯s arm, doing a decent amount of damage. Jar-lock winced as they shifted to a better position. He kept the injured arm tucked into his body as he nodded.
¡°Yeah, Viv can see to this no problem. Well¡ if she¡¯s at the base. We really need to find another healer or at least some health potions or something. Relying on in-game healing may be good for skill growth, but it¡¯s going to get us killed in the long run.¡±
Kaleb sent a few pot shots of blue and yellow energy into the bear as he agreed. ¡°Yeah. Another thing for the pile. Although I will bet there¡¯s something in Under-town. Hell, there¡¯s probably something above ground. We haven¡¯t really explored downtown Austin much.¡±
¡°Ha!¡± Jar-lock laughed. ¡°You really don¡¯t look at the forums, do you?¡±
¡°Of course not! All forums are just full of nothing but spoilers and out of game knowledge that makes people want to game the system. I want to LIVE and experience this world as if I was native to it as much as possible. That¡¯s the whole point of Full-Body Immersive games.¡± Kaleb explained vehemently.
¡°Purist.¡± Jar-lock chuckled.
¡°Damn right!¡± Kaleb laughed back.
With their combined effort, and a devastating right hook from Claire, the bear soon froze. Getting that far off look the Mongoose had got on its face before it ran away. Kaleb was surprised everyone seemed to freeze at the same time, but he chalked it up to most gamers being used to standing still and letting in-game cut-scenes happen. Although he wasn¡¯t entirely sure that was what was happening.
After the bear seemed to shake itself free of whatever had hold of it, it glanced at them, gave another loud roar and lumbered off into the woods. Kaleb heard Jar-lock give an annoyed grunt as they all looked around.
¡°Oh sure, all of y¡¯all have your giant monsters run away, But I have to torch a giant spider to damn near cinders.¡± The large mage grumbled.
Kaleb just chuckled as Claire and Two Gun gave each other a once over. While Claire had taken the brunt of the damage, Two Gun looked like he had taken the odd swipe as well. He could see that Claire¡¯s new armor seemed to have taken the bear¡¯s enormous claws pretty well. The armor didn¡¯t even appear scuffed. After the pair had finished checking each other, they moved to Jar-lock and Kaleb.
¡°Have fun?¡± Kaleb asked, still grinning.
Two Gun wiped his brow and shook his head. ¡°I hate to say it, but yeah. Yeah, I did. That bear was a tough sum-bitch, though.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve told you, love,¡± Claire said. ¡°You need to stand further back. You took a lot of damage you wouldn¡¯t have needed to if you had just been out of range.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t have made a difference, sweetheart. That bear was trying to fight both of us. Damn thing would dart toward me whenever you got complacent. It even put you between me and it several times. The AI in this game is no joke.¡±
Jar-lock nodded. ¡°Yeah. Gone are the days of just standing next to your target and beating on it until it died while a tank gathered aggro.¡±
¡°Should we be looking for the magical fruit thing?¡± Kaleb asked as he gazed at the tree.
He was hoping something would happen now that the three monstrous creatures were now defeated. He really didn¡¯t want to chase down the mongoose and the bear. But as Kaleb glanced around the massive tree¡¯s base, he noticed nothing different. The small island they were on was quiet as he and the others gazed at the tree.
Jar-lock gave a sigh, moving toward the tree. ¡°I really hope we don¡¯t have to climb this thing.¡±
Kaleb and the others followed, joining Jar-lock at the base of the tree. Kaleb thought the tree looked ridiculously healthy, which was odd, giving the limited nutrients it probably had to work with. But he figured it was just magic or some other in-game logic reason. Hell, for all he knew, the tree¡¯s roots stretched deep into the ground and probably even into the city.
He put a hand on the trunk of the tree. The bark was rough under his hand, but the odder thing was the tree felt unnaturally warm to the touch. It also seemed to get hotter. Kaleb went to take his hand off the tree, but found that he couldn''t. Some force was keeping his hand glued to the tree and no matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t yank it free.
¡°Uh, guys¡¡± Kaleb said, glancing back at his friends.
They were all giving him bemused expressions with Two Gun look downright giddy. Kaleb could only guess at the ribbing that was coming from the old cowboy.
¡°Gee, Professor. I would¡¯ve thought you would know not to just go around touching things.¡± Two Gun said.
¡°Oh ha ha, old-timer. How were we going to climb it without touching it? Anyone have anything useful to say.¡±
Jar-lock had moved over and was trying to help remove Kaleb¡¯s hand from the tree. The larger man had hold of Kaleb¡¯s wrist and was pulling as hard as he could, to no avail. Kaleb still felt the tree under his palm grower warmer and warmer. It was growing unbearable as Claire walked up and grabbed Kaleb by the shoulder.
¡°Okay, let¡¯s wait a sec... urk!¡± Kaleb grunted as Claire gave his shoulder a mighty tug.
He felt like his shoulder was being pulled from its socket. Claire, unperturbed, switched her grip to around Kaleb¡¯s waist and lifted him bodily from the ground and pulled. But it was to no effect, other than to make Kaleb swear and curse until she put him back down.
¡°Sorry, dear, but it looks like you live here now.¡± Claire said with a soft chuckle.
¡°Or until this thing finishes doing whatever it¡¯s doing.¡± Jar-lock.
¡°What the hell do you think it¡¯s doing?¡± Kaleb asked.
Jar-lock shrugged. ¡°No idea.¡±
Kaleb grumbled as he stood there, feeling the tree grow hotter and hotter until he was sure his hand was going to burst into flames. But as hot as his hand got, he never felt any pain. Which he found odd. Even with the pain suppression of the game, he would still feel something. But once it got to scorching levels, the heat seemed to be done.
¡°Okay, now nothing¡¯s happening.¡± Kaleb said, glancing at the others.
Jar-lock and Claire were watching nearby, both curiously look at Kaleb¡¯s hand. But Two Gun was looking at the tree with a contemplative look on his face. Kaleb was about to ask what the old man was thinking about when the cowboy reached out and placed his own hand on the tree.
¡°What the hell! Don¡¯t¡¡± Kaleb began before realizing the heat in his hand dissipating as Two Gun¡¯s hand touched the tree.
¡°Whoa!¡±
¡°Oh, love, you idiot.¡±
Kaleb glanced at the other two as Two Gun just shrugged at his wife¡¯s admonishment.
¡°I think he has the right of it. The tree is doing something, and it changed as soon as he touched it. I think we all have to touch the tree.¡± Kaleb explained.
¡°Uhhh, yeah. That¡¯s what I figured.¡± Two Gun said unconvincingly.
The others just stared at the old cowboy before he coughed and looked away. Claire moved to place her own hand on the tree, but Jar-lock looked hesitant. Kaleb could understand that, but he also knew that if they just sat around waiting, nothing would happen. So he jerked his head at the tree and said.
¡°Come on, Lock. We don¡¯t want to be here if the mongoose or bear comes back.¡±
Jar-lock shook his head while moving closer. ¡°Sure, and if they do, we want to be magically glued to a tree.¡±
¡°Come on!¡± Two Gun said. Giving his free hand a waggle. ¡°All the cool kids are doing it.¡±
Jar-lock gave a long sigh before he place his own hand on the tree next to Claire¡¯s.
Kaleb started to worry when nothing happened for a moment, but then his palm stopped feeling hot and he saw a bright white light. Kaleb heard his friends cry out in surprise before suddenly cutting off. He felt himself being dragged forward as the white light fully engulfed his vision before things went completely black.
Chapter 122 - Magical Beings Are Weird
As Kaleb stared into the darkness, he momentarily thought about logging out and then back in. He seemed to be stuck in a dark void of nothingness. But after a few more seconds the void receded until he was standing, alone, in a white room. The floors, the walls, the ceilings, even the lone table and chairs in the room were all a bright white color.
Kaleb scanned the room, looking for an exit, but he found none. Other than the table and two chairs, the room was pretty sparse. Cautiously, Kaleb moved over to the table and searched around, hoping to find something written on it. But once he moved closer, the chair on his side of the table moved. It slid back as if asking him to take a seat.
With no other options and not really getting a dangerous vibe from the room, Kaleb sat. As soon as he did, the air across from him twisted and a humanoid-shaped being appeared out of thin air. Kaleb jolted for a second before calming down. Whoever this being was, if they had wanted to attack him, they probably could¡¯ve already done so.
He studied the being across from him as the being seemed to study him. The humanoid figure across from him was clearly some kind of Tree-person. Their skin was made of bark and they had no gender-defining characteristics of any kind. They didn¡¯t even have a face, just two arms, two legs, and a thick neck, all ending in a batch of twisted roots. Soon, the roots attached to the neck began to twist and smooth themselves out.
The roots congealed and transformed until Kaleb was staring at a wooden version of a slim human face. At least it looked human, or maybe Elven. Kaleb could see pointed ears. It certainly had the beauty most games ascribed to elves. Kaleb was about to say hello when the being, probably a manifestation of the magic tree they had been touching if Kaleb guessed right, spoke. Its voice was soft and ethereal, but also powerful.
¡°You, who have bested my guardians, what do you wish of me?¡±
Kaleb straightened up once the being confirmed it was the massive magical tree. Putting a smile on his face, he asked.
¡°We have come for the Driadarin.¡±
The being¡¯s face contorted into a questioning look. ¡°Odd. I asked your fellows this same question and all of you speak for the whole. Do you not wish for anything for yourselves?¡±
Kaleb blinked before hesitatingly speaking. ¡°Uhhhh, I wasn¡¯t aware we got to choose other gifts. We were just told to retrieve the Driadarin.¡±
The avatar of the tree grinned. ¡°You undergo the Hunter¡¯s Trial? Yet none of you are hunters. You certainly don¡¯t fight, smell, or even look like hunters. Though I admit my interactions with the two-legged have been limited.¡±
Kaleb grinned back. ¡°Yeah, I imagine being stuck on this tiny island in the middle of a magical park doesn¡¯t make for a lot of visitors.¡±
The being¡¯s smile went away as it stared back at Kaleb. Kaleb felt his skin crawl as an unseen force washed over him.
¡°It is not because of a lack of ability. It is simply because I do not deign to ingratiate myself with the local populace. Indeed, my roots spread throughout this so-called city. I see much through them. Your ¡®Heroes,¡¯ your ¡®Villains,¡¯ and the populace that praises and fears them both.¡±
Kaleb gulped as the unseen force eased off him. ¡°Ahh, yes. Well, we just need the Driadarin for our trial. While we aren¡¯t exactly hunters, we need them so that the local hunters allow us to work in the area as Heroes.¡±
¡°Interesting,¡± the being said, tilting its wooden head. ¡°So your mandate is also outside the beings of fae and other creatures that intrude upon your world?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I guess. I mean, we also deal with criminals.¡±
¡°That is good. Then I have a request for you. My other selves are making the same offer to your compatriots as we speak.¡±
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Kaleb raised an eyebrow as he stared across the table at what was probably an incredibly powerful being. ¡°What could we do for you?¡±
The being seemed to pick up on his incredulity. ¡°I may be powerful, but something blocks me from interfering. Someone or something has tapped into one of my roots and is trying to siphon off pieces of my power. I have isolated the root system and they are only receiving bits and pieces. However, they deign to take what is mine. So they must be punished!¡±
Kaleb felt that wave of power wash over him again. This time it was so oppressive Kaleb couldn¡¯t breathe. Whatever was going on had pissed the being off, and it barely had a handle on its rage. Kaleb didn¡¯t want to think about what this being would do to someone who had pissed it off.
¡°Ahem,¡± Kaleb coughed, trying to find his voice in the tumult of power washing over him. ¡°So we just find this individual and make them stop?¡±
The being seemed to get a handle on its anger and roped in its rampaging power. Its dead wooden eyes glanced over Kaleb¡¯s body as it shook its head.
¡°Oh no, all I request is that you remove the blockage. Something they have done limits me from seeing or even doing much near the root systems. Once the blockage is gone, I shall take care of them.¡±
¡°Uhhhh, I don¡¯t know how the city would respond if you went around ¡®taking care¡¯ of people.¡±
¡°Oh, it will be quite alright,¡± the being smiled. ¡°I have an understanding with the local governance. They leave me alone and I act as a tourist attraction and training ground in equal measure. Of course, when the populace intrudes upon my being, then I have free rein to deal with them as I see fit. It really has been a lucrative agreement, and I have only had to deal with such problems a few thousand times since my abduction from the Fae realms. But now I tire of this conversation. Do you agree?¡±
Kaleb rubbed the back of his neck and thought about the others. Sure, they had already said they had enough to do. But this entity seemed like one that would hold a grudge if he said no. Also, he was pretty sure at least Jar-lock would say yes. Probably Claire and Two Gun too. It was almost gamer law to accept every quest that came your way, even the impossible ones. Those were the best kind, anyway.
¡°Sure thing. If the others disagree, I will at least try to. I could probably find some people to help.¡± Kaleb said, grinning.
The being nodded imperiously. ¡°Good. Then I give you 200 years to see my request to completion. After that, I will take action myself. You and your friends are free to leave my domain with your prize as proof of our agreement.¡±
Kaleb nodded and went to stand, but as he did, a bright flash of light penetrated his eyes. As Kaleb blinked away the spots, he found himself in front of the massive gate they had used to enter the forest in the first place. Jar-lock and the others were nearby, also rubbing their eyes. Two Gun was cursing up a storm about rude tree people while Claire was trying to shut him up.
¡°Damn wooden bastard could¡¯ve at least warned a man! I¡¯m damn near blind!¡±
Claire tried and failed to keep herself from laughing at her husband.
¡°Yes, dear. They were quite rude, however, we should probably abstain from bad-mouthing them until we are outside of their forest.¡±
Kaleb nodded, still rapidly blinking his eyes. ¡°Although that probably wouldn¡¯t matter if I understood them right.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Jar-lock said from nearby. ¡°It sounded like their root system went all throughout Austin.¡±
Two Gun was still cursing up a storm as Kaleb¡¯s vision came back. He pondered on the entity and what they knew of them when a thought crossed his mind.
¡°I wonder how that being¡¯s root system deals with Under-town. It¡¯s a massive underground city, but every time I¡¯ve been down there, I haven¡¯t seen any roots.¡±
Jar-lock finished blinking his eyes and looked toward Kaleb. ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet that entity has kept his roots away from the town on purpose.¡±
Kaleb nodded as Claire asked. ¡°So, did anyone ask where we are supposed to find this person or thing messing with the giant magical tree¡¯s roots?¡±
Kaleb slapped himself in the face as he saw Two Gun look chagrined. Apparently, both of them hadn¡¯t thought to ask. Kaleb shot a hopeful look at Jar-lock. The large mage was looking at all of them before he sighed and explained.
¡°Yeah. I asked. It is apparently happening somewhere out in Windsor Park.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he gestured toward the exit. ¡°Well, let¡¯s finish up and get out of here.¡±
¡°Where¡¯s the magic fruit thing?¡± Two Gun asked as he checked his pockets and looked around.
Kaleb also checked his person, but he came up empty. After a quick search around where they landed, they found the small fruit. It was a small spiky gold oblong. Two Gun and Claire said it looked like a golden Durian, but Kaleb had never seen one, so he had to take their word for it. After gathering up their prizes, the four of them made their way out of the magical forest.
Chapter 123 - Business As Usual
Kaleb yawned and stretched as he awoke in his cement room. Once again, he was freezing. He really wanted to get some heat lamps down here, but the money was still tight and he didn¡¯t want to go back home for the ones that came equipped in his starter house. He licked his dry lips and settled into his lizard body again.
Not for the first time, he wondered if he should log out, at the very least, so as not to get to used to his in-game body. Sleeping in-game was always a crap-shoot, especially when playing a race that wasn¡¯t the standard human. Players risked getting too used to their in-game bodies and having to relearn several things whenever they logged out. But Kaleb¡¯s body wasn¡¯t too far removed from his original. Except for being a giant alien lizard, that is.
He took in his grey cement room. He had really gone for a minimalist approach when they had been designing rooms and he was kinda regretting it now. Four walls, a bed, a desk, and a separate room for a shower are all he purchased. He momentarily played with the idea of going shopping for other amenities for his room, but quickly discounted it. Blearily, he wandered to his shower and quickly performed his morning ablutions.
¡°Coffee Machine. That¡¯s what I need down here. So no one else can drink my damn coffee.¡± Kaleb thought as he staggered from his room and up the stairs into the hangar.
A cacophony of noise assaulted his ears as he continued blearily across the large aircraft hangar. He thought he heard voices calling him, but his eyes were dead set on the hangar office and the coffee machine within. A large multicolored blob got in his way, but a quick side-step and a readjustment, and he was back on track. He was halfway across the hangar when Farrah¡¯s voice rang in his ears, as clear as a bell.
¡°We¡¯re out of coffee. Abby went to go get more yesterday, but she ran into a couple of demons.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s head snapped up, and he twisted toward the voice, pure venom on the tip of his tongue. As he spun toward the voice, he found himself nose to nose with his Super-Groups resident control operator. She was staring daggers back at him, daring him to say something snarky. Deciding it wasn¡¯t worth it, he smacked his lips and turned toward his workshop. He kept his car keys on the desk just in case someone needed to get somewhere in an emergency. Like right now.
¡°Roy took your car to the dump to wrangle you some more scrap metal.¡±
¡°ARGH!¡± Kaleb screamed incoherently.
He stood on the spot grumbling out loud and trying to guess how far the nearest store was on foot. Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice inserted itself into his grumblings. One that was only vaguely familiar.
¡°Uh, one of us can go pick some up, sir,¡± said a youthful male voice.
Kaleb shook himself again. Trying to throw off his body¡¯s natural lethargy. His hand went to his side as he spun his eyes toward the voice. But his weapons were also on the desk in his workshop. He had dropped them off after their return from the magic forest.
They had returned triumphant. A fact that made Julius fairly angry. Kaleb could still remember the sourpuss¡¯s face from yesterday. Later, they had a lengthy discussion with Inora and Carmine about sharing the district. They even made some progress in convincing Silas to meet with them. At least Inora thought she could convince the older hunter. There was something else too, another caveat Inora and Carmine had thrown into the mix. But Kaleb couldn¡¯t recall what it was.
¡°Uh, sir?¡±
Kaleb slapped the side of his face. Trying to get his head back to the present. As he looked up, he saw a familiar-looking blonde-headed boy. One who was wearing monster hide armor and had a small shield strapped to his left arm. Kaleb tried to blink himself into remembering where he had seen the boy before. Movement made Kaleb realize the boy wasn¡¯t alone. Ten other similarly dressed teens were standing around, all staring at him.
¡°Uhhhhh¡¡± Kaleb said, intelligently.
¡°We were told to be here first thing in the morning, sir. To help around your base and deal with low-level monster invasions.¡±
Kaleb nodded blankly as Farrah shook her head nearby.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t take offense, Victor. Basilinoids, like a lot of lizard-type aliens, are slow to start in the morning. Especially if, like our dear Professor, they don¡¯t sleep with their heat lamps and don¡¯t get their daily dose of caffeine.¡±
Kaleb felt his nose twitch at the mention of caffeine and nodded empathically with Farrah¡¯s description. The young hunter, Victor, nodded understandingly, before he turned to another of his group and asked them to make a coffee and food run.
¡°Hrmp!¡± Kaleb grunted incoherently.
The group of young hunters and Farrah looked questioningly at Kaleb as he turned toward his Workshop and held up a finger, motioning for them to wait. After finding what he wanted in a drawer in his makeshift workshop, Kaleb returned and held out his hand to the hunter who was making the food run. When the young man held out his palm, Kaleb dropped a credit chit into his palm and said.
¡°Lots.¡±
Farrah shook her head as she smacked Kaleb in the shoulder with an open palm. ¡°They are supposed to be helping around the hangar and guarding the front gate. Not making coffee runs for you.¡±
Kaleb just gazed at her from under half-lidded eyes, still trying to shake his lethargy. He snorted at the rabbit-woman before turning back to his workshop. Maybe working on something would help kick-start his brain. But before he had taken three steps, Victor¡¯s voice spoke up again.
¡°Is there anything we can help with? It would be kind of boring if we just stood around and took turns watching that gate at the end of the runway.¡±
Kaleb spun around. He really did not know how to make use of the group of young hunters. Not counting the one that had just left to the other nine hunters were just looking around the hangar. Looking like a bunch of heavily armed high-school students. Thinking that, Kaleb thought about Roy. The young Nova had been pretty helpful in his workshop. But he couldn¡¯t have nine kids running around his small workshop.
Concentrating to get the words out, Kaleb said. ¡°Any... of¡. you¡. work?¡±
He gestured behind him in order to help them understand his meaning, but a few still looked a little confused. Farrah, on the other hand, looked incredulous. She stomped her foot on the ground and crossed her arms.
¡°Really?! Professor? Is that all you can think about? We have still had some debris to move from downstairs, or they could go out into our area and ask some questions about the demons.¡±
Victor looked like he wanted to say something, but Farrah cut him off. ¡°I know. You are not supposed to help with non-monsters, but you could still do some recon for us. Hell, they could even just go around their neighborhoods and inform the populace that we are in business. We have a few drones up and running, but having the populace of our work area reporting crimes straight to us would be a big help.¡±
Kaleb threw up his hands. ¡°Not¡management. You¡handle.¡±
He turned back to his workshop, but he heard Farrah give an exasperated sigh. ¡°Fine! But I¡¯m asking the duck for a raise if I am going to be managing the Super-Group¡¯s employees!¡±
Kaleb just waved a hand over his shoulder as he made his way into the three-walled area where his workshop¡¯s bench sat. Daivor¡¯s Gnome Home sat in the corner, chimney smoking away, and Kaleb could see that the light was on in the small house. He assumed Daivor was still asleep or working through breakfast.
He walked over toward his anvil and looked at the hammer he had been working on before venturing into the enchanted forest. The large sledgehammer-style hammer head sat atop the anvil. He had used the Ifrit bone alloy they had developed. The bone shavings strengthened the metal overall, and he was thinking about creating a two-foot metal handle made of the same stuff.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
He set about melting some metal and was getting ready to shave down some leftover Ifrit bone when he heard Daivor behind him.
¡°Who¡¯re the kids?¡±
Kaleb looked questioningly at his Gnome friend, who stood in the doorway of his house eating eggs from a large stone plate. As he did, he noticed two more people in his workshop, a boy and a girl. The boy was wearing the typical monster-hide armor of the hunters. Green and teal breastplate, brown greaves, and a pair of pauldrons in a deep red color. The girl, however, was dressed in a more metal-type cuirass, with a pair of goblin-green monster-hide greaves. The young girl was staring at his small melting furnace, aghast.
¡°You are not seriously making your equipment with the metal from this thing, are you?! I wasn¡¯t even aware people still used these things. I mean, my father uses an old brick forge, but even he uses an alien power source to heat it. This is beyond old-school.¡±
The girl spoke in rapid burst-fire phrases as Kaleb winced. He was still nowhere near awake enough for this girl. The young boy next to her looked at Kaleb apologetically before he stood forward and introduced them both.
¡°Uh, good evening, sir. I¡¯m Terrance and this is Marie. You asked about people who could work. Well, we are both apprentices at her father''s tannery and smithy. We aren¡¯t too familiar with anything scientific, but we are used to working with our hands.¡±
¡°Although usually in more updated conditions.¡± Mary muttered.
Terrance turned and shot Marie a heated glance, which started a lengthy, whispered conversation between the two. Kaleb rubbed his eyes as Daivor chortled around his eggs. Kaleb knew his workshop needed an upgrade, but it had served him well so far. So he hadn¡¯t made it a priority. But now¡
He turned and gazed at Marie. The young girl was whispering snappishly at Terrance while casting a wary eye over the workshop. Without the HLO, the game was all about connections. In fact, they, as a group, had received a notification informing them that their status with the Blue Bluff Hunters had increased to Friendly when they had completed the Trial. Kaleb wondered if he could get some other benefits from their newfound friends.
He walked over to the two teens and coughed, bringing their attention back to him. Terrance looked ready to apologies again, but before he could Kaleb spoke to Marie.
¡°Your father... could he¡ sell a forge?¡± Kaleb¡¯s stunted way of talking was getting on his own nerves. But luckily, the nearby small forge was heating the small area quickly.
Marie gave him a questioning look until what he meant seemed to dawn on her. Her lips curled into a wide grin as Kaleb saw a mercantile glint in the young girl¡¯s eyes. She even rubbed her hands together as she approached Kaleb.
¡°Well, y¡¯know, he would have to come down here, look at the space, check for proper ventilation, and only then could we give you a quote. You also have to know that he would build the forge himself. We don¡¯t just have them lying around.¡±
Kaleb gave a sigh which, with his gruff voice, must have sounded threatening because Marie took a cautious step back. Terrance also reacted, but slower. He moved to stand closer to his friend while watching Kaleb.
Kaleb thought these kids hadn¡¯t interacted with his specific type of alien before. Or maybe they were just jumpy by nature. Hunting dangerous magical creatures that could drop into the world probably didn¡¯t make for the most relaxed atmosphere. Kaleb raised both his hands in a placating gesture toward the two kids as he turned to look at Daivor.
¡°What do you think?¡±
¡°We could definitely do with an updated Workshop. We¡¯ve got by with my genius and your creativity, but that will only last so long,¡± Daivor said, as he lit his pipe for his after-breakfast smoke.
Kaleb nodded as he turned back to the two kids, only to find both of them staring down at the diminutive Gnome with interest. Marie even seemed a little starstruck as she pushed past Kaleb and said something in a language he didn¡¯t understand. She even gave a little curtsy as she spoke.
Kaleb shot Terrance a questioning look, but the young boy was too preoccupied with the conversation that was happening between the Gnome and the girl. Kaleb shook his head and moved over to the forge. There was no sense being a part of a conversation he didn¡¯t understand, and there was work to do.
Kaleb still needed to get Ren¡¯s hammer completed and rewire Vlad''s and Shaggy¡¯s rifles. He still wasn¡¯t sure if that would make the weapons more potent, but he figured it couldn¡¯t hurt. He was pouring the heated metal and bone dust mixture into a mold Auto-created by his Workbench when he felt hands helping him. Turning, he saw Terrance, wearing gloves, helping to lift the bucket of molten metal.
The boy looked chagrined as he helped. ¡°Sorry, not everyday we get to see a contracted Builder Gnome.¡±
Kaleb snorted. ¡°The only thing I¡¯m worried about is the little terror getting a bigger head than he already has.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t understand how amazing he is, do you?¡±
¡°Sure I do, but I also know that he is my friend, and he has been a big help around here.¡±
Terrance shook his head as they finished pouring, capped the mold, and stepped back to wait. ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to have a hard time getting Master Kinley to leave this place after his daughter tells him about the little guy.¡±
Kaleb sighed and gazed at the Gnome and the girl. Both were talking animatedly in that unknown language. Kaleb assumed it was Faerie or some other language from Fae as he already spoke Gnomish thanks to Daivor¡¯s dusting. The gnome had been a gift from the system and, boy, had that been the luckiest of gets. But Kaleb also knew very little about the Gnome or his cultural or even personal history. He briefly wondered if Jar-lock had any books on Gnome culture, but he shook it off. There was still so much to do.
He stretched his arms out as he turned to face his workbench. Both rifles were laid on the table in mid-disassembled states. Kaleb assumed Roy or Daivor had worked on them yesterday. Terrance glanced at the two rifles before stating that he did not know about building or even working on guns.
¡°Do you want to learn?¡± Kaleb asked as he grabbed the battery housing from a rifle and began to trace its wires.
Terrance shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Hunters rarely use high-tech weaponry. The energy blasts usually ruin the hide of whatever we are hunting. It just seemed like a waste.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he glanced around the workbench for something. Upon finding it, he snatched it up and placed it on the table next to Terrance. It was his Sun Gun. The boy picked it up and looked at it as Kaleb explained.
¡°That is my Sun Gun. On the higher setting it does, indeed, fire a blast of supercharged energy. But when it¡¯s on the ¡®stun¡¯ setting, it does something more akin to a taser. Like it momentarily disrupts the electrical signals the nervous systems sends to the body.¡±
Terrance¡¯s face grew a little pale. ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡±
Kaleb wobbled his head noncommittally. ¡°Yes, and no. If you get the pulse wrong, sure you could fry a person¡¯s nervous system. But if you¡¯re careful, you can knock a person or even a large monster out cold.¡±
¡°Interesting. So was it a help during your trial?¡± Terrance asked, as he continued to examine the weapon.
¡°Ehhhhh, kind of,¡± Kaleb said, shrugging. ¡°I had it set to the highest setting when I was fighting the tree guardian. It is mostly tuned for humanoids, so fighting a giant animal was a crap shoot to begin with. I don¡¯t know enough about monster or fae creature physiology to gauge the power output needed to stun such creatures. Who knows if the power source could even generate enough power to attempt it?¡±
¡°The crystal would work fine. It¡¯s the low-grade wiring and capacitors that limit the power output.¡± Daivor¡¯s voice said as the small Gnome lassoed his way up onto the table.
¡°Oh, finished with your conversation, are we?¡± Kaleb grinned
¡°Hey, what can I say? I have been starved for intelligent conversation since I got here.¡± Daivor grinned back.
¡°Yeah, yeah. Ready to work?¡±
Daivor lifted his red pointy hat and scratched his head as he nodded. ¡°Sure, but we are still low on metal. Not to mention all the special material we got from Under-Town.¡±
Kaleb glanced around at the various tubs and cabinets full of bits and bobs. ¡°Surely we can¡¯t be out of stuff already.¡±
¡°No,¡± Daivor said, taking a drag from his pipe. ¡°we¡¯re just low. We could make do with what we got, but we should probably arrange for another ¡®shopping trip¡¯ soon.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he saw Marie talking to Terrance about the mold. He still needed to see if he could get a forge and maybe a few other things. He was already planning to go to Under-town to take care of a few things, anyway. Maybe they could sell some more weapons or something.
¡°I think I can talk my father into coming here.¡± Marie said from nearby, as Kaleb was thinking.
¡°You know what? Strike that. He will want to come here once I tell him about your Gnome friend, anyway. But we can talk to him about a proper forge while his here.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Thanks. I was also thinking about other upgrades for the shop. But we can discuss those later. For now, I need to build some more simple weapons.¡±
Daivor nodded from his place on the workshop desk. ¡°Under-town?¡±
¡°Under-town.¡± Kaleb agreed.
Daivor just smiled and rubbed his hands together as the two teens looked confused. Kaleb briefly wondered how much of the general population knew about Under-town, but he quickly dismissed the thought. Now was a time for work.
¡°You two are welcome to help, but space is limited and I only have the one smelter for metal. We aren¡¯t making anything too complicated, though.¡±
¡°I can find some stuff for them to help with, too.¡± Daivor said.
Kaleb just nodded as Terrance asked. ¡°What are we making?¡±
¡°Spears, metal claws, maces, swords, whatever we can, really. Mostly through molds.¡± Kaleb explained. ¡°We don¡¯t have a lot of metal now, but once my assistant comes back, we can really get underway.¡±
Daivor took a long drag off his pipe and blew a few smoke rings, sighing. ¡°Until then, it¡¯s business as usual around here.¡±
Kaleb just scoffed. ¡°Yeah. Business as usual.¡±
Chapter 124 - Need A Better Bug Killer
It took a little over an hour for Roy to return with a bunch of scrap metal from the junkyard. Kaleb barely got to talk to his young NPC friend since he had turned eighteen, so he was looking forward to talking while they worked. But with four average sized humans and Daivor, the workshop was way too cramped.
It was when Terrance almost knocked over the smelter that Kaleb finally broke down and went to the office to increase the size of his workshop. He noticed Jar-lock and Two Gun talking to Farrah and a few of the hunters as he left the workshop. They both waved, but seemed preoccupied with what they were doing.
The office was empty as he entered the room, but the smell of coffee pervaded the room. Kaleb froze. He never got his coffee this morning. His forge and the proximity of other bodies warmed him up enough for him to function. Still, it was coffee.
As he sipped on his coffee and scrolled through the base management menus, he heard the office door open and shut. Turning, he saw Roy grinning sheepishly and moving toward the coffeemaker.
¡°Hey. You empty it, you fill it.¡± Kaleb joked as he found the tab for his workshop. He also saw that Jar-lock now had enough books for his library.
¡°Same rules as home, Doc.¡± Roy chuckled. ¡°So I didn¡¯t get to ask what the deal was with all the others.¡±
¡°Yeah, the workshop isn¡¯t exactly conducive to great conversation right now. Suffice it to say, they are on loan from the locals. Something to help us integrate with the community.¡±
¡°Cool, cool.¡± Roy said, sipping at his coffee.
Kaleb increased the size of his workshop a good five feet all around and finally enclosed it with a fourth wall. He would still need to order or build a door. But the increased size and full coverage would keep the noise down. He wondered if they could buy some soundproofing and have the system install it.
Hitting the confirmation button, he asked Roy. ¡°So how did your birthday go? Happy 18
th, by the way.¡±
¡°Ha, thanks Doc. It was honestly going fine until the HLO turned up. They wanted me to go down to their offices and sign up as a HLO super right then and there.¡±
Kaleb glanced down at Roy¡¯s wrist, looking for the HLO-branded mini-computer. But he didn¡¯t find one. Smiling, he gazed back up at Roy, who was wearing an incredulous look.
¡°Really Doc?¡±
Kaleb just shrugged as he heard a few raised voices coming from outside the office. He tuned them out.
¡°What? Who knows what they offered you? Hell, I bet your mother would want you with them over me. We are very grass roots out here. I wouldn¡¯t blame ya, either.¡±
Roy sat his coffee down and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn¡¯t look mad, more contemplative.
¡°She actually wanted me to stay with you. Probably figures the devil I know is better than the one I don¡¯t. But I actually went down to the HLO office to hear their sells pitch and it¡it was not what I thought it was.¡±
Kaleb raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did they threaten you?¡±
¡°Nothing so overt. Although they mentioned I wouldn¡¯t be able to associate with any questionable elements.¡±
¡°Always nice to be questionable.¡±
Roy ignored him. ¡°No, they wanted me to sign on as a mundane super, then go through safety training courses with the SPPD. Then, when all those were completed, I would be partnered with a powered Super for a three-year probationary period. Once all that was completed, and I hadn¡¯t had any ¡®accidents¡¯ on my record, I would be a full-fledged Super.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s eyes got big. ¡°Wow, was that all just because you¡¯re a Nova?¡±
¡°Nope.¡± Roy snorted. ¡°They were doing it for everyone in the Mundane office. It seems that after your departure the number of Mundane applicants has dropped considerably. Mostly because of the new, heavily restrictive practices the HLO are undertaking.¡±
Kaleb grimaced as he sipped his coffee. ¡°Wow. What did they do when you told them you weren¡¯t interested?¡±
Roy finished his coffee and shrugged. ¡°They warned me about how dangerous it was to go it alone. Warned me about not taking part in any vigilante activity, and warned me not to associate with any unsavory elements within the city.¡±
¡°Ha! Well, we are going to engage in some legal vigilante activity, and I had planned to go to Under-town today at some point. But at least you¡¯re not alone, right?¡±
Roy nodded as he gazed back at the workshop outside the office window. Kaleb looked outside as well. The new workshop took up a lot of space now that it was wider by five feet all around. Kaleb saw Two Gun, Jar-lock and Farrah all glaring at him from beside the newly enclosed workshop. There was just enough space on the north side to see Farrah¡¯s command center just past his workshop. Apparently, the new expansion had grown a little close to the small collection of monitors and Farrah¡¯s computer.
Kaleb gave an awkward wave to the others as he went back to the console and moved the workshop east a few feet. The move happened instantly, and he assumed none of the NPCs working in the shop would notice. Thinking about it, he also hoped Jar-lock and Two Gun hadn¡¯t noticed Farrah¡¯s annoyance. She was still pretending to be an NPC after all.
A quick glance proved they had moved away a few steps and were back into their discussion. Kaleb turned back to Roy, who was staring at him pensively for some reason. Kaleb scratched the back of his neck awkwardly as he tried to guess at what the young boy wanted to say. He hoped Roy didn¡¯t want to stop working with him.
¡°Do you think I can stay in the workshop for a while?¡±
Kaleb raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah. Sure. You¡¯re not afraid of Under-town now though, are you? Last time was a fluke.¡±
Roy stared at Kaleb for a few seconds, confused, until realization seemed to dawn on him. ¡°What? No! I just have some things I want to work on before I go out again. I¡¯m going to need Daivor¡¯s help though, and a few resources from the shop.¡±
Kaleb waved him off. ¡°Ahh, don¡¯t worry about that. My workshop is your workshop. Just keep up with junkyard deliveries, please. I have a feeling we¡¯re going to need the extra junk.¡±
¡°Oh yeah, about that. We are getting a great deal already on junkyard diving, but dad¡¯s friend at the junkyard said if we want to buy in bulk he could get us a better deal. Also, he said he could have one of his guys do weekly deliveries for a small fee.¡±
¡°Wow.¡± Kaleb rubbed his chin in thought. ¡°You¡¯re just the gift that keeps on giving Roy. Did you use your truck or the dump truck?¡±
¡°My truck. The original deal was for loads carried out in my truck, so I didn¡¯t want to show up with a massive dump truck. Plus, I think I need a special license to drive a dump truck. I can ask him, though.¡±
¡°Please do.¡± Kaleb said as he finished his coffee and moved toward the door of the office.
It was time to finish up and then see if anyone wanted to head to Under-town. He recalled that several of them hadn¡¯t been down there yet. At least Two Gun and Jar-lock had asked about visiting, and Kaleb wanted to see if Claire wanted to try her hand at the arena. The others were still at the Ainsley family¡¯s home trying to handle the ant problem. Although it had been a while since they called in.
As that thought struck his brain and he and Roy walked around the newly expanded wall of the workshop, Kaleb heard a car stop outside. He heard a muffled conversation as he, Roy, Two Gun, Jar-lock, and a few of the hunter teenagers moved toward the open hangar doors to see what was going on. As they approached the threshold, Abby and Varlin came around the corner mid-conversation.
¡°... all we can do is ask,¡± Abby said before stopping short and staring at them.
Varlin also stopped short as he looked from Kaleb and his friends to the young hunters in colorful monster hide armor. The sorcerer seemed stuck for words, as Abby looked incredulous. Kaleb couldn¡¯t help himself as he smiled and stretched his arms above his head, saying sarcastically.
¡°Man, it¡¯s been a long day¡¯s work. So much to still get done. Abby, could you be a dear and look after the kids while I wash up?¡±
Abby just scoffed before a ball of shadowy mist appeared in her hand and she hurled it at Kaleb. ¡°Oh, ha ha. You damn featherless chicken! What the hell have you lot been doing?! We were gone a day!¡±
Kaleb dodged the first few balls of shadowy mist before Abby stopped altogether and gazed at all of them, annoyed. Roy, wisely realizing he wasn¡¯t a part of her gaze, snuck back toward the workshop. But Kaleb could see a few hunters standing nearby, watching them. Kaleb just stuck his tongue out at the diminutive mutant as Jar-lock sighed and explained.
He told her about their successful mission in the magic forest and their agreement with the hunters. He also explained why they now had a few of the younger hunters hanging around and how Farrah was currently giving them odd jobs around their district. Abby and Varlin both looked oddly annoyed as they listened, and Kaleb looked them both over.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Abby¡¯s armor was scuffed up a bit, but the modified K-Tech brand black armor was tough and it didn¡¯t appear damaged. Varlin, on the other hand, looked like he¡¯d been through the ringer. His clothes were fine, but his face had a few scratches and bruises. Kaleb also noticed that the Foci he had made for the Sorcerer out of a piece of Ifirt''s heart was glowing faintly. But his own nascent magical abilities couldn¡¯t tell him what it was doing.
As for the people themselves, Abby looked tired, while Varlin looked annoyed. Although that seemed to be his natural state recently. Kaleb tried to look past the pair to see if Mass or Vivienne had come back with them, but it didn¡¯t look like they had. The four of them had been out fighting the ant nest, and they hadn¡¯t come back yesterday. Although, to be honest, Kaleb was too wiped to pay attention after the magic forest adventure.
Abby grinned as Jar-lock finished explaining and look between the three of them. ¡°Well, it¡¯s great that you''re done with all that cause the Ainsley family has a problem.¡±
¡°Other than the large ant nest growing under their backyard?¡± Kaleb asked.
Varlin and Abby nodded before Varlin explained. ¡°The family has been using the nest as a sort of dungeon and training ground for the past few days. They had a couple of us sorcerers construct a barrier around the edges of the nest. So we were pretty sure we had it under control.¡±
Jar-lock slapped his forehead and dragged his hand down his face as he complained. ¡°And now the damn things are out again running roughshod throughout Austin, aren¡¯t they?¡±
¡°No, actually.¡± Abby said, looking smug. ¡°Actually, the plan was going great. Their younger members got some training in actual combat situations, while the household sold the ant bits to the city for a tidy profit. It was going well.¡±
¡°Until¡¡± Two Gun prompted. But Kaleb was the one who answered, guessing the problem.
¡°Until an HLO pencil-pusher showed and questioned what they were doing and how safe it was for the city. Probably brought up a bunch of permits and some such nonsense that the Ainsley family needed in order for them to maintain the dungeon. Maybe even offered to take over the ant nest and run it for them. For a small fee, of course.¡±
Abby just smirked as Varlin stared at him, wide-eyed. The tall sorcerer stomped a foot, sputtering incoherently.
¡°Vivienne¡¯s already back here, isn¡¯t she?¡±
Kaleb just shook his head as Jar-lock responded. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m guessing that was all off the top of the good professor¡¯s head.¡±
¡°What did they expect? The nest is now a lucrative and renewable resource. Of course, the local monopoly wants a piece.¡±
¡°They are not a monopoly.¡± Varlin sighed. ¡°They¡¯re just the biggest dog in the yard and they like to throw their weight around.¡±
Kaleb scoffed, but kept his mouth shut. He really didn¡¯t want to get into it with Varlin right now, even though he clearly disagreed. Abby nodded at the both of them before she explained the situation. Which played out almost exactly as Kaleb described it. Except the HLO wasn¡¯t ¡®offering¡¯ to take the nest from the Ainsley House. They were demanding to be given full rights to the nest and saying they would give 10% of the profits back to the house.
Kaleb grimaced as Two Gun whistled in surprise as Jar-lock asked. ¡°Well, that sucks, but what do you want us to do about it?¡±
Varlin shook his head. ¡°Nothing. The house is working to get the proper permits with the city while also telling the city council about the HLO demands.¡±
¡°But while all that has been going on today. The nest has been getting weirder.¡± Abby added.
¡°Weirder how?¡±
¡°Well, the biggest thing is the barrier has started to flicker. A few of the worker ants have even gotten out of the combat area. They were handled before something dangerous happened, of course. But we¡¯ve also had a few NPC and player heroes causing trouble in the nest.¡±
Kaleb shot Varlin an I-told-you-so look, but the Sorcerer just scoffed. ¡°There¡¯s no proof that the HLO is behind the incidents. They aren¡¯t the big bad in the game. They are just a corporation. Hell, there are HLO offices across the world in-game.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I ain¡¯t saying they¡¯re all evil. Just the one in Austin. If not evil, then they are definitely up to some shady and shitty practices.¡±
Varlin just threw his hands, tacitly agreeing with Kaleb¡¯s statements. At least in Kaleb¡¯s mind. But Jar-lock stopped any further discussion as he brought the conversation back around to the start.
¡°Well okay then, it sounds like you''re just here for a break then. Food and drink stores are a little low because of the kids, but we can¡¡±
He trailed off as Abby grimaced and gave a quiet. ¡°Umm, yeah¡¡±
¡°Oh boy, sounds like you have something for us.¡± Two Gun said excitedly.
Abby just nodded as she said. ¡°Yeah, I was hoping you lot could come down and look at things. You know, investigate things with fresh eyes. Jar, we could really use someone who is not a sorcerer to look at the barriers.¡±
Jar-lock had already begun backing away and shaking his head by the time Abby had finished her request. The large mage¡¯s hatred for ants was already well known within the group. Kaleb thought Jar-lock had played it up a few times, but the man seemed legitimately scared. Sighing, he went up and placed a hand on the big man''s arm.
¡°Come on, dude. It will be the first time we can get most of us together since the school. We handled that pretty well.¡±
¡°You died.¡± Abby snickered.
Kaleb just waved her off as he continued. ¡°Plus, we can stick it to the HLO at the same time.¡±
¡°That seems more like your goal.¡± Two Gun butted in this time.
Kaleb just glared daggers at both Two Gun and Abby before he blew out a breath and turned to Jar-lock. ¡°All you have to do is check the barrier. The rest of us will handle the ants.¡±
Jar-lock stopped backing away and listened intently to Kaleb before he also sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll help, but I won¡¯t be happy about it.¡±
Abby gave a quick fist pump. ¡°Yes! You¡¯ll see, Jar, it¡¯s probably nothing. But it would go a long way if we helped the House of Ainsley and, like the lizard said, we¡¯ll also snub our noses at the HLO. Which is sure to make us some more friends among the more independently minded entities throughout the cities.¡±
¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t think of that!¡± Kaleb said, slapping a fist into his palm in realization.
¡°I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Abby snarked.
Kaleb stepped closer to Abby so that the diminutive woman¡¯s face was level with his chest and placed a hand over his eyes and looked left and right over her head.
¡°What was that? Did anyone else hear some tiny squeaking? Like an annoying pest was buzzing around?¡±
He quickly ducked back as Abby¡¯s shadow-covered fist passed by his elongated lizard-like snout. She took a few more playful swipes at him as they all moved back into the hangar. He dodged the first few, but he let the last couple smack into him just to test how her shadow power would enhance her strikes. They didn¡¯t feel any different from a normal punch, but Kaleb assumed she was regulating the power.
A loud clanging noise reverberated through the hangar as they moved back in. For a moment Kaleb thought it was coming from his workshop, but he quickly realized it was Claire. She was working out with her large dumbbells. Several of the hunters had stopped to stare in awe at the tall green women lifting a pair of over-sized dumbbells. Two Gun shoved his way past the hunters and walked over to his wife.
¡°Everything okay on the homestead?¡±
Claire grunted as she answered. ¡°Yes, dear. We had a few minor hiccups with the automated pickers, but I got it sorted.¡±
Two Gun just nodded before he took off his gun belt and settled in to work out with his wife. Kaleb could hear the old cowboy explaining the situation with the ant nest while he did push-ups next to his wife. He shook his head as he turned back toward his workshop.
¡°Let¡¯s all take a few before we head over to the Ainsley house. I want to see if I can create some kind of enhanced insect repellent.¡±
¡°Fire works.¡± Jar-lock muttered.
Kaleb ignored him as he made his way to his expanded shop and entered the rectangular hole where a door should have been. He still needed to purchase one. Inside, Daivor, Roy, and the two hunters were crowded around his one workbench. Roy had his collapsible baton dispensers equipped and he was showing off to the hunters, while Daivor pitched upgrades.
¡°Couldn¡¯t you just carry them?¡± Marie asked.
Roy shrugged as he twisted his wrist, and a blunt baton flew out of the dispenser. In a practiced motion, Roy caught the baton and switched it on. The baton sparked to life as he answered.
¡°Sure, but carrying eight batons would get kind of cumbersome. This way my pockets are left free and I can have a weapon at a moment¡¯s notice. I just have to be careful of the lethal batons. They have a pointed end so they could hit my hand or wrist.¡±
Terrance nodded in understanding as Marie looked unconvinced. Daivor was scratching his beard down near Roy¡¯s feet and looking up at the baton¡¯s housing. Two bulky metal squares sat on Roy¡¯s forearms. Roy had both his lethal and non-lethal batons. He had used them to impressive effect when they were fighting the Faceless down in Under-town, but apparently he was looking for an upgrade.
¡°Only thing I can think of is you improving the weapon or improving the housing, kid,¡± Daivor said. ¡°I get what Ms. Kinley is saying though, a belt could serve the same function.¡±
Roy just sighed as he looked at the stun baton in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m not too good with wiring and I don¡¯t know enough about the baton¡¯s internals to change anything, anyway.¡±
Kaleb moved to his stack of books on his workbench. He quickly found and grabbed a book on electronics and tossed it to Roy.
¡°It¡¯s never too late to learn a new skill. The others and I are going head out on a job here soon, so you three can work in here while we¡¯re gone.¡±
Roy looked like he wanted to say something before he stopped himself and looked down at his hands. He looked between the stun baton and the book before he nodded and sat down at the workbench. Marie and Terrance looked at Kaleb curiously, but he just pointed at Daivor.
¡°Daivor is in charge. I¡¯m sure he has a few jobs you two can do around here.¡±
Daivor nodded as both Terrance and Marie looked at the small gnome in wonder. Apparently working under a Builder Gnome was more exciting than working for an alien lizard-man. Kaleb just shook his head as he glanced down at Daivor.
¡°Just don¡¯t burn anything down.¡±
¡°No promises.¡± Daivor grinned as he took a long drag from his pipe.
Kaleb just shook his head and moved over toward the few boxes of random items in the corner of his workshop. It didn¡¯t take long for him to find one labeled sprays and he silently thanked Daivor and Roy for organizing things. He found cans of air freshener, cans of spray paint and various cans of insect spray. Some were wasps, but he had a few for ants as well.
He gazed at the can¡¯s ingredients and tried to think of a way to create more quickly. But then he remembered that the ants they were going up against were the size of dogs. He wouldn¡¯t be able to create enough of anything within the time he had. At best, the ant spray would help keep the ants away from him.
He sighed as he placed two large cans into the pockets of his lab coat and turned to leave the workshop. As he passed Marie, who was in quiet conversation with Terrance, he remembered something.
¡°Oh yeah, did you talk to your dad, Miss Kinley?¡±
Marie looked surprised for a second before she shook her head. ¡°Nah, not yet. While y¡¯all are out, I¡¯ll call him. Do you have a video link?¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s one in the office you are free to use. Just don¡¯t piss off the bunny-lady out there. She¡¯s crazy.¡±
Marie snorted as Terrance covered his mouth. Daivor shook his head in admonishment but said nothing. Kaleb just shrugged his shoulders and left his workshop to find the others. Jar-lock was nearby talking to Farrah and Varlin, while Two Gun and Claire were working out with a few of the hunters. Kaleb assumed Abby was downstairs in her room. He moved over toward Farrah and Jar-lock to figure out what the plan was.
Chapter 125 - Dungeon Dive
¡°So let me get this right,¡± Kaleb began as he drove his car through the streets. ¡°Your whole fear of ants stems from some ancient Pre-Union Vid that you were shown as a kid about giant ants?¡±
¡°Yeeeeees.¡± Jar-lock said, drawing out the word. Clearly done with the current conversation.
They were currently following Abby¡¯s car along the main road into Downtown Austin. Claire and Two Gun were in the backseat discussing something about their IRL farm while Kaleb and Jar-lock were in the front seat. Kaleb had taken the opportunity to broach the subject about Jar-lock¡¯s fear.
¡°But how could that affect you so much? You literally just told me it was a black and white Vid from thousands of years ago. I don¡¯t even want to think about what those graphics looked like.¡±
Jar-lock sighed. ¡°Look, I was a kid, okay? It was a scary movie about giant ants and it gave me nightmares. My mom wouldn¡¯t let me go back to my uncle¡¯s house for months after that. Yes, the ants looked stupid, and yes, the Vid had no color. But it still gave me the heebie-jeebies, okay?!¡±
Kaleb raised a hand off the steering wheel and turned to his friend. ¡°Whoa, easy there, big guy. I get what you''re saying. It just sounds weird to me.¡±
¡°Oh, like you have nothing traumatizing in your past?¡±
Kaleb kept his mouth shut as his brain immediately went to an incident in his cousin¡¯s pool involving his jerk cousin and a chocolate bar. He shuddered as he remembered the shame and the laughter of his cousins. Jar-lock was still looking at him as he coughed and turned his head back to the road. He looked in the rear-view mirror to see Two Gun and Claire finished with their conversation.
¡°Ahem. So did you guys hear the plan for this?¡± He asked. Next to him, he heard Jar-lock scoff at his obvious evasion.
Two Gun grinned, obviously intent on staying mute, but luckily Claire spoke up. ¡°We caught bits and pieces of your conversation with Farrah. So some of us are going inside the nest while the casters stay outside and examine the barrier?¡±
Jar-lock turned in his seat to talk to her. ¡°Gee, thanks for giving him an out. But yes, we are going to split into two groups. One will investigate the nest, trying to find any signs of tampering or escaped ants, while the other will stay safe above ground and fix the barrier.¡±
¡°If it¡¯s even broken.¡± Kaleb scoffed.
Jar-lock turned back around in his seat. ¡°We have to assume it is. If it isn¡¯t, that would mean the House of Ainsley is lying. Which I don¡¯t think they would. Plus, that doesn¡¯t account for the Heroes who are causing trouble inside and out of the nest.¡±
¡°Yeah, so what¡¯s the rule about them? Are we free to engage them?¡±
¡°Engage? Yes. Kill? Absolutely not. We do not want any blood on our hands at the end of this one.¡±
¡°Even if they are probably a bunch of HLO stooges.¡± Kaleb muttered as he followed Abby, exiting downtown Austin and heading north.
¡°You really need to stop with that.¡± Jar-lock sighed. ¡°Seriously. Sure, they are probably responsible for this one. But come on, they can¡¯t be all bad. They¡¯ve cleaned up the city pretty well and they treat a good deal of the heroes with respect.¡±
¡°Yeah, you just caught a bad hand cause you¡¯re technically a mundane. At least you were when you started.¡± Two Gun added.
Kaleb waved them both off. ¡°Bah! I don¡¯t trust them. Something about the whole thing reeks to me.¡±
Claire snickered. ¡°Did it start to smell before or after they suspended you?¡±
Kaleb gave a loud scoff as he turned off the main road and into the suburbs of North Austin. The houses started getting bigger and farther apart until large swathes of road were just grass. Kaleb counted three gated communities before Abby finally turned her car onto a gravel road.
A large four-story Gothic style mansion sat at the end of the driveway, surrounded by various shrubbery. Nearby, a section of the mansion¡¯s large lawn had been cordoned off and three odd vehicles were parked there. Kaleb thought he saw what look like a circular spaceship as Abby lead them into the cordoned off parking lot. He saw a teenage attendant approach Abby¡¯s car and say something. They held a quick conversation before the attendant move away and waved them both through.
Kaleb parked and checked his gear. He smiled as he heard Two Gun slam his head into his door¡¯s window. His car was an old police vehicle, so the back doors wouldn¡¯t open for the inside. People sometimes forgot that. His smile went away though when he heard Claire¡¯s door creak.
¡°I have to get the door. Remember?¡± He said as he dashed out and around his door to let out Claire.
¡°Oh gee, I almost forget.¡± Claire said sarcastically as she stood to her full height and glared down at him.
Kaleb stuck his tongue out at her petulantly and the glare fell from her face as she laughed. Two Gun was still grumbling as he slid his way out of the back seat. Nearby, Kaleb saw Abby wave at the parking attendant as Varlin glanced around the parking lot. The lanky sorcerer looked confused as he cast his gaze back and forth.
¡°Did he lose something?¡± Kaleb asked Abby as she walked over to them.
¡°Nope. The parking lot is emptier than it¡¯s been since they started allowing heroes to dive into the nest. He¡¯s just concerned that his house has stopped the dives.¡±
Jar-lock joined them as Abby lead the way around the house, Varlin bringing up the rear. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a good thing? Fewer people around means less trouble.¡±
¡°It also means less money.¡± Abby explained. ¡°Remember: the House of Ainsley isn¡¯t exactly a prestigious house. This whole nest debacle was on track to force them to shut down their house. But they flipped everything and turn it into a win.¡±
¡°For a short while at least,¡± Kaleb muttered.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
They walked through the well-manicured lawn around the large mansion until a large backyard came into view. The backyard was as ornate as the front yard, with large, well-kept hedges and evenly graveled paths. It was almost picturesque, if it wasn¡¯t for the large dirt mound to the right-hand side of the yard.
As they approached, Kaleb saw three men in bright blue robes talking to someone. They were facing away from him and whoever they were talking to was either very short or seated. All three men were facing the ant mound as they walked. A female voice spoke up as a low rumble shook the ground.
¡°They¡¯ll be here any minute, and then we can continue our investigation. Okay?¡±
Kaleb thought the voice sounded familiar when Jar-lock gave a questioning shout, ¡°Viv?!¡±
The three men spun around and glared at their group. Kaleb thought he could feel the surrounding air tighten as several trinkets on the men glowed with power. Abby put her hands up defensively as Jar-lock waved off the Sorcerers and marched up to them. Vivienne popped up behind the three sorcerers and pushed them aside, meeting Jar-lock and throwing her arms around him.
¡°Hey! You guys are here. That¡¯s great! Mass is still inside playing around, but I needed a rest and someone had to calm down the Smurf brigade.¡±
¡°The wha¡?¡± Jar-lock asked before a sorcerer with flaming red hair spoke up.
¡°We are not Smurfs! Whatever the hell those are. We are a commission of sorcerers under the House of Ainsley who have been charged with discovering if any tampering has occurred with our new nest.¡±
The next sorcerer in line stepped forward, addressing Jar-lock. This one was slightly younger than the first and had brown hair, but still appeared human.
¡°Indeed. We requested Varlin retrieve any other magic users he had associated with in the past. We were hoping to get some outside eyes on the situation. But a few minutes ago, the Ward we placed around the nest flickered again. We were asking Ms. Vivienne when you would arrive.¡±
The final sorcerer, this one clearly an alien with silver-toned skin, stepped forward and finished. ¡°We also had to ask the other Heroes to vacate the premises while we worked. We were hoping some would balk and we might have some likely suspects to accuse. But everyone inside and outside the nest has been accounted for. Well¡except for your, uhhh¡large friend.¡±
Kaleb let Jar-lock and Vivienne finished their hug as he stepped forward. ¡°What about the other vehicles in that parking lot?¡±
¡°Ours and a few of the new inside staff.¡± The redhead answered.
¡°New staff?¡± Kaleb questioned.
The brunette answered. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but we have screened all new hires. This nest has been a very sudden windfall for our house, but we haven¡¯t forgotten about security.¡±
Jar-lock finished having a quiet conversation with Vivienne before he interjected. ¡°Ahem! First off: hello. I¡¯m Jar-lock, the cowboy and green lady are Two Gun and Claire, and the manner-less lizard is The Professor.¡±
The three sorcerers looked chagrined as Kaleb just shot the big mage the finger.
¡°I¡¯m George¡± said the redhead.
¡°Derek.¡± said the brunette.
¡°Tzitika.¡± said the silver alien.
All three men clasped their left hands to their chest and bowed. Kaleb saw Varlin return the gesture and wanted to copy him, but the moment went by too quickly. No sense looking like an idiot.
¡°Well, it¡¯s good to meet you all and we are happy to help, but I have a question.¡± Jar-lock said politely. ¡°You mentioned a Ward? Varlin told us you had set up a barrier?¡±
George gave Varlin a look reminiscent of a disappointed teacher, while Derek and Tzitika sighed. Varlin huffed under their collective gazes and threw up his hands.
¡°Barrier, Ward, what¡¯s the difference?! The thing that stops people from getting in has started to fail. That¡¯s what¡¯s in important.¡± Varlin argued.
Jar-lock shook his head, grinning. ¡°Varlin, a barrier is a static shield that keeps people out. A Ward is a provisional lock that opens if someone has the right key.¡±
¡°So one¡¯s a door-less cage, while the other is a digital security gate?¡± Two Gun asked as Claire and Vivienne shared a quick hug.
¡°Quite right.¡± Said George. ¡°We don¡¯t know why, but the ward has been flickering between states for a while now.¡±
¡°So someone¡¯s turning it off and sneaking in.¡± Kaleb said, pointing out what he thought was obvious.
¡°Sneaking in where?¡± Derek asked. ¡°If they dig underground, the ants will see it as an attack, and they can¡¯t go over us.¡±
He pointed at the clear blue sky above the ant nest. ¡°Not to mention there are a few miles¡¯ worth of tunnels down there.¡± Tzitika added.
¡°We are sure the Ward encompasses the whole nest, but they had dug quite a way before we got the Ward set up.¡±
¡°So some of us will go inside and explore, while the magical eggheads stay out here and look over the Ward.¡± Kaleb said, looking around at his friends. ¡°That work for everyone?¡±
¡°If anyone counts as a Magical Egghead out here, it¡¯s you.¡± Jar-lock grumbled.
¡°Also, someone with magic should go with the nest group. Just in case whatever is messing with the Ward is magical.¡± Varlin said.
Kaleb nodded as he counted up his friends. ¡°So me, Abby, Two Gun, Claire, Varlin or Vivienne, and Mass if he still wants to smash some ants.¡±
Vivienne snorted as she returned to Jar-lock¡¯s side. ¡°He never tires of smashing bugs, trust me. Also, I am staying out here. I have had enough of dirt pits for today. Varlin can take a turn in the deep dark for a while.¡±
¡°Gee, thanks Cuz.¡± Varlin grumbled, shooting Vivienne a mock glare. She stuck her tongue out at him and flipped her hair mockingly.
¡°I¡¯m good with that and having someone from the actual magic house will probably look good for us,¡± Kaleb agreed as he looked at Claire and Two Gun.
After the pair nodded, he turned to check on Abby¡¯s opinion, but the diminutive mutant was already halfway toward the Ant Nest. Kaleb shook his head and followed, laughing as he waved goodbye at Jar-lock and the trio of sorcerers. He heard Varlin and Vivienne softly talking to each other as he checked walked and checked his weapons. He hadn¡¯t had time to reload his Taser Eggs, but everything else seemed charged.
He gave his thermal scanner a brief glance, but other than their group, it didn¡¯t look like anyone or anything was around. Of course, he didn¡¯t know if the ants would even show up on the scanner. He thought the dirt walls would impede the scan, but the large red dot further, showing their friend Mass, was a good sign. As he approached the entrance, he saw Abby waiting outside, looking impatient.
¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Kaleb asked, bemused.
¡°This is the closest we get to an actual dungeon dive in this game. But if shit goes sideways, then we may not get another chance. So I want to make the most of it with the time I have.¡±
¡°That¡¯s understandable, dear.¡± Claire said from behind Kaleb.
Kaleb turned his head to look at his assembled friends. ¡°Really? I have had my fill of underground liars. Under-town is alright, but marching into an unknown cave system? Nope. Once was really enough.¡±
¡°This is about the Man-rat thing you told us about a while back?¡± Two Gun asked. At Kaleb¡¯s nod, he continued. ¡°Well, I guess that makes sense, but then why even come with us? You could stay out here and stare at magical shit.¡±
¡°Bah!¡± Kaleb said, waving him off. ¡°We got Claire and Mass with us. I don¡¯t think I have to worry too much if I have the muscle team with me.¡±
Claire grinned and flexed her thin green arms. She went through a series of poses as they all chuckled before her husband got her to stop. Kaleb chuckled as he waved for Abby to lead the way. Grinning at herself, she stepped into the dark oblong entrance of the ant nest, followed closely by Claire and then Two Gun while Kaleb brought up the rear.
A chill went down his spine as he passed the threshold to the nest and he felt a nervous feeling sink into his gut. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but something about the nest raised his hackles. Kaleb chalked it up to his encounters with Rat-man, but he decided to keep his guard up. There¡¯s was no telling what marching into a giant ant¡¯s nest would entail, but he was semi-sure it would at least be fun.
Chapter 126 - Shenanigans and Dark Caves
¡°At this point, you¡¯re a certifiable idiot.¡± Abby muttered as she led the way deeper into the nest.
¡°It¡¯s not my fault!¡± Kaleb grumbled from his spot at the back of the line.
¡°Dude,¡± Two Gun spoke up. ¡°We were going into a dark cave system beneath the ground. Why would you not bring a flashlight or something?!¡±
Kaleb threw up his hands, causing them to collide with the low ceiling of the man-made tunnel. Abby and Varlin had assured them that the tunnels got larger the deeper they went, but for now it was a just enough from them to walk single file. After brushing the dust off his hands, he continued.
¡°I didn¡¯t think about it, okay?! I was thinking about other things. So I forgot.¡±
¡°Also with the three of us, plus Mass, it¡¯s kinda moot.¡± Claire added helpfully as she hunched uncomfortably in the tunnel. ¡°We have enough light for all of us.¡±
¡°Plus, if it gets too bad, I can just summon some light.¡± Varlin said.
¡°And you¡¯re not doing that right now, because¡¡± Kaleb asked.
Varlin shook his head. ¡°Well, for one, the proximity would blind us all. For another, it would drain my Mana. So for right now, we have the clip-on flashlights.¡±
Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure where they had all gotten the fancy flashlights that clipped onto their shirts. But he had a clear memory of his own flashlight on top of his workbench back at the hangar. It was almost immediately apparent they would need one once they entered the nest proper. As he grumbled nonsensically to himself, something occurred to him.
¡°Hey, why hasn¡¯t the Ainsley family lit this place up? I would think they would get a generator and a couple of lights and string them along the tunnel or something.¡±
Varlin scoffed before he explained. ¡°They were talking about it, but like everything by committee, it was taking a while. The major concern was that it would lead the ants into Sorcerer created tunnels.¡±
¡°Ants don¡¯t follow lights.¡± Two Gun said with an odd certainty.
¡°No, but they explore their tunnel systems occasionally, and an unknown tunnel in their home would probably make them curious.¡± Claire argued.
¡°Oh, come on!¡± Two Gun groused. ¡°They¡¯re insects! They don¡¯t get curious!¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t discount anything in this game,¡± Kaleb said.
He saw Abby nod her head in agreement. ¡°Yeah,¡± she said. ¡°Plus, these ants were enlarged by magic, so I figure everything is on the table as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡±
Two Gun grumbled noncommittally as they continued down the tunnel. After a short while of walking, they found the tunnel growing bigger and eventually Claire could stand upright. But as they continued, the ground shook. Remembering the time ants attacked the hangar, Kaleb drew his guns and studied the walls in the dark.
¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s probably just Mass.¡± Abby said as she glanced back at him.
Kaleb simply nodded, but kept his weapons at the ready.
It was only a few more minutes before she was proven right. The ground shaking got a little more frequent and a low voice could barely be heard. Kaleb thought there was an odd cadence to the voice. Then he thought about who Mass could be talking to down here in the first place. As they got closer, the voice grew clearer, and it sounded like¡
¡°Is he singing?¡± Claire asked as she chuckled behind her hand.
¡°Yes, love. I believe he is.¡± Two Gun answered smiling widely.
¡°~ I¡¯m crushing a lovely bunch of ant-y guts,
here they are all piled in a bunch,
giant ones, big ones, all bigger than my head,
give them a blap and watch them go splat,
just like the magic man said ~¡±
As their tunnel got wider, Kaleb could see a flashlight dancing around the wide room. As Mass danced and sang, the whole dirt cavern shook slightly. Kaleb and the others had to stifle laughter as the giant mass of muscles continued to pile ant carcasses into one side of the room. Abby was the first one to get a hold of herself and she waved a hand in the air.
¡°Hey, Mass! Having fun?¡±
Mass¡¯s head spun, his flashlight nearly blinding them. ¡°Hey, Shadow-lady! The ants came back, but I squashed them good.¡±
¡°I see that,¡± Abby said.
¡°I even put them over there like the magic man said.¡±
Abby approached and patted the big man¡¯s arm as she continued to chuckle. ¡°Hehe. Yes, Mass Chuckfist, you did very good. But our friends are here now and we were gonna go explore the nest. Did you wanna come with us?¡±
Kaleb could barely see the big guy¡¯s face in the darkness of the cave, but the flashlight pinned to his chest shook back and forth.
¡°No. I can¡¯t play anymore. I gotta go to work.¡±
Abby¡¯s exaggeratedly forlorn face gave Kaleb the creeps in the dark tunnel. ¡°Awww, that sucks. Do you think our idiot professor can borrow your flashlight before you logout then?¡±
Kaleb watched Mass head sink down, so it was right next to Abby¡¯s. In a voice which was probably meant to be a whisper, but still resounded in the cave, Mass asked.
¡°Is idiot professor afraid of the dark?¡±
Kaleb was stunned into silences as the guffaws of laughter from the others echoed through the tunnel. Abby glanced back at Kaleb and answered.
¡°Yeah, probably. What do you say we help him out?¡±
¡°Ok, sure.¡±
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The ground beneath his feet shook as Mass approached him and, with a hand the size of Kaleb¡¯s face, the giant pinched the flashlight off of his chest. The sound of a shirt ripping echoed for a second, and the next thing Kaleb knew, he was holding a flashlight and bits of Mass¡¯s sweaty shirt. Kaleb quickly attached the light to his lab coat and looked up at the big alien.
¡°Bye-bye, scared idiot professor.¡± Mass waved as he disappeared in motes of light.
Kaleb sighed as he turned to look at a still grinning Abby. ¡°If that nickname sticks, I am going to build self-destruct switches in all the gear I make you.¡±
Abby continued to chuckle. ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s fine. But you can¡¯t blame me. You know how Mass is.¡±
¡°Sure, sure.¡± Kaleb muttered as he dropped the bits of a sweaty shirt in his hand. ¡°But now we are down to one powerhouse, three ranged DPS, and a snarky mutant who can live to tell the tale.¡±
¡°I will remember to tell your story.¡± Abby joked. ¡°But, seriously, after a day of Supes in here clearing things out, we should be good. At least for a little while.¡±
¡°So, where do we even start?¡± Two Gun asked.
¡°This place has got to be a maze.¡± Kaleb added.
Varlin shook his head. ¡°Actually, not so much. Ants are pretty efficient builders. Once we closed up things with the Ward, they dug a few new tunnels to try to get out, but they quickly gave up.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Two Gun asked
Varlin turned his gaze to the tunnel they were standing in. ¡°Because once we got our own Earth Mages in here and they started messing about, the ants had other things to worry about. We had them build a bunch of false tunnels and other things, but mostly we had them funnel things right to our exit. That way, we could farm more efficiently.¡±
Kaleb glanced around. It made sense now that he thought about it. Ants wouldn¡¯t need human-sized tunnels. So the mages probably came in and expanded several tunnels while collapsing others. He briefly wondered how berserk the ants went at that, but he figured it couldn¡¯t have been too bad.
¡°So where are we going then?¡± Claire asked, cracking her knuckles.
Abby shrugged. ¡°I figured we could keep to the tunnels on the outskirts so we don¡¯t upset the nest. The queen is gonna be busy making new babies. So she¡¯ll keep her soldiers close and we¡¯ll have free run of the outer tunnels.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s as good a plan as any. Lead on.¡±
The others nodded their agreement, and they continued on down the tunnel. Now that Mass wasn¡¯t bouncing around, the dirt in the tunnel was now slowly shifting down the walls and settling to the floor. Kaleb momentarily thought about the tunnel collapsing, but he shunted that thought to the side. He was already nervous enough in the dark cave full of giant killer ants.
Their group trudged slowly through the dark tunnels with only their flashlights lighting up the dense dirt-packed walls. Abby lead them past several other tunnels which Varlin assured them were false tunnels leading to dead-ends. Both Abby and Varlin didn¡¯t believe that it was worth it to search the Mage-made tunnels, though. The Ant tunnels were deeper and more likely to house whatever was that was messing with the Ward.
¡°While I agree,¡± Two Gun started. ¡°I still think we should check them. At least on our way out.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡± Kaleb nodded along with the old cowboy.
Abby just shrugged as Varlin looked at them, annoyed. ¡°Come on, what exactly are you expecting to find? They are dead-end tunnels.¡±
Kaleb raised his eyebrows. ¡°Who knows what we could find? Which is kind of the point of looking. Don¡¯t you think?¡±
Varlin just threw up his hands in annoyance and continued to follow their diminutive mutant friend. Claire kept her eyes straight ahead, but Kaleb saw her place a hand on her husband¡¯s shoulder as they marched slowly forward. Kaleb assumed the giant woman was silently expressing agreement with her husband and he more than agreed. They were already down here. Why not search everywhere they could?
They marched along for a while and Kaleb was beginning to think that Mass had killed every ant in the colony. There hadn¡¯t even been a sound of the ants moving in the tunnels. Although Abby had kept them on a relatively straight path, Kaleb had expected to at least see a few worker ants milling about. He was about to mention the lack of any adversaries when a wave of some kind of magical force assaulted his senses.
Looking around, he noticed that whatever it had been had also hit the others as well. Claire and Two Gun had their arms out to steady themselves as Varlin and Abby readied attacks. Her with her shadow blades and he with a fireball. Kaleb drew his Cybar and cast his flashlight around the tunnel, but all he could see was dirt.
¡°What the hell was that?¡± He asked, still searching.
Varlin shook his head as he glared down the tunnel. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It felt like some kind of influx of magical energy. But it also had physical weight to it.¡±
¡°No kidding,¡± Claire said as she steadied herself. ¡°And that doesn¡¯t normally happen down here?¡±
Both Abby and Varlin shook their heads as things seemed to settle down. Kaleb felt the earpiece in his ear crackle to life. He had almost forgotten about the thing. Farrah had been adamant about taking the field comms, although they would be out of her range. Jar-lock had agreed and their group had all worn them.
¡°Did y''all feel that?¡± Jar-lock voice asked over the comms.
¡°Yeah, although I¡¯m surprised you did,¡± Abby said, holding a hand up to her ear.
¡°The Ward shuddered and almost flickered completely off up here. So it was hard to miss. Even without the massive wave of energy.¡±
¡°Any idea what that was all about?¡± Kaleb asked.
Jar-lock¡¯s reply was pensive. ¡°We don¡¯t know. The Ward is reacting like something is sapping power from it. But the House of Ainsley check it daily and there have been no signs of tampering.¡±
Kaleb and the others looked at each other. Save for Varlin, who didn¡¯t have a comm unit and was just standing there looking between them. Kaleb sighed before he asked.
¡°Can we find where the leak, or whatever it is, is?¡±
¡°Varlin should be able to pinpoint the location if his magical senses are up to it. Hell, you could do it if you bothered to hone your own.¡±
¡°Not the time to admonish my lack of training, Jar.¡± Kaleb groused as he saw Abby relaying their conversation to Varlin.
The Sorcerer closed his eyes and placed a hand over his Foci. He went as still as a statue as Kaleb felt a wave of magic wash over him. It was much more gentle than the first one and was coming from Varlin. He was obviously trying to sense where the magical pulse had come from. Kaleb tried to focus on his own magic and see if he could manage some kind of sense, but he was almost bowled over as another massive wave pulsed again. He heard Varlin gasp before the lanky sorcerer almost collapsed to the ground.
¡°Oh, shit!¡± Abby shouted as she went to check on him.
Claire moved to the front of the line to stand guard as Abby checked on Varlin and Two Gun pointed his pistols down the opposite end of the tunnel. Kaleb tried to get some kind of magical hold on where the pulse had come from, but he couldn¡¯t really manage it. Didn¡¯t help that he did not know what he was doing.
¡°OWWWWWWWW!¡± Varlin complained as he leaned up against the wall of the tunnel. ¡°THAT FUCKING SUCKED!¡±
¡°Care to explain for those of us of the non-magical persuasion?¡± Two Gun asked, still looking down the tunnel.
Varlin shook his head a few times before he took Abby¡¯s hand and stood up. ¡°I JUST SHOUTED INTO THE VOID AND THE ECHO NEARLY BURST MY EARDRUMS!¡±
¡°Not nearly.¡± Abby said, pointing at Varlin¡¯s ears.
There were two small trails of blood leaking out of his ears. The sorcerer put a hand to his ear and pulled it away after feeling the blood. After checking his hand, he swore and dug into his robes. He pulled a small round vial out of a pocket and immediately downed the red liquid. Abby glanced at Kaleb before they both looked at Varlin again.
Varlin wiped the blood from below each ear as the Health Potion did its thing. ¡°That¡¯s better. Yeah, that was no fun at all.¡±
¡°We seriously need to talk about getting some of those.¡± Kaleb said, pointing toward the now empty container in Varlin¡¯s hand.
¡°Subtle, Prof.¡± Abby muttered.
Kaleb just shot the diminutive mutant a look as Varlin glanced at the bottle in his hand and then back to the others. The lanky sorcerer got a pleased look on his face and started to say something. He was quickly cut off by Kaleb.
¡°Don¡¯t be a dick,¡± Kaleb said. ¡°We could use some health potions and you obviously have a source. Just give us a hand.¡±
Varlin deflated a bit. ¡°You have no mercantile soul. The back-and-forth dance of negotiating is half the fun.¡±
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not a dance. It¡¯s an annoying waste of time. You have the thing, I want the thing. I will give you money if you give me the thing. If no one¡¯s an ass about it, we can be over and done with the whole thing fast and everyone can be happy.¡±
¡°Kind of a simplistic view,¡± said Two Gun ¡°Although I can¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t prefer if more people thought that way.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll talk to the House Alchemists. But I don¡¯t expect they¡¯ll part with anything too good. If anything, they¡¯ll sell you the lower tier stuff.¡±
Kaleb turned a smug smile on Abby. ¡°See? Piece of cake. Now we have someone to go to for Health Potions.¡±
¡°Low tier Health Potions.¡± Abby complained.
¡°It¡¯s fine. As long as we have some to study, I bet my chemistry skill will let me figure out how to make or improve them.¡± Kaleb answered.
After confirming that Varlin now had a heading, they let the Sorcerer take the lead as they continued down the tunnel. Abby and Kaleb arguing over the differences between Alchemy and Chemistry. Two Gun and Claire took up the rear of the line and watched their back as they descended deeper into the ant¡¯s nest.
Chapter 127 - Just A Hole In The Ward
They continued to follow Varlin through the tunnels. Occasionally they heard the sounds of nearby ants skittering in the dark. But they never got close. Kaleb thought Abby was right. Most of the ants had to be further toward the center of the nest. Near the queen. Kaleb also figured since none of the ants were investigating the magical disturbance, that meant they couldn¡¯t feel it.
A few more waves of magical energy pulsed through the tunnels as they traveled deeper. Varlin seemed a little gun-shy after getting his eardrums blown out. So he would physically stop after every pulse and brace himself. Kaleb tried a few times to get a lock on the source with his limited magical senses. But it was like trying to find someone by smell. Easy if you knew how, but learning would take a while.
Their quiet journey was interspersed with several conversations. About the ants, Varlin¡¯s life with the House of Ainsley, and various bits of IRL things. Kaleb, who hadn¡¯t left the game since its launch, drew some odd looks from his friends. But when he informed them of his vacation from work, Two Gun and Abby seemed jealous. Meanwhile, Two Gun and Claire¡¯s farm was doing well. Although Two Gun was concerned about its continued automation. Also, Abby was preparing for a test in her college courses.
They were talking about their own college experiences when Varlin raised a hand. Two Gun and Kaleb drew their weapons. Abby summoned her shadow blade, and they all glared down the tunnel Varlin was facing. The Sorcerer slowly crept forward followed closely by Kaleb and the others. Soon as they made their way down the tunnel, Kaleb started to hear low voices. The voices grew as their group got closer and closer, and Kaleb thought he could see a light up ahead of them.
¡°I¡¯m telling you, we hit it too hard. We¡¯re going to draw attention.¡±
¡°And I told you, I don¡¯t care. I hope someone finds us. It¡¯ll be a lot more interesting than wailing on a magical wall all day.¡±
¡°Yeah. A fight would be more preferable to gathering energy all day. At least the others get to be above ground.¡±
¡°Would all of you be quiet? Bahn told us to be here, so we are here. If you got a problem with it. Take it up with them.¡±
The voices settled into quiet, grumbling as Kaleb and his friends slowly sneaked forward. They all shared glances as they overheard the conversation. But Claire raised a finger to her lips as they moved. But as they drew ever closer, Two Gun kicked some loose soil with his cowboy boot, creating a small cascade of falling dirt. Kaleb thought they were in the clear. But obviously someone from the other side was on lookout.
¡°Did y¡¯all hear that?¡±
¡°I think someone¡¯s here.¡±
Claire glanced at all of them before she shouldered past Varlin and ran ahead. She was followed closely by Abby and her husband. Kaleb and Varlin shared a look before they rushed down the narrow ant tunnel. As they drew closer to the source of the light, they had just enough time to see the others chasing several red humanoids down the tunnel and into the darkness. Kaleb was about to chase after them when Varlin grabbed his arm.
¡°What¡¯s all that?¡±
Varlin was pointing at various bits of equipment strewn across the tunnel floor. As they got closer to look, Kaleb felt himself step through the ward surrounding the ant hill. Just on the other side of the ward were several pickaxes and lanterns lying on the tunnel floor. One of the lanterns was glowing with an odd red color. Kaleb shared another look with Varlin before he asked.
¡°Were they trying to dig around the ward?¡±
¡°No way. Not with pickaxes. That would take forever.¡±
¡°Then what were they doing?¡± Kaleb wondered aloud as he knelt down near a pickaxe.
It was a decent-looking bit of equipment, if a little dated. The pickaxe head shone like new in the dim light from the lanterns. But the wooden haft was well-worn from use. Kaleb noticed runes carved into the wooden handle as he turned the tool over in his hand. It took him a while to remember his runic library, but he soon found out what the rune was for.
¡°This has the rune for ¡®transference¡¯ on it.¡± He said, holding up the pickaxe for Varlin to see.
¡°What is it transferring and where to?¡± Varlin asked as he studied the tool.
Kaleb shrugged as he studied the others. They all had the same rune etched into each handle. As he moved to check the lanterns, a thought occurred to him.
¡°What if they were hitting the ward with them?¡±
Varlin stopped his inspection of the pickaxes to look at him. ¡°To what end? Siphon power from the ward? That would be extremely tricky. Magical energy doesn¡¯t like to be contained. All attempts so far have gone explosively wrong.¡±
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
¡°What do you mean it ¡®doesn¡¯t like?¡¯ Is magic sentient enough to have a will?¡± Kaleb asked as he looked over at the lanterns.
He had just gotten to the one with the red glow, as Varlin explained. ¡°Not as we understand it. But it gets excitable when contained. Now we can chalk that up to energetic energies having nowhere to go in an enclosed space or it could be something else.¡±
Kaleb shook his head at the thought of a sentient power source and ran his hands over the red-glowing lantern. As he did, the glow seemed to dim, and he had to move closer to the other lanterns. The lantern seemed older and more ornate than the others. It almost looked like an old oil-based lantern to Kaleb. After a cursory inspection, he found a few more runes etched into the metal. Two of them stood out to him. Transference and storage. He had seen the first on the pickaxes, but storage was a rune he had used a lot recently.
The last rune seemed similar to the protection rune he had inscribed on all their armors. But it was slightly different. He realized it was the sturdiness rune as Varlin asked over his shoulder.
¡°Same thing on that one?¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Kind of. It has the Transference rune. But also the ones for Sturdiness and Storage. Sturdiness makes sense, but from what you¡¯ve said, Storage doesn¡¯t.¡±
¡°Well, the Demons aren¡¯t known for being bright.¡± Two Gun¡¯s voice spoke from the darkness.
Kaleb snapped his eyes up. ¡°That¡¯s who they were?¡±
Two Gun nodded as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. As he did, his hand swept over where his hat used to be.
¡°Lost my damn hat. But, yeah. They were a bunch of red horned humanoids. They were wearing Demon colors too. I chased them as far as I could. But my Stamina ran out. It hasn¡¯t exactly gotten a workout recently. But Claire and Abby are still chasing them down.¡±
As Two Gun was speaking, the light in the red lantern dimmed and died in Kaleb¡¯s hand. Kaleb studied it for a short while as Varlin explained what they had found. If Varlin was right, then they couldn¡¯t store the magical energy in the lantern. It had to be doing something. As he rolled the lantern over in his hands, another thought occurred to him.
¡°What if they were transferring the energy from this lantern to somewhere else?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Varlin asked.
¡°Well, first they hit the ward with the pickaxe. Transferring the magical energy into the pickaxe. Then they transfer that energy from the ax to the lantern. Once it¡¯s in the lantern, it siphons off somewhere else.¡±
¡°How far could it go?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°No idea. But if you had a big enough rune, and you built the lantern as a pair to it. Then maybe they would link up or something. I¡¯d have to ask Daivor.¡±
Two Gun grabbed a pickaxe and hefted it onto his slim shoulder. ¡°Should we test it out?¡±
Both Kaleb and Varlin shook their heads. ¡°No sense damaging the ward any further. Also, we don¡¯t want to give these Demons anymore magical energy. If that is what they are doing.¡±
Kaleb nodded in agreement as he picked up another ax and waved forward with the now empty lantern. ¡°Let¡¯s follow this tunnel out. We can catch up with the others and see if they captured any Demons.¡±
The others nodded, and the three of them followed the long, dark tunnel. It went on for a respectful distance and along the way; they saw a few Demons lying in pools of their own blood. Kaleb grimaced as he thought about how the others weren¡¯t trying to grab a Demon for questioning. But Two Gun pointed out that some of the Demon corpses looked untouched. Varlin suspected it was some kind of poison, or maybe even a magical death pact.
After another short bit of walking, they found the tunnel¡¯s exit. Claire and Abby were seated just outside the tunnel. The tall green woman laughed as she panted.
¡°See? Told ya they¡¯d follow us out.¡±
Abby just nodded as she sat on the grass, looking exhausted. Kaleb started to explain what they had found, but they were interrupted by the sound of several cars. Rolling through the grass field. Kaleb and Two Gun drew their weapons as Clair and Abby stood. Varlin seemed to study the cars for a few seconds before he waved them down.
¡°It¡¯s the House.¡± He said simply.
Kaleb watched as several robed individuals stepped out of the cars and approached. Some even had spells at the ready in their palms. He spotted Jar-lock among the group of sorcerers as they got closer. The large Mage grinned at them as he got closer. Kaleb waved a pickaxe idly, drawing a lot of attention.
The next few minutes were full of explanations and some heated conversations. Varlin and the Ainsley Sorcerers wanted to take the lantern and pickaxes to study them. But Kaleb was reticent, wanting to study the storage device for himself. Eventually, he argued for one pickaxe and that he be kept in the loop of their research. The NPCs from the House of Ainsley seemed hesitant to agree, but Varlin accepted eagerly. Kaleb didn¡¯t want to be a part of the argument Varlin was sure to have later with his leaders. But he happily walked back to their car with a pickaxe in hand.
¡°Really, son? You could¡¯ve had a pickaxe or a ride back to our car. And you chose the pickaxe?¡± Two Gun grumbled as they walked through the field.
¡°Oh hush, love. You know it wasn¡¯t that cut and dry,¡± Claire said.
Abby snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They sure weren¡¯t eager to offer us a ride after the Professor got his new toy.¡±
Jar-lock chuckled. ¡°And we know they had the room.¡±
Kaleb ignored them and looked over the pickaxe again as the setting sun glinted off the metal. He wasn¡¯t sure what he could learn from the application of its Transference rune. But he would find out. Also, the whole escapade made him remember the giant tree in the middle of the magical forest.
¡°This is definitely what that giant tree was talking about, right?¡±
Jar-lock nodded in understanding as it took Two Gun and Claire a few seconds to catch up. ¡°Almost absolutely. But I can¡¯t believe that it¡¯s just the Demons siphoning power from her roots.¡±
¡°Yea. If it were, I doubt the big gal would even feel it.¡± Two Gun agreed.
¡°But it¡¯s a place to start, and we were going to focus on the Demons eventually anyway, right?¡±
The others all agreed as Abby looked miffed at being left out of the conversation. Claire and Two Gun explained as Kaleb told Jar-lock.
¡°I was going to go to Under-Town in the next few days. I have some commitments to honor. Also, I feel it would be a great field trip for everyone.¡±
The large Mage nodded slowly. ¡°That sounds good. That¡¯s the underground city, right?¡±
Kaleb nodded and described Under-Town as their small group continued through the fields and into Austin¡¯s suburbs. It was going to take a while to walk back to their car.
Chapter 128 - Hey! I Know That Guy
Kaleb spent the day after the ant hill adventure building more weapons for his Under-Town friends. With the help of Terrance, Marie, Roy, and Daivor, the work went quickly. He had to expand his workshop again with the Super-Groups funds, but he thought it was well worth it. Marie had even spoken to her father about outfitting Kaleb¡¯s workshop with industrial grade equipment. Although the prices would not be cheap.
Between the five of them, they created two crates full of simple weapons. Spears, studded clubs, short-swords, and even a few katars. Although Marie let her disdain for small punch-daggers be known often and loudly. The two hunters had more practice making swords, so Kaleb and Roy let them handle those weapons. Daivor was mostly concerned about the enchanted pickaxe, and spent a large amount of his time studying the dark-metal tool. Kaleb helped where he could, but he and the other players were surprisingly busy.
The Demon gang had disappeared from the streets, but that just meant smaller gangs were now braving the streets. But they had received no calls about them. But Farrah¡¯s drones were out in force, watching the streets. Jar-lock and the others had gone out to deal with a few of the small-timers. Not that the police weren¡¯t also out in force. Kaleb¡¯s disagreement with Caskelmore seemed to spurn the local police department into action. At least, that¡¯s how Kaleb was taking it.
Since the local PD seemed hell-bent on proving they deserved their jobs, Kaleb offered to take everyone down to Under-Town. He needed to drop off the crates and few of them had seen the supposed seedier side of Austin. Remembering his deal with Obadiah, Kaleb also brought the old man along. Maybe the old spook could find some deniable assets in the criminal underworld. With all of them packed away in cars, they left a few of the NPCs in charge and headed out. Shaggy only knew about the one entrance, however, so the journey down was rough.
¡°Seriously! Why does it have to be a slide? That makes no sense.¡± Abby complained.
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it just is. We could take one of the tunnels, but those are controlled, and I didn¡¯t want to draw the eyes of any unsavory types.¡±
He and Roy were carrying a large crate between them as Jar-lock and Obadiah had the other. Claire and Two Gun were on protection duty. While Abby, it seemed, was the designated complainer. Terrance and Marie had tagged along as well, but they were oddly silent. They pushed their way through the throng of aliens and humans filling the streets. Some eyes were drawn to their cargo, but a firm look and shove were enough to keep most away. However, Two Gun and Jar-lock were keeping their heads moving, watching the crowds.
Kaleb also kept an eye out. But with the rush of people on Under-Town¡¯s main street, it was a chore. Thankfully, no one tried to pick his pocket this time through though. If anything, the crowds seemed calmer than before. They were still the same bunch of rowdy NPCs and players, but there was a lot less shouting. Kaleb marked it down to the fact that the main street market wasn¡¯t up yet. Nearby shop owners were erecting their stalls and shops were just opening as they made their way down the streets.
¡°It seems we are getting plenty of unsavory views as it is.¡± Claire smiled as she watched the crowd.
¡°Yeah, feels like we¡¯ve had eyes on us since we got down here.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t doubt it. The gangs that run this place like to keep a watch on things.¡± Kaleb nodded at Two Gun and Claire.
¡°You think we are going to get in trouble with the Quinica down here, Doc?¡± Roy asked.
Kaleb shook his head, unsure. He and another player named Shaggy had killed a Quinica elder fairly recently. It hadn¡¯t blown back on them yet. But Kaleb was sure it would at some point. Supposedly, the Quinica were one of the big gangs down here. Kaleb had even been working for the old Space Vampire at the time. So he was sure someone was out to get him.
¡°Hey!¡± a sudden voice called. ¡°Youse guys need to drop that crate there and step away.¡±
Kaleb and his friends came to a halt. More out of surprise than listening to the odd voices¡¯ commands. It took Kaleb a few seconds to find the guy talking, but the crowd was clearing. So soon the voice¡¯s owner and his men came into view.
They were a small group of humans and aliens dressed in old suits. They carried Tommy guns and pistols while wearing fedoras and wing-tip shoes. Kaleb had a brief flash of old gangsters movies as the crowd parted around the oddly dressed group of NPCs. Two Gun drew his pistols and Kaleb saw Claire tense. Abby disappeared into the shadows as the rest of them put the crates down. The wanna-be gangster seemed to think they were complying as he sauntered forward.
¡°I see youse guys is smart. Now hows about you step away from the crates and hand over the lizard guy there? We got a friend that wants to talk to him.¡±
¡°Professor?¡± Two Gun asked.
¡°I have no idea who these people are,¡± Kaleb said, confused. ¡°But with the way the streets clearing, they might be a known quantity down here.¡±
Jar-lock summoned fire and ice to his fists. ¡°Does that change things?¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
Kaleb drew his Sun Gun and casually stood. The armor they had stolen from the K-Tech guards was more than up to the task. Its primary function was the dispersal of laser fire, but it could handle bullets just fine. Turning his head slightly, Kaleb tried to whisper to Roy.
¡°Get Terrance and Marie off the street. Neither of them have any protection, and neither do you.¡±
Roy looked like he was about to complain. But he quickly shut his jaw and gave Kaleb a curt nod. Sighing to himself, Kaleb returned his stare to the group of suited thugs. They were starting to realize Kaleb¡¯s group had no intention of surrendering. The street was still emptying as more and more people realized a fight was about to start. The air grew tense as the two groups faced off and the street grew quieter.
Kaleb counted the thugs on the street and scanned the roofs. But it seemed that the eight on the ground were the only gangsters nearby. He grinned as he thought about how unprepared their enemy was. Almost their whole Super Group was down here, including Obadiah. These fools stood no chance. The leader opened his mouth to bark orders again, but Claire moved first.
With a mighty leap, the tall woman was across the street and on top of the lead gangster. Two Gun¡¯s laser pistols went off right behind her. Blue streaks of energy tearing up the street. Kaleb sent his own yellow orbs of energy into the nearest bad guy and casually walked up the street. Behind him, Jar-lock whispered his spells and sent condensed balls of fire and ice into the thugs¡¯ back ranks. Kaleb was sure he spotted Abby popping out of the darkness and shanking a few bad guys as well. Overall, the fight was short and brutal, ending in an obvious win for their side.
Kaleb sighed as he checked the energy levels on his Sun Gun. It still had plenty of charge and it seemed that the false sun on the cavern¡¯s roof was helping it charge. He holstered his gun and looked around. The street was filled with the well-dressed bodies of his enemies and their weapons.
¡°So¡ what was that about?¡± Two Gun asked as he tried to reload his pistols.
Once he remembered his guns were now laser weapons, he stopped and looked chagrined. Kaleb shrugged at the old man and shook his head.
¡°I don¡¯t know. But apparently I¡¯m more famous down here than I thought.¡±
Spotting Roy and the two Hunter kids hiding at the edge of the street, Kaleb waved them over. The boy had his batons out and was slowly putting them away. Surprisingly, Marie and Terrance looked a little wide-eyed at the violence. Kaleb had assumed with them being Hunters, violence would be an easy friend to them. But apparently not.
¡°Let¡¯s get looting and moving, then. We can guess at their motives later.¡± Abby muttered as she moved to a body.
Kaleb was about to do the same when another voice shouted from behind him.
¡°Professor?!¡±
Kaleb whirled, hands drawing his Cybar and his Sun Gun. But he stopped as he spotted a short, messy-haired man in the street. The man¡¯s muscles tensed and Kaleb could see that his response had surprised the werewolf. Beside him, his friends also readied their own weapons and spells. Sighing again, Kaleb put his guns away and kicked over a gangster.
¡°Shaggy! Hey, Hows it going?¡±
The werewolf player walked closer as Kaleb¡¯s friends started gathering up the loot. The short muscular man seemed to take in the street with equal parts awe and resignation. Kaleb finished rooting through his gangster¡¯s pockets and moving on to another. Shaggy nodded as he watched the time-honored player ritual of taking everything not nailed down.
¡°Ahhhhh, I see the Rakgu have made their stance on your illegal selling clear to you.¡± Shaggy nodded.
¡°Actually,¡± Claire said. ¡°They just demanded we hand over our crates and go with them. We disagreed.¡±
¡°Vehemently.¡± Abby added as she none-too-gently ripped a man¡¯s pockets opened.
Kaleb thought the little dark-haired mutant was playing it up a bit much. But maybe she was legitimately angry about being accosted in the street. Jar-lock asked Shaggy a question as the villain player stared at Claire and Abby.
¡°These Rakgu anything to be worried about?¡±
Shaggy nodded his messy head of hair. ¡°Oh yeah, they are one of Under-Town¡¯s Big Four. One of the top gangs down here. They also didn¡¯t take too kindly to the Prof, here, peddling his wares on THEIR street.¡±
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°Damn Doc, you really have a knack for pissing people off.¡± Roy said as he approached.
Kaleb turned to see Roy and his grandpa carrying one of the crates, as Marie and Terrance had the other. Shaking his head, Kaleb turned back to Shaggy.
¡°Hey, it ain¡¯t my fault. They didn¡¯t stop me last time, so how was I supposed to know?¡±
Kaleb turned and tried his best put-upon face. But it didn¡¯t seem like his friends were buying it. Spinning on the spot, Kaleb took in the street. More and more people were coming out of the woodwork now that the fighting was done. He could even see a few greedy gleams in people¡¯s eyes as they moved closer to the prone bodies. He was pretty sure they didn¡¯t want to be around for whatever was going to happen to the thugs next. Kaleb and his people had pulled some of their punches, but he didn¡¯t think the denizens of Under-Town were going to be that polite.
As he turned to regard Shaggy again, Kaleb saw that the man was staring hungrily at the weapon crates they were carrying.
¡°Well, unfortunately, most of the sizable groups down here don¡¯t really like people trading in their territory without them getting a cut. Of course, me and my group would be more than happy to take some stuff off your hands.¡± Shaggy said, greedily rubbing his hands together.
Kaleb chuckled as he moved to the crate Marie and Terrance were holding. Giving it a pat, he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, yours and the guy¡¯s stuff is in this one. But I was hoping to get most of this to the Brute Clan.¡±
Shaggy seemed to snap out of his hungry gaze as he nodded idly. ¡°That makes sense. Then let¡¯s go. Me and the guys are set up a few blocks east of your lizard friends.¡±
They all started moving down the street again with Shaggy in the lead. Kaleb moved up next to the villain player and asked.
¡°You met them?¡±
¡°Oh yeah, Vlad¡¯s with them now, trying to set up some kind of non-aggression pact.¡±
Two Gun chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t wanna tangle with a few dozen lizards, huh?¡±
Shaggy snorted. ¡°A few dozen? There are hundreds down here. All built like your wizard friend here and at least a foot taller. Really Prof, you should have told me more about them. Damn guys snuck up on us as we were clearing our territory of riff-raff.¡±
Kaleb froze as he heard Roy ask Shaggy a question. He had made enough weapons for the few dozen Lizards that had been here before. He did not have the production facilities to handle hundreds of the damn aliens. No matter how nice they were. He could help a bit, but he sure as hell didn¡¯t want to spend his gaming time just making swords. He tuned back into the conversation again as Shaggy was answering Roy¡¯s question.
¡°Can you go back to there being hundreds of the Brute Clan down here?¡± He asked.
Shaggy got a confused look on his face as he nodded. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? There are at least three other full Brute Clans down here now. Although now that I think about it, Wulkun said they had just arrived.¡±
At the mention of Wulkun, Kaleb deflated internally. That meant that Shaggy wasn¡¯t talking about a second group. He had met the same group Kaleb had been dealing with. He sighed as Two Gun chuckled from nearby.
¡°You didn¡¯t bring enough weapons, Prof.¡±
¡°They get what they get. I can only make so much and I don¡¯t want to spend all my time building stuff.¡±
Kaleb wanted to rub his forehead, but he refrained as they walked down the street. The crowds were pushing in again, and he wanted his eyes open. But he could already feel a headache coming on.
¡°I got to get my own crafter down here.¡± Shaggy was saying. ¡°The benefits far outweigh the cost. Plus, I know a pretty decent spot to ¡®shop¡¯ at, eh, Professor?¡±
Kaleb grinned as he remembered his escapades in the K-Tech junkyard with Shaggy and his friends. He wondered how the others were doing. Ren and Vlad seemed alright, even if the boy Slink was a bit of an asshat. He was about to ask Shaggy about them when the thudding of footsteps came from up the street. The tired-looking NPCs started rushing into cover again, and Kaleb turned to order Roy and the two Hunters to do the same. The words were barely out of his mouth when a heavily accented voice spoke up from the middle of the street.
Turning, Kaleb immediately spotted the leader of this new batch of gangsters. Most of them were in the same dirty suits as the previous group. But the guy who had spoken was different. His own pin-stripe suit was well tailored and pressed. He held a cigar between his teeth as he seemed to take everyone in with a glare.
¡°So, we meet again, my friend. I thought yous and yours were out on Dirt Row.¡±
It took Kaleb a full five seconds to realize that the man was talking to Shaggy, and not any of them. Had the villain player brought this gang down on them somehow? Or was it just coincidence? Shaggy snorted loudly and waved a hand as he stepped forward.
¡°What, I¡¯m not allowed to venture out, Mr. Tillani? I can have business elsewhere.¡±
An evil grinned spread across the short gangster¡¯s face as he ashed his cigar. ¡°Oh sure, you can go wherever you please in Under-Town. However, I told you that my people can hold a grudge and it would be better if you made yourself scarce. At least for a short time. But now I find you traipsing through our territory with a known seller of illicit goods.¡±
¡°Oh please, let¡¯s not pretend it¡¯s the nature of the goods you disagree with. It¡¯s the fact that you didn¡¯t get a cut of the sales.¡± Shaggy chuckled.
Kaleb quickly cottoned on to what was going on. Apparently, this Mr. Tillani and his crew were the ones complaining about Kaleb selling his wares. Which made no sense. The main street of Under-Town was supposed to be an open market. Sure, he had the protection of the Quinica at the time. But he wasn¡¯t paying them anything for the privilege.
¡°While that is correct.¡± Tillani said through gritted teeth. ¡°It¡¯s more about respect. When some jumped-up Supe lizard comes into our territory and starts selling goods, we are supposed to get a cut. He owes us!¡±
Kaleb almost snorted at the bad caricature of a gangster, almost went on a full rant. Tired of being passive in the conversation. Kaleb threw in his own opinion on the matter. Drawing his Cybar, he said.
¡°Well, considering I did not know I was supposed to kick anything up to you. I would say that¡¯s your problem. Also, if I recall correctly, I was under the Quinica¡¯s protection at the time.¡±
Tillani turned his steely-eyed glare on Kaleb and he could see the burning embers of the man¡¯s cigar in the gangster¡¯s eyes. Kaleb held the stare as Tillani sneered.
¡°Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Although I was unaware of your Quinica connection, that will be addressed in due time. For now, you will hand over those two crates and we will allow you to leave.¡±
Kaleb tensed, and he spotted his other friends getting ready to draw down again. Claire and Two Gun got ready to dive in, while Jar-Lock was whispering a spell. Abby had pulled the shadows onto her arms for her shadow blades when Shaggy laughed.
¡°Hahahaha. Oh, Mr. Tillani, you should really check who you are messing with before you risk what? Twenty or thirty guys.¡±
Kaleb thought that Shaggy was kinda right. If these Rakgu thugs were like the first group, they would trounce them in seconds. He didn¡¯t know how tough Tillani was, but without his army of mobs, they¡¯d be able to wear him down. The smell of ozone brought Kaleb¡¯s head around and he spotted Roy standing ready with his two stun batons. Marie and Terrance were a little further back. He gave the boy his best disappointed face, but Roy ignored him. He didn¡¯t look forward to running defense for the teenage NPC.
¡°They are nothing we can¡¯t handle.¡± Tillani waved a hand dismissively.
Shaggy voice dropped to a growl as Kaleb watched the shorter man¡¯s shoulders bunch up. ¡°Oh, I wasn¡¯t talking about them. I meant me!¡±
Loud pops filled the air as Shaggy¡¯s body twisted and his bones broke. Abby and two Gun swore in alarm at the horrible sight. Shaggy¡¯s muscular body curled in on itself before it expanded outward again. A ball of brown fur seemed to twist its way into reality around Shaggy¡¯s body. Soon it grew out into a large four-legged shape and with more grotesque-sounding crunches, Shaggy was gone. In his place was a large, muscular, brown wolf.
The creature growled as Tillani¡¯s forces seemed to shake in fear. Apparently, they hadn¡¯t been expecting the man to take this form. Which meant it must¡¯ve been new. Kaleb was happy for the villain. Shaggy had been trying to get a handle on his shifting for a while now. Of course, that meant taking him down was going to be a pain in the ass. But that would probably never happen. Kaleb was starting to think up contingencies for if such a scenario occurred.
Tillani looked annoyed as he threw his cigar into the dirt. He took in his crew, most of which were slowly backing away.
¡°I told you before about loyalties and how careful you should be about showing them. It seems you haven¡¯t taken me seriously. We will withdraw, but know this is not over for you or your little friends.¡± Tillani growled.
Kaleb grinned as he moved closer to Shaggy and placed a hand on his furry neck. ¡°Meh. I¡¯d say we were more frenemies. Eh, Shaggy?¡±
Shaggy¡¯s enormous wolf head turned to regard Kaleb. After a few seconds of eye contact, the big beast nodded slowly. But Kaleb could see some kind of disappointment in the werewolf¡¯s enormous eyes. It was quickly gone as Shaggy turned his head back to the street and growled again. However, his angry stance was immediately ruined as every one of Kaleb¡¯s friends closed in on the wolf.
¡°Now that is soft.¡±
¡°It is indeed.¡±
¡°Fluffy.¡±
Two Gun, Claire, and Abby were all at the wolf¡¯s side, patting and rubbing on the thing¡¯s fur. Kaleb winced slightly as he remembered the wolf was a player. But he couldn¡¯t argue. Shaggy¡¯s fur was fairly soft. Shaggy himself seemed to try to shake them off as he continued to glare down the street. Tillani and his men were pulling back. The cigar wielding gangster glaring at them the whole way. Obadiah was suddenly at Kaleb¡¯s side, a whisper passing between his lips.
¡°He one of them?¡±
It took Kaleb a second to realize what the old spy meant. But when he did, he slowly nodded. Drawing a curious glance from Shaggy¡¯s wolfish face. He didn¡¯t know how well the large werewolf could understand them. But after some quick charades, they collected themselves and started up the road again.
They got a fair distance away before the crowds rejoined the street again. Apparently, two incidents on the main road were enough to make a lot of the NPCs cautious. But soon the street was packed again. Some gave the enormous wolf in the street a wide berth. But a surprising number seemed more than willing to bump the poor player. Soon, Shaggy seemed to get fed up as he barked harshly, sending the surrounding NPCs sprawling away.
Once he had some room, the big wolf darted away into a nearby alley. Kaleb shared a glance with his friends as their guide ran away. Kaleb remembered where the Brute Clan was, but he thought Shaggy was coming with them.
¡°Aww, where¡¯s the doggy going?¡± Abby whined.
¡°He¡¯s a Werewolf, Abs.¡± Kaleb sighed.
¡°He¡¯s still fluffy though.¡±
They moved over to the alley where Shaggy disappeared and peered down it. Gone was the enormous brown wolf and in its place was a short, naked man. Shaggy was rooting around in the trash bare-assed, trying to find something to cover himself.
¡°Oh my,¡± Claire said as Two Gun spun her around to face the street.
Abby quickly covered her eyes, too. The game had a censoring feature for those too young or people that wanted such things. But apparently it was off by default for adults. Kaleb quickly turned around as well. Glancing at Two Gun and Jar-lock, he sighed.
¡°Anyone have any credits for a pair of pants?¡±
¡°Please.¡± Shaggy added from down the alley.
Chapter 129 - Lizard Council
After getting Shaggy a full set of clothes at a shop up the road, they all continued their brief journey. Along the way, Shaggy explained that his recent Werewolf form was fairly new. Which meant it came with certain issues. Lack of clothes when he transformed back being one of them. But after some initial awkwardness, they all managed to get themselves under control and had a fairly quiet walk to the Brute Clan¡¯s mansion. They drew a few looks from the local populace, but no one else seemed aggressive.
Kaleb was going over what he wanted to get accomplished once he made it back to his Workshop, when Two Gun spoke up.
¡°Uhhh, Professor. Does that look right to you?¡±
Kaleb turned to look up the street, seeing the mansion¡¯s wrought-iron gate and the dirt yard beyond it. But standing in front of the gate, looking mean as hell, was a load of Brute Clan Basilinoids. Their metal and wooden clubs were in their hands and they looked more than ready to start something. Kaleb sighed heavily as he guessed the source of their contempt was probably him.
He stepped forward, arms up, and said. ¡°My name is Professor Pack Rat. I am a friend of Wulkun and Aqwen. As well as a friend of the Brute Clan. I mean no harm and come to trade. Please go ask someone from the original Brute Clan down here and we can avoid a fight.¡±
His actual in-game name felt weird on his tongue as he addressed the muscular lizard-aliens. None of them moved, choosing instead to glare daggers at Kaleb. He felt his hand slowly falling to his hip holster and praying for something to happen. He really didn¡¯t want to explain to Aqwen and Wulkun why he had knocked out all their guards.
A thudding of harsh footsteps in the dirt caught everyone''s attention as a slim, green lizard rushed toward the gate from the mansion-side. Next to the skinny lizard was a cloud of black mist that seemed to travel alongside the lizard. Kaleb watched as Aqwen slid to a stop in front of the gate, but the black cloud easily slid through it and rushed closer toward them. The black cloud came to a full stop next to Shaggy, and the mist formed itself into a tall pale man in a black suit.
Vlad grinned at them all before throwing a curious glance at Shaggy. With a sigh, the pale vampire player said. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯ve been gone for like three hours. How have you gone through so many clothes already? You¡¯re not even wearing what you left here in.¡±
The short, messy-haired werewolf shrugged his broad shoulders. ¡°What are you? My mom? You try to fight with claws without getting blood everywhere.¡±
Kaleb ignored the pair as he turned back to Aqwen. When he had left, the female Basilinoid was in a leadership role within the clan. But wasn¡¯t sure if that was still the case. Judging by the way she was shouting orders and arguing with the group at the gate, Kaleb assumed she still held the same position. Several of the big brutes would glare Kaleb¡¯s way as the shorter, slimmer woman shouted at them all.
Two Gun tapped Kaleb¡¯s shoulder and raised an eyebrow in question. But Kaleb shook him off and raised a finger for the man to wait. Two Gun shrugged and stepped back a few steps as they all watched Aqwen give the gate guards a severe dressing down. Once it was finished, every one of the guards shot an evil look at Kaleb. He was thinking this little trip to the other side of the tracks might not go well.
Aqwen waved them all over as the gate was slowly pushed open. Kaleb noticed that the left-side gate dug through the dirt as it was pushed. Looking at it, he realized the gate was hanging loosely on that side. Something heavy had bent the metal gate out of shape. He quirked an eyebrow at Aqwen, but the lizard-woman shook her head slowly. Kaleb gave a mental shrug as he greeted his friend.
¡°Hello, Aqwen. I see you have new recruits.¡±
Surprisingly, the female Basilinoid bowed reverentially. ¡°Greetings, Professor. Yes, the Brute Clan is doing very well for itself. Something you would know if you were down here more often.¡±
The tone was the same as before, but Kaleb still found the reverence off-putting. With a sigh, he explained. ¡°I have obligations topside. You know that. Also, if what just happened was any sign, I don¡¯t think my presence down here would be very welcome.¡±
He heard several of the gate guards hiss openly behind him as they all walked through the gate. Aqwen shook her head and waved a hand.
¡°Bah! That only happened cause the new group of clan members don¡¯t know you. Something that could be remedied by you being down here and taking care of clan business.¡±
¡°Man, you really want me to visit more. You must have really missed me.¡±
Suddenly the subservience was gone and the old Aqwen came out as she whirled on Kaleb. Pointing a finger in his face. ¡°Damn it, you are supposed to be down here helping Wulkun as his aide-de-camp! But instead, I have to follow the old lizard around and attend meetings, take notes, remind him of people¡¯s names. Not to mention handle the mansion¡¯s security! I was raised to be a warrior, not an old lizard¡¯s secretary!¡±
Kaleb slowly nodded as he realized why the woman had been so deferential. She was playing the part of a good second. Something Kaleb had absolutely no interest in. Shaggy said something that Kaleb missed, but it dragged Aqwen¡¯s glare over to the shorter Mutant. Kaleb glanced at them before he waved the angry woman down and tried to explain.
¡°That¡¯s not my job, Aqwen. You know that, and you are more than capable of finding a replacement. You just don¡¯t want to leave Wulkun¡¯s security to anyone else. Now can we walk and talk about this at the same time. I have gifts to distribute.¡±
The lizard-woman huffed angrily as her eyes scanned past Kaleb. He noticed the hungry look in her eyes as she took in the two large crates. With a nod, they all continued down the dirt path toward the large mansion in the distance. As Kaleb looked around, he spotted a large batch of tents just in front of the mansion doors. Campfires and the smell of food cooking pervaded the air as they approached. Kaleb spotted children playing in the dirt. Aqwen broke into his musings by mumbling.
¡°Last time I wasn¡¯t with him, he got abducted.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s mind searched back to the last time he was down here. The Faceless Gang had abducted the old lizard leader in an attempt to bring all the Brute Clan to heel. Unfortunately, they choose to abduct the old man when Kaleb was just starting to like him. Even worse for them was the fact that their Rivals, The Phreaks, launched a surprise attack. The resulting fight had killed both the leaders of each gang and had wiped out the Faceless entirely.
Kaleb scoffed as he thought about the incident. ¡°He went willingly. Also, if any force comes to your gates now, I think the greeting they would get would be entirely different.¡±
Aqwen¡¯s eyes went hazy as she replied. ¡°Yes, it would.¡±
Kaleb could see the anger and brutality behind the lizard-woman¡¯s eyes. She looked ready to kill anyone who came into their new home. Which Kaleb could understand. The Brute Clan had been tossed around more than enough. While Kaleb wasn¡¯t ready to fully join the cause, he was more than willing to help them all out as much as he could.
A scratchy old voice shouted from the mansion, stopping all of them in their tracks. Kaleb looked up to see Wulkun smiling happily and moving toward them. The old lizard was still as massive as any Brute Clan member, but he was slightly hunched with age and his scales were a dull green color.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
¡°Professor! So good to see you down here so soon. I hope our security wasn¡¯t too overzealous in their job.¡±
Kaleb nodded kindly at the old lizard, but the glares of the three other old-looking Basilinoids cut into him. One was the biggest Brute Clan lizard he had ever seen, while the other two were much shorter and clearly older. He wasn¡¯t great at telling ages of alien races. But if he went by the shine of their scales, then the big one was the youngest. The second older Basilinoid was clearly a woman, and her gaze was just as intense as the first guys. But the freakiest glare came from the skinniest Lizard-alien Kaleb had ever seen. He was staring at Kaleb with equal parts disdain and interest. Like a bug he wanted to kill and then place in a glass case for observation.
Kaleb shuddered as Wulkun noticed him glancing at the other old basilinoids. The old lizard laughed as he grasped Kaleb¡¯s hand.
¡°I see my compatriots are eager to meet you.¡± Wulkun said, not remotely looking like he believed his own words.
Kaleb grimaced as he was dragged over to the council of Brute Clan Elders. Each one represented a different Brute Clan that had joined up with Wulkun. Once the old lizard had sent out word that the Brute Clan¡¯s were joining together. The three of them had come running. Gor¡¯kinak was from Arizona, and he led a small group of fighters with an iron fist. V¡¯alla was from Oklahoma and had come hoping to protect the families under her care. The skinny one¡¯s name was Jerald and he lead the largest force of Brute Clan members aside from Wulkun. He claimed to have been merely curious about what was going on.
Kaleb had to wipe his hand on his pants after shaking Jerald¡¯s hand. It wasn¡¯t covered in anything, but the guy just gave Kaleb an uneasy feeling. Kaleb introduced his own group of friends. The elders were kind, if a little standoffish with the others. But once Kaleb had shown off the two crates of weapons, V¡¯alla and Gor¡¯kinak¡¯s expressions changed in a hurry. Unfortunately, Kaleb had to shoot down their expectations.
¡°Sorry to say, but I can only make so much. Also, the other crate will go to our mutual friends here for services rendered. They helped collect the metal that went into the weapons.¡±
The giant Gor¡¯kinak got an ugly look on his face as he turned his glare to Shaggy. The werewolf player merely grinned happily as Vlad tried to be more diplomatic about things.
¡°We will be more than happy to just take what we need and give the rest to our new allies. We are still a small group, anyway. So we don¡¯t need much.¡±
Kaleb saw Shaggy¡¯s shoulders slump in defeat and bit back a smile. It was clear which of the two was more of the diplomat. He figured that if it was up to Shaggy, the werewolf would snatch all the weapons and sell the rest. But this way, Vlad garnered some goodwill between their two groups. Kaleb turned around in time to see Roy showing off their work to Aqwen. The pair had opened a crate and were looking through its contents. Shrugging, Kaleb reached down and grabbed both parts of the spears he and Daivor had created.
Taking the metal pole and the screw-on spear tip, Kaleb attached the two and held out the six-foot weapon to Wulkun. But the old lizard shook his head good-naturedly.
¡°I am more than familiar with your work. Show the others.¡± Wulkun said, smiling happily.
Kaleb shrugged and turned and found Jerald staring hopefully. Still off-put by the lizard elder¡¯s look, Kaleb handed the lizard the spear and backed away. The skinny Basilinoid held the weapon gingerly in his hands. Which confused Kaleb. The Brute Clan were genetically modified to be soldiers. But Jerald was acting like he had never held a weapon before. Gor¡¯kinak moved closer and snatched the weapon away as Roy was explaining everything they had made. Marie and Terrance joined in the explanation as Gor¡¯kinak tested the weight of the weapon.
The giant lizard spun the weapon in his large hands before he went through a few katas. His actions drew a large crowd of lizard-people as young and old aliens pushed forward to watch. Once he was done, the big lizard tossed the metal spear to Kaleb and nodded.
¡°Good. You will make more for us.¡± He ordered.
Kaleb felt his hackles raising as he put on a forced smile. ¡°Sorry. As I was explaining to Aqwen, I have my own concerns. I can¡¯t just be making weapons for you people.¡±
The giant lizard¡¯s face went deep green as he became enraged. Kaleb sat back and waited for the outrage to come pouring out. But before it could, Wulkun got between the two.
¡°The clans understand your prior obligations, Professor. We would never want to put undue pressure on you.¡±
¡°WULKUN! This damn Lab Lizard owes us! He needs to be making our weapons full-time.¡±
Kaleb snorted. ¡°Owes you? I am sorry, but you can go fuck yourself. I made these weapons to help Wulkun and his clan. The rest of you can all go hang for all I care.¡±
Gor¡¯kinak¡¯s face was flushed with angry as he sputtered under Kaleb¡¯s tirade. Once he had collected himself. The big lizard blew out a breath and glared down at Kaleb.
¡°Your people created, enslaved and then threw us away. No amount of weaponry will ever make up for what your kind did.¡±
¡°Sorry, Champ. That¡¯s got nothing to do with me. The people you want are still out in Arizona. So unless you plan on holding all basilinoids accountable for what happened hundreds of years ago. You can stuff it.¡±
Kaleb glanced around to find a few of the Brute Clan were glaring at him angrily. But most of them just looked tired and worn out. A few even looked afraid that a fight was going to break out at any second. His friends were standing near the two crates, watching. Two Gun and Claire seemed tense, and Jar-lock was watching with a blank expression on his face. Kaleb scanned for Abby and sighed when he couldn¡¯t find her. Oddly enough, Obadiah was having a whispered conversation with Shaggy a short distance away. Oblivious to the mounting tension in the air.
Gor¡¯kinak looked ready to tear Kaleb¡¯s head off. But with a final glance at the surroundings, the giant lizard-man stomped away. A collective sigh came from everyone. Although Kaleb spotted Jerald looking a little annoyed. But then he quickly wiped the look off his face and spun toward Kaleb. A fake smile appeared on his face.
¡°Well, I apologize for my compatriot. I am sure we can come to some kind of arrangement that will make all parties happy.¡±
V¡¯alla, who was also close by, nodded as she ran a hand down the spear in Kaleb¡¯s hands. ¡°Yes. Might I suggest we send a few of our own people up with you? Just to facilitate shipments? Whatever you can create would be massively helpful. Although I think I would prefer more contemporary weapons.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a marvelous idea.¡± Wulkun clapped. ¡°Please, Professor. Step inside and let us discuss things.¡±
Kaleb and his friends were quickly ushered inside the mansion where food and drink were quickly served. He had to hand off Shaggy¡¯s weapons from the second crate. But once that was accomplished, Vlad and Shaggy took their leave. Eager to pass out their weapons to their own people.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of agreements, handshakes, and an almost full-out ceremonial brawl. But once things were finished, Kaleb came away with several orders for weapons and a large batch of Brute Clan warriors for their airfield. The lizards would handle transport and distribution of the weapons. While all Kaleb had to do was build some in his off time. Surprisingly, Roy, Terrance and Marie all volunteered to work on the project. Terrance confided in Kaleb that Marie¡¯s dad didn¡¯t let them use his workshop as much as Kaleb did.
With the constant magical orb in the sky casting light down on Under-Town, Kaleb was unclear about how much time had passed. The Brute Clan had been adamant about celebrating the deal in some fashion. After Kaleb had ix-nayed the brawl, they had decided on a feast that lasted several hours. Now they were all trudging back through Under-Town, two crates lighter and a lot of in-game alcohol in their systems.
¡°What¡¯s that sour look for, Professor? The Brute Clan are doing great.¡± Abby said happily.
Kaleb groaned. ¡°I somehow got roped into doing more fucking grunt work! That¡¯s why I have a sour face. The goal was to lessen my workload, not add to it.¡±
¡°More work is good. It means you¡¯re a talented artisan.¡± Marie slurred as she leaned against Terrance.
Kaleb winced as he imagined the earful he was going to get from the kid¡¯s parents about letting them drink. Thankfully, most of the Hunter teens had taken to sleeping at the hangar. So what the parents didn¡¯t know wouldn¡¯t hurt them.
¡°Besides, Prof. We can handle that stuff.¡± Roy added. ¡°You can spend your days contemplating that pickaxe of yours.¡±
¡°Are you still at that thing?¡± Jar-lock asked, surprised.
¡°Of course. It¡¯s our only link to whatever those damn demons were up to. But your library is pretty sparse on demonic runes. We need a better catalog to pull from.¡±
The big mage shrugged. ¡°Magic books are expensive. Besides, the Demons have gone underground. We have other things to be worried about.¡±
¡°Yeah. Like making our quota of crimes stopped this week. It¡¯s great that the damn cops are doing their jobs for once. But if they keep it up, we¡¯ll lose our license.¡±
¡°That¡¯s probably their goal.¡± Kaleb grumbled.
¡°You¡¯re not wrong. But we just have to be faster. I really don¡¯t want to compete with the local PD for crimes. But if that¡¯s the position we are in. We are going to have to.¡±
Abby gaped at Jar-lock. ¡°I think I like drunk Jar-lock. Fuck the man! Let¡¯s get out there and stomp on some crime!¡±
Abby wobbled on her feet before she stumbled into Claire. The tall woman righted Abby and helped her walk as she added. ¡°She¡¯s not wrong. You have been pretty insistent on us not stepping on the police¡¯s toes, Jar. Why the change?¡±
Jar-lock waved an arm angrily. ¡°Cause I¡¯m pissed! We tried to work with them and they are now trying to shut us out. Well, fuck that. I say we up our patrols, push into other neighborhood, and give the cops a damn run for their money. We¡¯ll see who bows out first.¡±
The others all cheered as they nodded along. Kaleb couldn¡¯t help but shout along. But inside, the runes on the demonic pickaxe still rolled through his head. Their shapes and styles reminded him of several runes from Daivor¡¯s Gnomish runes. But they didn¡¯t quite match up. It was a mystery he wanted to solve, and he was sure when he did, it would lead them right into the heart of the Demon¡¯s plans.
Chapter 130 – Off to School
Kaleb ignored the banging hammers and the smell of his new forge. Instead, he focused on the pain in the ass pickaxe that had haunted him since he got it. The runes on the thing¡¯s shaft and pick glowed red and shifted under his watchful eye. But they wouldn¡¯t coalesce into any kind of sense. They were just nonsense words mixed with some flecks of magic. He rubbed his eyes in aggravation as he stretched his neck and back.
Behind him, Marie and Terrance were directing several Hunters and Brute clan members around his workshop. The clans had sent many of their young warriors back up with Kaleb¡¯s group. They were to provide security and transfer weapons back and forth to Under-Town. Kaleb didn¡¯t mind the help, but the withering looks the lizards sent his way were annoying. Especially as the big aliens loudly trounced their way through his Workshop.
Roy and Daivor were across the shop, at the second work table, putting together something. Kaleb hadn¡¯t asked what the pair were working on and they had both surprisingly kept mum about it. Daivor had started out helping Kaleb decipher the pick¡¯s runes. But the little Gnome was as unfamiliar with them as Kaleb was. Jar-lock¡¯s library had been no help either. The mage said that books on Demonology were highly restricted and carefully monitored. Which Kaleb found increasingly maddening. Apparently, if he wanted access to the Wizard College¡¯s library, he had to enroll in the damn school or be escorted onto the campus by a Wizard..
Unfortunately, Vivienne wasn¡¯t logged in yet. So instead Kaleb tried to figure the runes out himself. Once the animal-loving wizard was in the game, he planned to beg her to get him in. But until then, he was stuck in his expanded workshop, listening to the Brute clan and the Hunters argue over weaponry. He was a few seconds from kicking everyone out when he heard Jar-lock¡¯s voice echo through his open door. But the tumult of his workshop drowned the mage out.
¡°EVERYONE SHUT UP!¡± Kaleb yelled as he responded to Jar. ¡°What?!¡±
¡°I said Viv is going to log in soon!¡± Jar-lock yelled back.
Kaleb smiled and grabbed the pickaxe. Along the way, he gave nods to Roy and Daivor, telling them they were in charge. A few tried to knock into his shoulder as he moved past, but he ignored them. For now, they were a minor nuisance. But he knew eventually they would need to have words. Especially if his workshop was going to turn out weapons for them.
Kaleb slid to a stop outside the area marked as Jar-lock¡¯s library. Waist-high shelves and desks littered the space. Each piled high with whatever books, tomes, or scrolls Jar-lock and Vivienne could gather. They had a pretty decent, if odd, collection of spells. Everything ranging from attack and defense spells to scrolls about pixie feeding habits. Kaleb had dove through the library with gusto, trying to find anything on demonology. But he came up empty-handed.
He spotted Jar-lock inside the marked-off area, returning to his seat. ¡°When?¡±
Jar-lock snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t know, dude. Just give her a minute. You remember Pod procedures, right? I know you haven¡¯t logged out in a while. But you have to remember how long the diagnostic check is.¡±
Kaleb spun the pickaxe in his hands. ¡°Yeah, I get that. But I want to get to the college campus as soon as possible.¡±
¡°You know they might not even let you in, right?¡±
¡°I just want to check out their demonology section. What¡¯s the big issue?¡±
Jar-lock sat in his big maroon armchair and gave Kaleb a deadpan look. ¡°What¡¯s the issue with meddling with literal demonic forces?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Yeah. I mean, there are gateways to other planes, right? So no one has opened a portal to Demon-Land or something?¡±
¡°It¡¯s been done twice.¡± Jar-lock intoned sagely. ¡°Both times, things did not go well. Surprisingly, things went equally bad when they opened a gate to a supposed Heaven.¡±
¡°Do what now?¡± Kaleb jolted in surprise.
¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a long story, but apparently, after the demonic portal was open, people started looking for the opposite door. Which led to a whole heap of trouble.¡±
Jar-lock had picked up a book and was idly turning its pages. Kaleb could see the mage¡¯s eyebrows quirk ever so slightly. He sighed.
¡°You will not explain until I ask, right?¡±
¡°A captive audience is one that is actively taking part.¡±
Kaleb raised the pickaxe like he was going to throw it. But he shook his head and silently went back to waiting. While the idea of an in-game Heaven was fascinating, it wasn¡¯t nearly as juicy as solving his Rune problem.
The clanging of a metal door opening drew Kaleb around in time to see Vivienne walking out of the basement. She held a hand to her mouth as she yawned loudly while scanning the air hangar. Her eyes glazed past Kaleb and into their open-air library to where Jar-lock was sitting. She smiled happily and wandered over.
¡°Evening Vivienne, can I have a moment?¡± Kaleb quickly asked. Behind him, he heard Jar-lock leave his chair.
Vivienne gave him a kind smile. ¡°Yes, Professor. I¡¯ll take you. Jar already explained. But I have to warn you, if you take your new toy, the wizards are going to throw a fit.¡±
Kaleb glanced down at the pickaxe in his hands. Its dark metal and red runes seemed to call to him. He wanted to leave it, but he¡¯d be able to reference the runes better if he took it. As Kaleb wrestled with the decision, Jar-lock and Vivienne embraced quickly.
Groaning at his competing thoughts, Kaleb finally said. ¡°I¡¯ll take it. I want to study it on site and if I can find an expert, that¡¯s even better.¡±
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°Okay,¡± Vivienne answered. ¡°But be prepared. Some Wizards are down-right mercenary about this stuff.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You coming Jar-lock?¡±
¡°Yeah, I love sticking it to those scholarly types. They¡¯re like a bunch of stuffy college professors that can fling fireballs.¡± The big mage grinned.
The three of them informed everyone else they were leaving, hopped into an available car, and took off. The drive into the city was a short one, but once they were in downtown, the streets grew packed. Villains and Supers were out and doing their thing. NPC and Player Villains were robbing people and stores while Supers were trying to stop them. Kaleb was more surprised that the city seemed to still be operating smoothly.
The big super fights crashed into the streets and into buildings. But the NPC population just sort of moved around it. It was like they were so used to the mayhem that it no longer affected them. Instead, they instinctively got out of the way. If they couldn¡¯t, then they quickly sheltered in place and called their loved ones or bosses.
¡°Man, people can get used to anything, huh?¡± Kaleb wondered as Jar-lock drove.
¡°They aren¡¯t people, remember? Just highly sophisticated programs designed to act like people.¡±
Vivienne snorted from the passenger seat. ¡°You keep saying that, Jar. But you¡¯ve seen and spoken to Roy. That boy is a stereotypical teenager through and through. As real as any other person in here.¡±
¡°He is highly advanced. I grant you. But there are little things here and there that give it away.¡±
¡°Well, keep them to yourself. One of the worst things a person can do is point out someone else¡¯s personality ticks.¡± Kaleb groaned.
Vivienne spun in her seat. ¡°But that¡¯s the thing! The AI knows enough to give the people in here personality ticks! Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡±
¡°SOME of them have ticks.¡± Jar-lock butted in. ¡°Have you spoken to a standard NPC on the street? There¡¯s a few seconds where the AI is generating the NPC¡¯s backstory from scratch. In that time you can see the standard, glassy-eyed, monosyllabic NPC. It¡¯s creepy.¡±
¡°You just want to peek behind the curtain and see the game¡¯s guts.¡± Vivienne waved him off. ¡°I am more than happy to believe in the world''s fiction. Especially when it is so realistic.¡±
¡°The lie is beautiful, but I just think we have to remember it¡¯s a lie.¡±
Vivienne stuck her tongue out at Jar-lock and looked away from him. Kaleb ignored their byplay as he fingered the runes on the pickaxe. A part of him was worried that the thing was playing with his mind. But he would know such interference, right? If not him, then one of his magical friends. Kaleb comforted himself with the thought that if he was afraid of being mind-controlled, he probably wasn¡¯t being mind-controlled. A complicit subject was better than a tense and worried one, right?
He was about to voice his concerns to Jar-lock and Viv when they turned into a large parking lot. The grey asphalt lot seemed to stretch on forever in front of a large, almost shimmering, brick building. People of all sorts of species and colors walked across the lot to and from the big campus. Kaleb slowly realized that even with the aliens he had seen, he still had only glimpsed a fraction of the game¡¯s total menagerie.
Students of all ages carried books and bags toward the horseshoe shaped building that stretched into the sky. Captivated, Kaleb missed Jar-lock, finding a parking space and exiting the car. Only when Vivienne shouted his name did Kaleb jolt to reality.
¡°Yeah, this place will do that to you. It has some kind of charm on the brickwork that exudes an aura of majesty.¡±
¡°The pompous asses just want people to be enthralled with them.¡± Jar-lock snorted.
Vivienne opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to think about it. Nodding and shrugging her shoulders, she interlocked her arm with Jar-lock¡¯s and they headed to the building. Kaleb gripped the black pickaxe tightly and hurried after them. The parking lot was packed with every variant of vehicle Kaleb knew about and the people were crowding the spaces between.
But between Kaleb and Jar-lock¡¯s bulky figures, they cut a path to the front gate. Kaleb was reminded of an amusement park as he spotted several rotating gates. Some had waist-high security turnstiles in front that students would scan their IDs on and enter. Other people were being questioned by large golems of stone and metal. But Vivienne was leading their small group toward a brick shack at the edge of the campus.
Through the glass window on the side of the building, Kaleb could see a portly guard in a blue uniform. The younger guard looked bored, but perked up as they approached. He straightened his uniform and set a scowl on his face. Vivienne practically skipped up to the window as she drug Jar-lock along.
¡°One student and two guests, please.¡±
¡°Guests, huh? You know our Magical Academy takes non-student guests very seriously, right? There are a lot of magical items behind these magical walls. We can¡¯t have any unknowns waltzing the halls.¡±
Kaleb heard Jar-lock snort, but Vivienne slapped his broad shoulder and smiled at the guard. ¡°We are aware, but these two were wondering about this wondrous institution. So I thought I¡¯d show them around.¡±
The guard nodded. ¡°Ahhh! Prospective students! In that case, Imma need to check them with the orb. You know that magical taint has been on the rise lately. So we can¡¯t be too careful.¡±
Vivienne nodded along as the guard produced a fist-sized blue orb from below his desk. A small slot opened in the window and the guard waved at them.
¡°Please stick your hand through and touch the orb.¡±
¡°What does this do?¡± Jar-lock asked as he followed orders.
¡°It just checks your magical pathways for any signs of degradation or tampering. We¡¯ve had a few magical sicknesses recently, y¡¯know.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Jar-lock said, placing his large hand on the small orb.
The ball glowed brighter for a few seconds before it returned to its standard hue. The guard nodded and wrote something down. Waving Jar-lock off, he turned to Kaleb and froze. Used to this sort of thing, Kaleb simply nodded and got ready to put his hand through the window¡¯s opening. But the guard held up a hand and pointed down at the pickaxe.
¡°Will you be declaring what that is?¡±
Kaleb flexed the fingers on his metal arm. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a research project I want to look into while I am here. It¡¯s a pickaxe I found while doing some freelance work.¡±
¡°It¡¯ll need to be scanned.¡±
The guard waved his hand, and a tray slid out of the brick wall beside Vivienne. Kaleb nodded and sat the pickaxe down on the slim tray. That done, he stuck his hand through the window and onto the orb. The guard fussed about a bit with papers and things while the orb glowed blue for a few seconds and then stopped.
¡°Okay, you¡¯re clear. But I should warn you, your magical talent is very weak. Almost like you haven¡¯t been using it. This school only takes the best. So you might¡¡±
BREE BREE BREE
A large red warning light appeared on the wall and all hell broke loose. Kaleb¡¯s arm was caught in the window and the guard pulled a wand like an old gunslinger pulling a pistol. The wand glowed with an orange light as a spell was prepared. Vivienne and Jar-lock started shouting and Kaleb could see more wizards and mages running their way from the school.
Kaleb sighed and put his head against the glass window. Maybe he should¡¯ve mentioned the demonic nature of the pickaxe?
Chapter 131 – New Batch Of Wizards
¡°Y¡¯know, Viv. I feel we need to a have a discussion about what you consider ¡®having a fit.¡¯¡± Kaleb said as he sat in a hard plastic chair, staring at a white brick wall.
click
¡°I believe this falls into that category.¡± Vivienne¡¯s electronic voice said.
click
Kaleb turned his head and stared out the heavy-duty glass window embedded in the wall. On the other side, Vivienne and Jar-lock were grinning at him. He pulled at his hand, the handcuff on his wrist digging into his skin. His other arm had been temporarily placed in stasis. Which was a new one. At least he didn¡¯t have to worry about the long-term effects of an EMP or other similar device.
¡°I¡¯ve been arrested, Vivienne!¡±
Jar-lock leaned in close and pressed a button on their side of the window.
click
¡°Technically, you have just been detained. No charges have been filed and nothing you say can be held against you.¡±
click
Kaleb grimaced. ¡°And they took my damn pickaxe!¡±
The clicking speaker turned on again, as Jar-lock leaned closer to the window. ¡°Dude, it¡¯s a pickaxe covered in unknown runes. Of course, they were going to confiscate it.¡±
¡°I was going to study that here. They can look at it all they want later.¡±
¡°I think they are looking at it now.¡± Vivienne said.
¡°Well, make them keep notes. That thing has some sort of energy transference rune on it! The Demons were transferring and containing magical energy somehow.¡±
¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±
¡°Clearly not. Cause they were doing it. At least temporarily.¡±
Vivienne and Jar-lock went silent and when Kaleb glanced over, he saw a trio of witches and wizards having a heated conversation with Jar-lock. The big mage¡¯s face was set in stone, however, as he shook his head. The short bald wizard in the trio''s front grew more irate. His face visibly reddening until the taller female witch put a hand to his shoulder. The lot of them continued discussing something as Kaleb sighed.
It was a surprisingly long few minutes as the magic types all conversed with each other. Kaleb tried his best to make himself comfortable. But the plastic chair they had him on was almost designed to be uncomfortable. He was thinking about trying to pick the lock on the handcuffs when the wall next to the window opened up. The trio of wizards moved into the room cautiously, giving Kaleb some space. He smiled at them, but that didn¡¯t appear to make things any better. Jar and Vivienne came in right after the trio and gave Kaleb apologetic looks. Before he could discern what those looks meant, the bald wizard spoke, his voice gravely and hoarse from age.
¡°You will hand over that mystic item to the university immediately.¡±
Kaleb blinked in surprise. His shock carried on for a bit too long, though, as the bald wizard snorted and looked back at his compatriots.
¡°Great. He¡¯s an idiot! You! Will! Give! Me! The! Item!¡±
The wizard slowly enunciated and yelled each word in Kaleb¡¯s face. Which shook off his surprise and replaced it with mild annoyance. Kaleb settled into his chair and responded slowly.
¡°No.¡±
Baldie sputtered and his face turned to shock as he asked. ¡°What?¡±
¡°Oh great. You¡¯re an idiot. You are not getting my Pickaxe asshat. I came here to study it. If you lot will not let me do that, then you can all fuck off!¡±
¡°Now see here, you young-¡±
¡°Malcolm, he has made his point clear.¡±
¡°Yes, Igraine. But the boy clearly doesn¡¯t even know what he¡¯s saying. Surely, the demonic artifact has a hold on him.¡±
¡°Ahem,¡± Kaleb coughed. ¡°We both know the pickaxe has no such runes on it. While I am not a hundred percent sure of what is inscribed on the item. I know it doesn¡¯t have any mind-altering effects.¡±
¡°And how do you know that, hmm?¡± asked Malcolm. ¡°Your many years of advanced study of Demonology? Please, a neophyte such as yourself cannot comprehend the-¡±
¡°I can comprehend the law. Your institution has no right to hold me for an extended amount of time. Like I said, I came here to study the pickaxe. If that will not be possible, then please return the item and let me be on my way. I have better things to do than be berated by an old wizard who thinks he knows better.¡±
Malcolm sputtered in anger for a few seconds. His face going red. His fellow mages both looked like they were holding in laughter as the bald wizard¡¯s lips flapped ineffectually. Jar-lock and Vivienne were standing inside the door, hands over their mouths, trying not to smile or say anything.
With a dark look, Malcolm finally burst out of the room. Stomping the entire way like a petulant child. Kaleb snorted and tried to stand. But his hand was still cuffed and his robot arm was still in stasis. He gave the remaining pair of mages a pitiful look. Although, by the way they stared at him, it probably didn¡¯t work. Soon, Igraine¡¯s partner moved to undo Kaleb¡¯s cuffs as Igraine explained.
¡°You¡¯ll have to excuse Professor Malcolm. He has been studying Demonology for over two hundred years now and the item you procured has him stumped. Can I ask where you found it?¡±
Kaleb wrung out his wrist as it was freed. ¡°The Ainsley family¡¯s new dungeon. The Ant Hill? There were a group of Demons trying to break into the dungeon.¡±
Both Igraine and her partner snapped to attention. ¡°Demons!? Real demons on this plane of existence?¡±
¡°No, no!¡± Jar-lock interrupted quickly. ¡°Not real Demons. They are just a gang calling themselves Demons. They also dress up or are made of species that look like the earth¡¯s stereotypical idea of a demon.¡±
Igraine put a hand to her chest and blew out a breath. ¡°Goodness! That was almost an incident. Well then, that explains the demonic runes on your¡ pickaxe. They are authentic. But beyond a few simple runes, Malcolm couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of what the thing was supposed to do.¡±
¡°What were they doing with it?¡± Igraine¡¯s partner asked, finally speaking up.
Kaleb had mistaken the fair-haired, pale-skinned Mage as a man. But their voice was melodic and high pitched. It reminded Kaleb of the one elf he knew of in the game. Their ambiguous features also played into the stereotype too. He was trying to look for pointed ears as he answered the question and stood.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
¡°They were smacking it against a giant magical ward. Nearby a lantern was absorbing the excess magic the pickaxe seemed to pull out from the Ward.¡±
¡°A lantern? Were they trying to make a battery?¡± The androgynous mage asked, chuckling softly.
¡°Avi¡¡± Igraine admonished. ¡°You know the magical energies of the universe can¡¯t be contained. They¡¯d be foolish to try.¡±
Kaleb shrugged his shoulders, his robotic arm slowly whirring to life. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But the lantern had its own set of runes on it. The runes I deciphered say Transference and Sturdiness. The lantern had some of the same. But the rest of the markings are beyond me. They don¡¯t relate to any of the other markings I have seen.¡±
¡°And those are?¡± Igraine prompted.
¡°Gnomish, Elvish, and the standard wizard rune set for enchanting.¡±
Avi quirked an eyebrow. ¡°You know the Gnomish and Elvish rune set?¡±
Kaleb scratched his cheek awkwardly. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t. But I work with a Builder Gnome who is pretty well read.¡±
Avi¡¯s face darkened as Igraine¡¯s became unreadable. ¡°You¡¯ve captured a Builder Gnome?¡±
Kaleb snorted. ¡°Pfft. I wouldn¡¯t say captured. It¡¯s a partnership. He¡¯s kind of like my Familiar. Although you wouldn¡¯t know it to look at us.¡±
¡°He¡¯s more like your foreman.¡± Vivienne giggled while Jar-lock nodded.
Both Avi and Igraine relaxed and Kaleb pulled his hand away from where his gun would¡¯ve been. The university still had his equipment. Noticing the issue, Igraine waved them all out and back into the hall. She made quick small talk with Jar-lock and Vivienne as they walked down the hall and toward a small door at the far end. Kaleb had just spotted the door when it exploded outward. A scorched looking Malcolm slammed into the hallways opposite wall and collapsed in a heap. Kaleb and his friends ducked down into fighting stances. Jar-lock and Vivienne pulling spells into their hands and wand. Igraine and Avi, though, just looked annoyed. Spinning to face him, Igraine said.
¡°Apologies. I worried Malcolm may get overzealous. So I rigged your item with a tamper-proof seal.¡±
Kaleb glanced down at the smoking heap of Professor Malcolm. ¡°That¡¯s some seal.¡±
Igraine smiled. ¡°Malcolm is a professor for a reason. The seal needed to be powerful enough to send the right message.¡±
¡°For all parties?¡± Kaleb asked. But his only response was another smile.
A group of mages came and collected the smoking and injured Malcolm. Avi sneered as the bald man was taken away and they were led into what was essentially a lost and found. Kaleb¡¯s equipment was laid out on a wooden table. The pickaxe was right next to everything. A black scorch mark covered the table, and Kaleb was sure he saw an eerie glow coming from the pickaxe.
Igraine quickly made some hand signs above the table while whispering to herself. With an almost inaudible cracking sound, a dome of light shattered over Kaleb¡¯s stuff. She waved for him to grab things, so he did. Leaving the pickaxe for last. He was almost worried he would be the next one to go flying out into the hall. But nothing happened. Instead, he hefted the dark-metal instrument up onto his shoulder.
¡°Well, this has been a wonderful afternoon. I hope to not do it again anytime soon. If you¡¯ll excuse me¡¡± Kaleb said, backing toward the door.
¡°If I could have a moment...¡± a voice whispered into Kaleb¡¯s ear.
Fighting the urge to leap into the air, Kaleb came face to face again with Avi. They were done sneering at Malcolm and were standing in the doorway. A slight smile pulled at their lips as they gazed at the pickaxe. Kaleb pulled the tool closer and looked around. Jar-lock and Vivienne were still behind him, ready to help. At least he hoped so.
¡°I was just wondering if you still wanted access to the library?¡±
¡°Avi¡¡± Igraine said warningly. ¡°You know he won¡¯t have access to the right books for the library to be any help. As administrators, it is our duty to ensure that the rules are followed. One of those rules is that no Non-student can have access to restricted books. Demonology falls into that category.¡±
¡°Yes, Igraine. I understand. However, what if we help our young lizard friend find what he needs? He can not truly be evil. Not if he has a gnome companion.¡±
Igraine bit her narrow lip for a few seconds in thought. ¡°What are you proposing?¡±
¡°Limited supervised access to find what he needs. Once he is done, he has to leave the item here, though.¡±
The last sentence was aimed at Kaleb, and he gave it some serious thought. On the one hand, he was sure this Pickaxe would lead them to the Demon gang. From there, his group could crush the entire gang and get bragging rights before they were audited. Add on to that the notion that the Demons were responsible for the Magic Tree¡¯s issue as well, and Kaleb couldn¡¯t resist.
¡°You have a deal, Avi. I only need to know everything about the runes on this pickaxe.¡±
¡°Everything?¡± Avi grinned, green eyes almost blazing. ¡°If you wanted to sip from our fountain of knowledge, you only had to enroll.¡±
¡°Yeah, well, I have things to build and enemies to crush.¡±
¡°Most times in that order.¡± Jar-lock whispered, but Avi and Igraine both seemed to hear him.
¡°Ahh, yes. An industrious person would surely be the one to draw a Builder Gnome¡¯s attention.¡±
¡°Actually, I rescued a bunch of magic students from him. They had captured him and were going to do some experiments on him, I think.¡±
Again, Avi and Igraine froze. This time blocking the doorway as they both turned to Kaleb.
¡°Experiments you say?¡±
¡°Where, pray tell, was this?¡±
Kaleb blinked, dumbstruck, as he tried to remember. ¡°The Austin College of Magic? I was with a woman named Araella at the time, though. So I am sure she handled it.¡±
Both mages blinked at him owlishly, but it was Jar-lock who surprised him this time.
¡°THAT¡¯S RIGHT! You know the hot elf chick on the Magic Council!¡±
Vivienne stared daggers at Jar-lock¡¯s head. The Jack-mage stood unaware of the doom that was about to befall him. But Kaleb simply nodded as he downplayed the connection.
¡°Yeah, I mean, we met a few times. I had that whole trial thing, remember? I wouldn¡¯t call us friends. But she was there when I found Daivor.¡±
¡°If Lady Araella was there, then there is nothing to worry about.¡± Avi smiled. Although the look never reached their eyes.
Igraine also had the same evil smile on her face. Kaleb thought he heard the woman mutter something about some ¡®damn college.¡¯ Ignoring it, Kaleb tried to wave them through the door. It took them a minute. But once they got on the way, Jar-lock and Vivienne broke off to do their own things. By the look in Vivienne¡¯s eyes, part of that thing was a rather harsh conversation.
Kaleb watched as the blissfully unaware Jar-lock was almost dragged down the hall and toward a large building. He figured it was a dorm as Igraine gave him a quick tour of the campus. Apparently, this school was called the Austin School For Magical Studies. A separate but just as important institute as the Austin College of Magic. At least the way Avi and Igraine told it. Kaleb could almost see the school spirit behind each of their eyes.
¡°THIS!¡± Igraine exclaimed, pointing at two large wooden doors. ¡°Is OUR state-of-the art, Magical library. It contains books on all magical subjects. From Angels and the other Denizens of the Heavens, to Magical Zoological research.¡±
¡°We even have a few Scholar Spirits.¡± Avi bragged.
Kaleb nodded politely. His pickaxe was still clutched in his hands. Avi and Igraine shared a smile as they both threw a door open. Bright lights slammed into Kaleb¡¯s eyes and he was immediately enthralled by the sights and sounds of the library. The Austin College of Magic¡¯s library had been impressive, but this one seemed to stretch on forever.
Students and ghosts zipped around the enormous stacks of books and shelves. Electric candles hung everywhere, and images were projected into the air from books on pedestals. Bits of magical history played out over everyone¡¯s heads as Kaleb and his two guides stepped into the library, and that¡¯s when all hell broke loose.
BREE BREE BREE
The stacks of books disappeared, and Kaleb was thrust into darkness. The last voice he heard was his own as he swore.
¡°SONOFABITCH!¡±
Chapter 132– Demonology 101
Kaleb had to wait for the Wizards to all calm down again before he sat down. But thanks to Avi and Igraine, the tumult calmed down a lot faster this time. But the odd witch or wizard still shot him evil looks as he sat at his table in the library.
Avi summoned various books on demons and runic languages while Igraine talked with campus security. She was apparently going to get a tag to place on the demonic pickaxe. But Kaleb put them out of his mind for now. With the ever-increasing pile of books in front of him, Kaleb rolled up his metaphorical sleeves and dove in.
The runic language books were dry and technical, so Kaleb quickly shifted to the books on demons. Which were far more entertaining. The lore said that Demons and Angels were considered extra-planar beings. Demons, specifically, came from various fire or other elemental dimensions. Some were akin to the standard stories of Hell, while others were far from what he expected. Expeditions to any known Hell or Heaven plane were strictly forbidden. Although that didn¡¯t stop the denizens from those planes coming to earth. Nor did it stop anyone dumb enough to visit such a place.
¡°You¡¯d be stricken dumb and tossed back into this realm. Forcefully.¡± Avi explained when Kaleb asked.
¡°Just for stepping into this supposed Heaven?¡± Kaleb followed up.
Avi''s response was a simple shrug as they went back to summoning more books. Kaleb sighed and went back to reading. Documentation on visits to various Hells was more robust. Apparently, industrious mages or adventurers weren¡¯t immediately struck down in those cases. No, for those who wanted to visit the Hells, they usually came back heavily scarred or burned. Sometimes both. There were a few powerful wizards and sorcerers who made it back whole. But other than stories of massive Demons and fields of fire, they didn¡¯t say much.
In fact, upon further reading, Kaleb discovered that most survivors from such trips went on to lock themselves away from the world. Forever. Kaleb wondered how many players had already tried to step through and made a mental note to ask the others. He was willing to bet that plenty of players had tried to open even more portals into such places already. Counting on their status as players to protect them. He wondered if it would work.
A Shifting on his table made Kaleb glance up to see Igraine wrapping a string around his pickaxes handle. Attached to the string was a little wooden toggle. He guessed that was the security tag she had been asking for. Seeing his glance, she gave him a smile.
¡°That should stop anymore alarms from going off.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°Have you found anything interesting?¡±
¡°He¡¯s mostly been going over the histories.¡± Avi spoke up before Kaleb could. ¡°He started with the Runic tomes, but he put them down quickly.¡±
Kaleb coughed awkwardly. ¡°Well, they are a bit dry.¡±
Igraine picked up a book on runes. ¡°Yes, but they are also probably the most helpful for you right now. I mean, you want to figure out what these runes are, don¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡± Kaleb grimaced as he looked at the table full of books.
Avi slapped him on the shoulder. A musical laugh filling their quiet corner of the library. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, friend. We shall assist.¡±
Kaleb set down his book on Demonic history and grabbed one on Runes. It was a translated manuscript on Ice Demons from¡
¡°Hey, what the hell is this?¡± Kaleb asked, pointing to the book¡¯s cover.
The author and where the Demons were from were redacted. A big blank spot filled the cover, where both those items were supposed to go. Avi and Igraine gave each a nod before Igraine explained.
¡°The school has redacted the authors and portal coordinates of books for especially dangerous planes. That one is about a particularly dangerous variant of demons. Supposedly standing in their presence is enough to chill the blood in your bones.¡±
¡°Well, then we can probably exempt this one. The demon gang had the pickaxe, so whatever actual demon gave them the pickaxe had to have been standing in front of them, right?¡±
¡°Not necessarily.¡± Avi said.
¡°Shit.¡± Kaleb sighed as he opened the books and started looking through the Runes.
It was only a short while later that he put the book down and grabbed another one. Using the Pickaxe as a baseline, he had already discovered that the runes were wrong. The ones on the axe were spiked and more curvy. The Ice Demons used a more squarish Runic alphabet. As Kaleb discarded the book, it floated away from his hand and back into the library. Smiling at the magic, he grabbed the next book in the pile as Igraine and Avi sat across from him.
Kaleb fell into his work after that. Pulling books and using the axe for reference, Kaleb tore through several books. All the while, Igraine and Avi were doing the same across from him. Multiple times, one of their hands would twist the pickaxe away from him. But Kaleb remained silent as he worked. It was their space; he was just using it. Better to be polite.
Also, the little notifications he kept getting took the sting out of having to share his study object.
-
-
-
-
-
|
Notice
|
|
Congratulations! You have raised your Runic Comprehension. It has been raised by 1 SP.
|
Over the hours Kaleb sat at the table pouring over Runic texts and comparing them against the axe. He got that notification twice. He even stopped comparing runes and started trying to memorize the Demonic Runes he came across. Although a fair few of them were nasty. Soul-ripping, spirit-possessing, and ever-burning pain kind of nasty. Kaleb did what he could to understand a few of them while continuing with his quest for answers.
¡°I found it¡ I think.¡± Avi called after many hours of reading.
Igraine and Kaleb moved around to bracket the fair-skinned mage as they looked down at the book Avi was reading. Avi traced a slim finger down the page as Kaleb¡¯s eyes roamed over every bit of it.
¡°So the Runes are from one of the more mapped-out Hells. At least, one of the ones with the most survivors.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s reassuring.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°Uh-huh. What did the ¡®survivors¡¯ look like after returning?¡± Asked Igraine.
Avi flipped a few pages back. ¡°Not too bad. Soul-rot, some magical burns, lost limbs, Phantom hitch-hikers, cursed by Demon Lords.¡±
¡°Okay, that¡¯s not reassuring at all! What about the Runes?¡±
Avi smiled at Kaleb as they turned backed to the Runic table of the book. ¡°It seems that the Demons from this plane use a Creole Language. It¡¯s based on some Angelic runes, as all Demon languages are. But then it uses some Elvish, Goblinoid, and even a Pidgin Language used by Orcs. All combined in a kind of weird Runic Alphabet.¡±
¡°So did I translate the Transference and Sturdiness Runes correctly?¡±
Avi nodded. ¡°Yes, it looks like it. However, each rune has an added deviation that refers to the Demon that this pickaxe belongs to.¡±
Kaleb blinked. ¡°That seems rather vain.¡±
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
¡°It could very well belong to a Vanity Demon.¡± Igraine said with a smile.
¡°Aren¡¯t all demons vain?¡±
¡°Yes. So you can imagine how annoying a Demon designed specifically for Vanity would be?¡± Avi chuckled as they continued to scan the book.
¡°Designed?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°You really should think about taking a few classes on Demonology.¡±
¡°Okay, maybe. But I¡¯m in a bit of a rush here. So maybe give me a crash course on Demons from this plane. What is it called again?¡±
Avi opened their mouth as a cacophony of noise filled Kaleb¡¯s ears. He felt his eyes water and his ears hummed with energy. But Igraine quickly slapped Avi¡¯s mouth shut and Kaleb¡¯s eyes and ears went back to normal. He could taste copper in his mouth as Igraine shot Avi a dirty look.
¡°Its name is unpronounceable to certain species.¡±
¡°And un-hearable.¡± Avi grinned.
¡°Noted. Now can you tell me about these Demons?¡± Kaleb asked, wiping his tears from his face.
Avi nodded and swept to the front of the book. ¡°It¡¯s all pretty standard fair. Demons prey on the other realms as well as their own. The biological energies of existence are not only a delicacy to them, but they also use highly prized energies as currency.¡±
¡°Biological energies?¡±
¡°The layperson would call them souls. Existence takes and causes a fair bit of magical energy to be dispersed. Demons and other magical creatures can feed on this energy. But some Demons, like the ones from this plane, use it as money.¡± Igraine explained.
¡°So why would one give a pickaxe to a Demon-worshiping gang? Was it a present? A symbol? Or did some Demon have actual designs on the Ainsley¡¯s Ward?¡±
¡°Demons don¡¯t do presents and a symbol wouldn¡¯t be this big. If I had to guess, some Demon is up to some shenanigans and is using mortals to do their bidding. Happens all the time. Although I doubt this Typhanysor wants the Ainsley¡¯s Ward.¡±
Igraine peered down at the pickaxe. ¡°Is that the Demon¡¯s name?¡±
Avi nodded. ¡°Yeah. Or these realms closest equivalent. It¡¯s all over the pickaxe. ¡®This Pick shall transfer the energy by the will of Typhanysor.¡¯ and ¡®This pick shall remain sturdy by order of Typhanysor.¡¯ I kind of feel sorry for this Demon¡¯s enchanter.¡±
¡°How do you know they didn¡¯t do it themselves?¡±
Both Igraine and Avi turned to Kaleb with looks of incredulity. Kaleb shrugged his shoulder and looked back down. He heard snorts, but both mages rejoined him as they looked at the book. Avi pivoted the book back to the runes, and they spent the next couple of minutes translating every rune or engraving on the pickaxe. It took another thirty minutes of strenuous work, but with both Igraine and Avi helping, it went fast. However, once they were done, Kaleb had some more questions.
¡°Seriously?¡± He asked once Avi had triple-checked the last rune.
¡°Yeah. Apparently, this Typhanysor really is a Vanity Demon.¡±
Igraine snorted. ¡°Even I am surprised by this level of self-promotion. What kind of Demon puts their entire life story on a magical item?¡±
¡°We can¡¯t assume that this is everything about Typhanysor,¡± Avi corrected. ¡°Demons are also notoriously tricky.¡±
¡°Maybe. But we have a lot of this guy¡¯s life story written on the shaft of the pickaxe. Then we have a bunch of magical runes that are all about siphoning and storing magical energy. Which I was told was impossible.¡± Kaleb said, waving a hand at the axe.
¡°Not impossible. Not with the Runes added here. With these bolstering the Sturdiness Rune, you¡¯d have enough time to transfer the energy. These Runes are untested and look unstable, but if you''re careful, you could store the energy for a few hours. But the degradation would be rapid.¡±
¡°So they had enough time to store the energy in the lantern we found. Would that hold the energy longer?¡± Kaleb asked as Avi and Igraine put their heads together.
¡°Maybe. We¡¯d have to see the lantern. But even if it was bolstered more than this pickaxe, Magical degradation is inevitable. No force, in any realm, has contained magic for long. Even curses degrade.¡± Igraine said.
Kaleb nodded and sighed as he rubbed his eyes. He sat back in his seat and thought about what he learned. Apparently, an actual Demon was sponsoring the demon gang and had even started handing out tools. The demons were using those tools to siphon and transfer magic. Probably back to Typhanysor. All Kaleb¡¯s group needed was a way to track the demons. But they had gone quiet in their neighborhood.
Cracking his neck, Kaleb stood. ¡°Well, this was only moderately fruitful. But I thank you both for the help.¡±
¡°Moderately?!¡± Avi screeched. Several students nearby shushed them, but Avi ignored them. ¡°We have a good chunk of the personal history of a Demon! Do you know how rare that is?¡±
¡°Even if it¡¯s only their younger years and their recent rise to power. We have a first-hand account of a Demon¡¯s life.¡± Igraine added, also looking affronted.
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°I meant for me. I need to find this guy and put a stop to whatever he¡¯s doing. But unfortunately, his minions have gone missing.¡±
¡°Well, they¡¯d be dead, obviously.¡± Avi stated.
¡°Or with the Demon back in his plane of existence.¡±
Avi turned to Igraine. ¡°That is unlikely. A Demon wouldn¡¯t want word of its plans spreading to the mortal realm.¡±
¡°True. But a Vanity Demon would want a few minions to fawn over it. This Typhanysor is probably bored with its regular batch of sycophants at home. Why not grab a few aliens and humans from Earth?¡±
Kaleb stretched as a thought occurred to him as the two professors debated. ¡°How did the demon gang contact Typhanysor.¡±
Avi and Igraine blinked at him, almost surprised he was still in the room. It was Avi who answered. ¡°Well, obviously, they¡¯d have to call out to the Demon using his name. Summoning rituals aren¡¯t all that uncommon.¡±
¡°But Demonic summoning? Wouldn¡¯t you Wizards keep track of stuff like that?¡±
Avi and Igraine went quiet for a few precious seconds. Both of their mouths were wide in shock. Then with almost preternatural speed, both Mages ran off. Kaleb stood there dumbstruck for a few seconds until he quickly grabbed the pickaxe and hurried after the two.
Avi ducked and weaved through students gracefully in the lead as Igraine used her wand to shove furniture and students away. Kaleb brought up the rear, pickaxe clutched in his hands. The three of them burst from the library and turned down the hall. Kaleb kept both the mages in his sight as they tore through the college halls.
Screams of teachers and students echoed around the brick walls as they ran past. But one voice made Kaleb glance around. Behind them were Jar-lock and Vivienne. He gave them a wave to keep up, but said nothing as Avi bounced off a wall and into a new hallway. Igraine didn¡¯t attempt the same maneuver, instead she pointed her wand at the floor and ice shot onto the ground. With the grace of a figure skater, Igraine spun on the ice and took the sharp corner. She melted the ice just in time for Kaleb and Jar-lock to stomp their way through the puddle.
¡°What the hell, dude? You¡¯ve been gone for hours.¡±
¡°I was in the library. Discovered the Demon in charge. Then my Wizard minders took off.¡± Kaleb wheezed as he ran.
Jar-lock simply nodded and turned to check on Vivienne. She wasn¡¯t in the best shape, but she was keeping pace fairly well as they ran through the halls. According to Kaleb¡¯s memory, they were headed to the main building of the campus. But he wasn¡¯t exactly sure until Avi and Igraine took another harsh turn and slid to a stop at the school¡¯s front desk. Kaleb and Jar-lock hit the desk a little harder as they slid to a stop, but both Mages ignored them.
¡°Where¡¯s Professor Malcolm?!¡± Avi nearly screamed.
The alien woman behind the counter snapped to attention as she flicked her wand along the countertop. Igraine blew out a breath as Vivienne slid to a stop next to Jar-lock. She turned to explain as the purple alien woman spoke to Avi.
¡°Malcolm was in charge of the school¡¯s Demon Hunter division. He¡¯s responsible for monitoring any Demonic portal openings for the school.¡±
¡°What about the other schools or the Magic Council.¡± Jar-lock asked
¡°The other schools watch their districts and we watch ours. As for the Magical Council, they prefer a hands-off approach to most of this stuff.¡±
Kaleb was about to ask his own question when Avi slapped the front desk.
¡°What do you mean he¡¯s gone?! Where did he go? The infirmary staff should¡¯ve-¡±
¡°I''m sorry, but that¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to tell you. He escaped from the infirmary. Campus security has been looking for him. But they¡¯ve been having trouble and they can¡¯t get into his office.¡±
¡°Wha-¡± Avi started, but Igraine placed a hand on their shoulder.
¡°Avi! You have to inform the school board! I¡¯ll search the school.¡±
Kaleb raised a hand. ¡°We should search his office. We could be worrying about nothing. But if Malcolm has been colluding with Demons there has to be evidence in his office and room, right?¡±
¡°Evidence that is probably hidden behind powerful magic.¡± Avi stated, looking hard at Kaleb. ¡°Do you think yourself the equal to one of our professors?¡±
¡°No,¡± Jar-lock interrupted. ¡°But between the three of us, we should find something.¡±
¡°At the very least, we can be there if Professor Malcolm comes back.¡±
Igraine jerked Avi back to face her. ¡°Avi, let them do it. We have more important things to do.¡±
Turning to the receptionist, Igraine added. ¡°Sound the alarm and have the students¡¯ shelter in place. I want security to do a top-to-bottom search for Professor Malcolm.¡±
The alien receptionist waved her wand again, and the school went nuts. Avi shared one last look with Igraine and then vanished in a puff of air. Igraine grabbed Kaleb¡¯s pickaxe and did something to the tag. But he couldn¡¯t see what, and she was running off before he had a chance to ask. Vivienne started asking the receptionist about Malcolm¡¯s office as Kaleb and Jar-lock shared a look.
¡°Can we really get into a magical professor¡¯s office?¡± Kaleb asked.
Jar-lock shrugged his massive shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But this is more fun than I was planning to have today. So I¡¯m excited to find out.¡±
Kaleb blinked as the past few minutes caught up with him. Jar-lock was right. They were about to break into the office of a professor of Demonology at a Magic College. Whatever they were going to find was bound to be pretty cool.
Chapter 133 – Demonic Secrets
Kaleb, Jar-lock and Vivienne stood before Professor Malcolm¡¯s huge office door. They had already tried the doorknob, resulting in a slight stinging sensation in Kaleb¡¯s hand. Now Jar-lock was standing before the door, chin in hand, deep in thought. Vivienne was waving her wand around the frame of the door while Kaleb was trying to figure something else out.
¡°It just doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Kaleb said as he walked from one window to the other.
The long hallway where Malcolm¡¯s office sat was interspersed with squat square windows. Kaleb had been putting his head against the windows to either side of Malcolm¡¯s office. Hoping for a way in from the outside. But the dimensions of the building weren¡¯t adding up.
¡°Hmm?¡± Jar-lock made a noise, showing he was barely listening.
But Kaleb pushed on. ¡°There¡¯s no space for an office on this side of the building. It would be like a great bulbous square sticking out of a flat wall. He has to have magic¡¯d a portal or something.¡±
¡°No.¡± Vivienne stated emphatically. ¡°All professors have to have offices on the grounds of the school. It¡¯s in the school bylaws.¡±
¡°Yeah, and everyone always abides by the law.¡± Kaleb muttered as he paced back to the window and used his magic sight.
But the building stayed gray and mundane. There were no massive spells or magic concealing a room on the outside of the building. His eyes began to sting as he squinted to try to see what he was missing. But all he got was a headache between his eyes. Grunting, Kaleb turned back to his two friends.
¡°Maybe he has some kind of special exemption for being the head of Demonology or something? Didn¡¯t Igraine say he led the Demon Hunters? So that probably comes with special privileges, right?¡±
Vivienne stopped pointing her wand at the door and spun on him. Annoyed expression on her face. ¡°Maybe, but there are no spells or enchantments on the door. Nothing to indicate any amount of spellwork going into the door.¡±
¡°That¡¯s cause it¡¯s not a door.¡± Jar-lock said, still looking at the obvious door.
Kaleb walked next to his large friend and peered at the large wooden door to Malcolm¡¯s office. Not seeing anything, he turned back to Jar-lock. ¡°Yeah, can you explain that to the rest of the class?¡±
Vivienne moved next to them and also started studying the wall and door. Jar-lock raised a hand and did something with his magic. Kaleb couldn¡¯t see what was happening, but he felt the magic tides in the air shift. The Jar-lock was flung against the far wall. Kaleb and Vivienne jumped back as the big mage slammed against the wall and caught himself on wobbly legs. Vivienne immediately started casting some kind of spell on Jar-lock as Kaleb clenched his teeth and tried his magic vision again. But nothing stood out as he scanned the wall and door.
¡°You okay?¡± Kaleb said over his shoulder as he turned off his sight and rubbed his eyes.
¡°Yeah. Magical backlash from trying to disenchant the wall. Slapped the hell out of me.¡±
¡°So that means there is something here, right?¡±
Vivienne huffed as her spell finished. ¡°Not necessarily. It could just be the normal protections on a professor¡¯s office. I mean, they don¡¯t want students wandering in there.¡±
¡°Yeah, they might learn something.¡± Kaleb snarked as he tapped on the door.
A hollow wooden sound echoed on the other side of the door, and Kaleb sighed. Turning back to the others, he said. ¡°I think we are going to have to call another teacher or something.¡±
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°No. I think I know what I did wrong. Just give me a second.¡±
¡°Fill us in before you try it, Jar. That way, we know how to help.¡± Vivienne said.
¡°Yeah. Good idea. Okay, so first, I think there¡¯s an illusion enchantment on the wall to hide the door and make us think that this section of wall is where the door is. So the door is in this hallway, just not here. I am going to try to disenchant the spell again. You two just watch the wall and see if you can find the source of the spell.¡±
¡°The source?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°It will be a sort of metaphysical anchor on the magical plane.¡± Vivienne explained.
Kaleb nodded slowly as he tried to wrap his head around the concept. He didn¡¯t know exactly what he was looking for. But a magical anchor was probably something like a power source. Jar-lock and Vivienne stared at him, clearly aware that he didn¡¯t get it, but he waved them off. Vivienne shrugged and waved her wand at the opposite wall. A large transparent bubble flowed out of her wand and stuck to the wall. Jar-lock gave her a grateful smile and turned back to the door.
Kaleb started to move closer as Jar-lock raised both his hands at the door this time. But Kaleb slipped on the rug in the hallway, missing the shifting magic in the air. But he got to hear Jar-lock grunt in pain and the collide with Vivienne¡¯s bubble with a wet splat. Kaleb stared angrily at the carpet as Jar-lock and Vivienne collected themselves. But something at the edge of the carpet, where it met the wall, caught his eye.
¡°Hey! Is this what I think it is?¡± Kaleb asked, pointing at the scrunched up carpet.
¡°What? You mean the carpet?¡± Vivienne asked as she and Jar-lock joined him.
Kaleb rolled his eyes and pulled the edge of the carpet back. Vivienne hissed in disgust as Jar-lock pushed closer. A dark red line was drawn into the wood and seemed to head further under the long hall carpet. Jar-lock wrenched the carpet from Kaleb¡¯s hand and yanked the carpet away from the wall. Kaleb helped roll the carpet up as Vivienne and Jar-lock studied what was underneath. A large sigil was drawn onto the wood floor beneath the carpet. It was old and discolored, but Kaleb was sure it was drawn in blood.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
¡°That¡¯s not good, right? Using blood as a medium for rune-work?¡± Kaleb asked as he kicked the carpet against the far wall.
¡°It¡¯s not unheard of,¡± Jar-lock answered, studying the sigil.
¡°But it is most definitely frowned upon.¡± Vivienne added.
¡°Is it animal blood?¡±
¡°Would that make it better!?¡±
Kaleb raised his hand at the angry woman. ¡°No. I¡¯m just guessing at a body count here. This is either three people or a shitload of animals. Each presents their own types of problems. Like how the fuck did he do this in a large hallway of a magic school without anyone noticing?¡±
¡°The outer sigil is a turn-away spell.¡± Jar-lock answered, pointing to the outer edge of the circular sigil. ¡°He wrote that one down first and then reinforced it with blood.¡±
¡°Is this the anchor thing y¡¯all were looking for?¡±
Jar-lock and Vivienne both nodded as they stared down at the sigil drawn onto the floor. Jar-lock raised a hand as blue power gathered in his fist. With a thought, the mage flung his power down at the floor. Kaleb covered his eyes as he expected something explosive to happen. But instead, all the blood on the floor evaporated and Kaleb felt an almost sigh of relief come from the air. It felt like all the pressure in the hallway was being released.
¡°Now, why didn¡¯t that toss you into the ceiling?¡± Kaleb asked.
Jar-lock stood and brushed off his knees. ¡°Because only the illusion spell was protected.¡±
¡°Essentially, instead of dealing with the lock, we just cut the power to the door.¡± Vivienne explained.
¡°And whatever else the sigil was powering.¡±
Kaleb raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well, that sounds ominous.¡±
Jar-lock shrugged his massive shoulders and looked back to the hallway wall. Kaleb joined him and was surprised to find that the hallway had shifted a bit. They were standing in front of a wall with a few pictures on it. Down to their left was the door to Malcolm¡¯s office. Jar-lock smiled smugly before marching up to the door and cautiously putting a hand on the doorknob. Testing it, he turned to Kaleb and Vivienne.
¡°Okay, this is the office of a powerful magic professor who had no qualms about using blood magic. So everyone keep your eyes out. We cut the power to his office. So if anything was chained up in there or any spells were active, this could be a shitshow.¡±
Kaleb nodded and drew his pistols as Vivienne raised her wand and got ready. Jar-lock made a fist, summoning fire to his knuckles and shouldered the door open. The three of them burst into the room at the same time. Kaleb swept left as Jar-lock took the center position and Vivienne went right. Immediately, his leg slammed into a stack of books and Kaleb had to catch himself. Both Jar-lock and Vivienne gave shouts of alarm as well.
Kaleb raised his pistols and scanned the left wall. From the door to the wall, the floor was full with stacks books. Even the left most wall itself was half-full with books stacked haphazardly. The other half of the wall was decorated with the skulls of many creatures. He couldn¡¯t identify most of them. Judging by the horns on a lot of them, Kaleb guessed they were demonic in nature.
¡°It was human blood.¡± Vivienne growled from behind him.
Kaleb spun and saw that the tall blonde woman was standing over a small pile of corpses. Two teenage boys and a girl were thrown casually in the corner. Kaleb finally noticed the festering smell in the air as he spotted the decomposing bodies. Vivienne looked equal parts angry and like she wanted to throw up. Jar-lock took in the sight, but ignored it as he marched to the large black desk at the center of the room.
Kaleb navigated his way through the books and joined Jar-lock at the desk. It was full of books, beakers and loose papers. He spotted a large ornate dagger at the edge of the desk, but Kaleb didn¡¯t touch it. The thing¡¯s black blade and grotesque-looking handle didn¡¯t exactly scream ¡®safe''. Instead, Kaleb walked to the other side of the desk and started looking for drawers. Which were easy to find, as one was bleeding.
¡°Uh¡¡± Kaleb said, pointing at the offending drawer.
Jar-lock moved around the desk and looked at the drawer. Sucking in a breath, he raised his hand as Kaleb readied his gun. Sharing a nod, Kaleb moved to the drawer and grabbed the handle with his metal hand. With a yank, Kaleb jumped back and opened the drawer. A veritable flood of blood and body parts sprang forth from the open drawer as Kaleb and Jar-lock skidded backward. Jar-lock swept his hand over the tide, casting a blue wave that burned away the blood. But the body parts remained. Kaleb spotted a rush of lips, eyeballs, tongues and various other small bits in the wave of blood.
¡°What the fuck!¡± Kaleb yelled as he waved his gun across the pile of parts.
Jar-lock hit the back wall and jerked to a stop as a pile of tongues flopped at his feet. He looked up at Kaleb, shocked and appalled.
¡°I think there was a spatial enchantment on the drawer. When we cut the power, the enchantment failed and¡¡±
¡°Blood tsunami.¡± Kaleb nodded as he glanced down at the mayhem.
Thanks to Jar-lock, most of the blood was gone, but the small body parts remained. Kaleb collected himself as Vivienne cautiously moved to their side of the room. Jar-lock tried to get in her way, but it was unsuccessful as she side-stepped quickly and looked at the gruesome display. Her face rapidly contorted through several emotions. From revulsion to sadness to pure rage. She raised her wand; the tip glowing red, but Jar-lock stopped her.
¡°We need to find out where he went!¡± Jar-lock said as Vivienne glared at him.
Vivienne swallowed loudly and nodded. ¡°How did the teachers miss this?¡±
Kaleb and Jar-lock shrugged. The sigil on the hallway floor was pretty obvious. But Kaleb guessed if no one had been looking for it, it might be hard to find. How many people were going to question a college professor of demonology? But that didn¡¯t account for the other powerful professors. Kaleb pondered the problem as Jar-lock went back to the desk.
Quickly and cautiously, he ripped open each drawer. But none disgorged another wave of blood and body parts. Instead, they found more books and papers. Jar-lock¡¯s hands stopped on a particular book with a red cover and he seemed hesitant to open it. As Kaleb moved closer, he realized why. It didn¡¯t have a red cover; it was a bloody cover that seemed to continually drip blood. Even when Jar-lock wiped it away, more blood seeped out of the cover and covered his hands.
¡°Of course it¡¯s a cursed book.¡± Vivienne sighed, rubbing her temples. ¡°It was always going to be a cursed book.¡±
¡°Is there anything else?¡± Kaleb asked.
Jar-lock looked over everything on the desk and shook his head. ¡°The rest is surprisingly mundane. Class records, test scores, student evaluations, and the like.¡±
¡°Well, let¡¯s grab it all and get the fuck out of here. Between the smell and the d¨¦cor, I really want to be somewhere else.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡± Jar-lock said, gathering everything up.
He and Vivienne hurried out of the room as Kaleb gave it a once over. The smell of death was growing stronger. He stepped around the desk and kicked a drawer that had been pulled out. The drawer flipped onto its back, revealing a small vial taped to its underside. Leaning down, Kaleb yanked the vial of blood off and examined it. The black liquid inside roiled as his hand touched the vial and Kaleb brought it up to his eyes. The liquid sloshed and bubbled ominously. Kaleb gave the vial a tiny shake, which sent the liquid careening into its glass prison. He was about to put the vial in his pocket when the liquid shot into the side of the vial, a tiny face appearing in the liquid. Its formless face seemed to scream, and Kaleb was sure he could hear it faintly through the glass.
Holding the vial in front of him, Kaleb hurried from the room.
Chapter 134 - Now They Are Liquid!?
¡°So you¡¯ve traded in your pickaxe for a vial of demon ooze?¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t quite put it like that. But essentially, yes.¡±
¡°What¡¯s it do?¡±
¡°How the hell should I know? Why do you think I turned it over to security so fast?¡±
Kaleb voluntarily forgot about his chemistry skill as he peered through the reinforced glass. He could feel both Jar-lock and Vivienne giving him subtle looks, but he ignored them. Meanwhile, on the other side of the glass, witches and wizards wearing protective charms studied the small black vial. Campus security had immediately passed the vial off to the campus staff for study. Thanks to Avi and Igraine, Kaleb and the others were allowed to watch the inspection. But it was going slowly.
¡°There was no trace of Malcolm on the grounds, apparently.¡± Jar-lock muttered. ¡°They suspect he opened a portal and ran.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t they trace that type of thing?¡± Vivienne asked. ¡°Our orientation had an hour-long part where they just talked about porting on the school grounds. There has to be something in place.¡±
Jar-lock shrugged. ¡°Malcolm either circumvented it or they haven¡¯t traced him yet. Either way, we aren¡¯t being told shit anymore. Igraine told me that the school board has contacted the police. I don¡¯t think we want to be here when they arrive.¡±
¡°Oh, she told you that, huh? Igraine.¡±
Kaleb interrupted the couple as he asked. ¡°Can¡¯t we help the police? We aren¡¯t unregistered, and this is a case we are working on.¡±
¡°Not our jurisdiction. Even if the Demon Gang are part of our territory. The city has hard rules on this and Supers are held to them strictly. We can stay, but be prepared to answer a dozen or so questions by an HLO sponsored Supe.¡±
Kaleb winced as he thought about it. Beyond the window, a mage waved a brightly colored wand over the dark vial. The vial stayed inert, and the mages looked annoyed before trying something else. Kaleb nodded at the window.
¡°I want my vial back, if that¡¯s the case. It¡¯s our lead.¡±
¡°Prof, didn¡¯t you just hear me? The police are coming, that means the HLO is coming. Which means we are off the case. So it¡¯s now their evidence.¡± Jar-lock sighed as he put a hand on Kaleb¡¯s shoulder.
Kaleb nodded a few times, still watching the wizards and witches cast spells. With a heavy sigh, he spun on his heel and made for the door into the room. He heard Jar-lock hiss a warning at him, but Kaleb ignored it as he took a few quick breaths and ran into the room.
¡°The police are here! They want the evidence!¡±
The mages scattered away from the table in surprise before one of them registered what he said. The bird-like alien woman huffed angrily.
¡°But we haven¡¯t finished examining the artifact yet? It¡¯s demonic in nature, but we don¡¯t know what else it contains.¡±
Kaleb merely shrugged helplessly as he moved toward the vial. Another wizard around the table sighed loudly as he tried to calm down the bird woman.
¡°Relax, Zsa. It¡¯s just a vial of demon blood. Our preliminary findings show no other spells or tricks on the vial. So he can take it.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s fingers were already wrapped around the vial when another woman asked.
¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who found it?¡±
Kaleb nodded as he quickly pocketed the vial and gave a fake groan. ¡°Ugh! Don¡¯t remind me. Because of that, I have to spend the next couple of hours downtown answering some Supe¡¯s questions.¡±
The entire room nodded at him, understandably, and Kaleb hurried to the door. Almost to the exit, he turned and asked. ¡°Oh, are there any rules I should hand off to the police about handling the¡ specimen?¡±
The bird-woman, Zsa, was giving him an ugly look, but the others all shook their heads. Kaleb nodded good-naturedly and stepped from the room. Right into a dirty look from Jar-lock. Kaleb ignored him and sped-walked toward the end of the hall. The door to the outside was just a few yards away. He clutched the vial in his pocket and grinned to himself, doubling his speed.
¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that.¡± Jar-lock hissed quietly at him.
Kaleb merely shrugged as Vivienne joined them as they rushed down the hall. She waved a hand at her before. ¡°Oh please, this is fun. This way we can stay attached to the case and keeping working on it.¡±
¡°What about when the cops come to the Hangar? We are still impeding an investigation,¡± Jar-lock said quietly.
¡°Yeah, but we¡¯ll be in our jurisdiction.¡± Kaleb argued as he slammed into the exit door and stepped outside.
¡°I¡¯ll bet they have rules about evidence found in someone else¡¯s jurisdiction!¡±
¡°Fine. We¡¯ll bring it back after I study it for a bit.¡±
Jar-locked rubbed his eyes as they moved through the campus grounds toward the parking lot. ¡°The mages already studied it. What do you think you¡¯re going to find?¡±
Stolen story; please report.
¡°I don¡¯t know. But I know this isn¡¯t just some vial of demon blood. It had a damn face in it! Just give me a couple of hours, Jar-lock and if I don¡¯t find anything. I¡¯ll hand it over. No harm, no foul.¡±
¡°No harm, no foul doesn¡¯t work with the cops!¡±
Kaleb snorted as he jumped into the backseat of their car. ¡°Details.¡±
Vivienne and Jar-lock were slower to get in, and in that time Kaleb pulled the vial and stared into its inky blackness. But the roiling and bubbling liquid from before was replaced with a calm, stagnant sea of black. Kaleb shook the vial in his hand before looking at it again. Nothing.
The demonic face didn¡¯t appear, and Kaleb didn¡¯t sense anything ominous about the vial anymore. He growled under his breath as Jar-lock started the car. They were off and on their way before a single cop car was anywhere on campus. Kaleb sighed as he thought about how he was going to study the liquid. His workshop was more of a crafting station than a research one. He needed a quiet place to work where he could examine the demon''s blood.
¡°We can¡¯t go back to the Hangar yet,¡± Kaleb said as he racked his brain for an answer.
¡°Why not?¡± Vivienne asked.
¡°Don¡¯t want to incriminate the others?¡± Jar-lock sniped.
Kaleb waved a hand. ¡°What? No. I just mean I don¡¯t have the equipment to study this at the hangar. I need specialized equipment and a protected room.¡±
¡°What kind of equipment?¡±
¡°Why a protected room?¡±
Jar-lock and Vivienne spoke over each other, then smiled at each other. Kaleb raised the vial again as he explained. ¡°Something to analyze the make-up of this blood. I have the handheld MassSpec at home. But I don¡¯t want to risk it in case this demon blood does something to it. And I need a protected room in case the demon in here gets out.¡±
¡°Professor, there is no demon in there. The mages already cleared it. You¡¯re being paranoid.¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m being prudent. I don¡¯t want to risk our equipment and people in case this shit goes sideways. Now help me think!¡±
Vivienne tapped her fingers on the dashboard as she thought. Kaleb stared into the vial, willing something to happen as Jar-lock kept his eyes on the road. After fifteen minutes of driving around, Vivienne slapped the dashboard and pointed out the window.
¡°The College!¡±
Kaleb grimaced as he shifted down the backseat to look out the window. ¡°I don¡¯t think we want to go to another magic school.¡±
Jar-lock shook his head as he looked at where Vivienne was pointing. ¡°No. I think she means the actual Mundane college for the NPCs.¡±
¡°Exactly. It has to have some of what you need, right, Professor? I mean, it¡¯s a community college, so it¡¯s probably not state-of-the art. But you can make do with what you get, right?¡±
Kaleb grinned as Jar-lock turned in the building¡¯s parking lot. ¡°Yeah, that might just work. But we have to make sure they have a good enough safe room.¡±
Kaleb saw Jar-lock roll his eyes in the rear-view mirror. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Doc. There¡¯s no demon in th-¡±
Jar-lock was interrupted by an ungodly howl coming from Kaleb¡¯s hand
¡°RELEASE ME!¡±
Kaleb glanced down at his hand, but was suddenly yanked forward as the vial pulled him. He hit the middle console of the car as Jar-lock and Vivienne yelped in surprise. The vial of black blood was roiling again. Its surface was full of black bubbles as the liquid inside jammed itself against the vial¡¯s surface. Kaleb wanted to scream in triumph, but controlling the lurching vial was proving difficult. Once he yanked it back to his chest and got both hands on it, things became easier.
¡°Ha! Told you!¡± Kaleb screamed as he tried to use both hands to jam the vial into his pocket.
Jar-lock sighed heavily in the front seat as he turned the car off. ¡°Okay then. Apparently, demons now come in liquid form. That¡¯s only mildly terrifying.¡±
¡°But still fun!¡± Vivienne exclaimed as she watched Kaleb wrestle with himself.
Kaleb gave up containing the vial as it thrashed about. Maintaining a grip on it, he opened the back car door and staggered out of the car. The others joined him and all three walked across the almost empty parking lot toward the short squat building. People on the street gave Kaleb odd looks as his hand jerked around wildly.
They climbed the short steps to the main door of the College. Austin Community was written in block letters on the door. Kaleb stumbled after the others as they hurried inside, his hand gesticulating wildly. The people in the main foray gave him a wide berth as they moved, and Kaleb followed Jar-lock and Vivienne to the main counter.
A bored-looking human woman sighed as they got close. Not bothering to look up, she thrust a pile of paperwork at them.
¡°Fill this out and take a seat. General admittance is over, but we may be able to fit you into some classes.¡±
Kaleb opened his mouth to say something. But the vial chose that moment to fling itself around in his hand. Kaleb used his metal arm to control himself as Jar-lock sighed and explained.
¡°No. My friend here would like to use your chemistry lab.¡±
The woman looked up, frizzy blonde hair shaking as her head bobbed. She took in the three of them, eyes settling on Kaleb¡¯s wild movements. With a snort, she pointed out the door.
¡°Pfft! The free clinic is down the road. This is a college.¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Kaleb shouted as his hand tried to punch him. ¡°That¡¯s why! I need your lab!¡± He wrenched control of his wrist and tried to hold it in place as he continued. ¡°I have a specimen that needs study.¡±
¡°It looks more like you have a parasite that needs curing.¡± The receptionist said with a pitying sneer on her face. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter. We don¡¯t rent out our labs to walk-ins.¡±
¡°Please!¡± Kaleb said as his hand slammed him into the receptionist¡¯s desk.
The worker didn¡¯t even bat an eye as her hand reached under her desk. Kaleb was about to make a break for it when she stopped. The woman¡¯s pale face grew thoughtful, which quickly morphed into an evil look. Kaleb fought the shiver in his spine as he got his hand under control again.
¡°You know, we are a few teachers short this year.¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡± Kaleb said uneasily.
¡°And you¡¯re from the scientist caste of Basilinoids, correct?¡±
Kaleb nodded slowly.
¡°Then we may be able to come to an arrangement. You¡¯d just have to teach a few classes. Fill a few holes in our curriculum.¡±
¡°Such as?¡±
¡°Well,¡± The receptionist stood from her chair and smiled. ¡°How are you at chemistry?¡±
Chapter 135 - Chemical Composition Of A Demon
Kaleb sighed as he turned the page of his chemistry book. It was a dusty old thing with a half-torn cover and a bunch of profanity in it¡¯s margins. It was a loner from the front office. He would get a brand new one when he turned up for work next Wednesday. His eyes scanned the section on Thermochemistry and he sighed again.
¡°Dude. You already said yes. So stop sighing and finish what you are doing. I think the machine is ready to go.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes and looked up at Jar-lock and Vivienne. They were standing near what Kaleb assumed was the worlds largest mass-spectrometer and tentatively pressing buttons. Noticing that the machines main panel was lit up with power, Kaleb slammed his book closed.
¡°About damn time. The police could be out looking for us right now.¡±
Vivienne shook her head. ¡°I doubt it. They are probably still searching the campus for us and the vial. We still have time. How was the book?¡±
Kaleb glanced down at his Chemistry 101 book. ¡°Boring and dry. Chemistry is still my lowest skill and I have no business teaching it.¡±
¡°So why did you say yes?¡±
¡°Because we need to use this thing! So now I¡¯ve resigned myself to teaching an hour-long class every Wednesday to a bunch of teens.¡±
¡°Oh boo-hoo, I have to spend an hour getting paid and raising my chemistry skill.¡± Jar-lock mocked. ¡°It¡¯s not like you have to know the information anyway. The game will supplant the knowledge you need when you¡¯re teaching.¡±
¡°Only if my skill is high enough!¡± Kaleb yelled waving the book around. ¡°Which why I have this accursed thing. But in the thirty or so minutes we¡¯ve been sitting here, my skill hasn¡¯t gone up at all.¡±
Vivienne and Jar-lock shared a worried look as the mass-spectrometer beeped. Kaleb blinked as he looked between the two.
¡°Oh lord, don¡¯t tell me it was longer than that?!¡±
Vivienne started giggling as Jar-lock placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°No, dude. You were reading for like ten minutes.¡±
Kaleb choked slightly as he stared down at the chemistry book. Dozens of formulas and key terms flashed through his brain as remembered what he¡¯d read. Chemical density, Molarities, composition percentages. His mind went on and on, until he felt Jar-lock¡¯s hand shake him.
¡°Professor! Snap out of it. You only have to teach until they find a legitimate teacher. They don¡¯t want to get caught using an unaccredited alien with a sketchy past.¡±
Kaleb nodded slowly as he approached the machine. Luckily, the classroom they were in was at the far end of the building. They hadn¡¯t seen many students at this end of the building. So Kaleb figured whatever was going to happen with the demon ¡®blood¡¯ was bound to go unnoticed back here. At least he hoped it would.
¡°I¡¯ve prepared the specimen and everything. So all I think we have to do is press go.¡± Vivienne said, cheerily.
Kaleb glanced at the machine and checked everything was set correctly. He didn¡¯t know the correct settings for demon blood. But he guessed that treating it like human blood was fair. With a final look at his friends, Kaleb hit the on button and stepped back. He didn¡¯t know what to expect when he started the machine. But the ominous whirring of the machine was a small comfort. Especially when the sound quickly morphed into a weird howling.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Kaleb gripped his side arm and backed up as Jar-lock and Vivienne readied spells. The noise persisted though as the machine started to wobble dangerously. The huge machine slammed into the ground continually as the noise grew louder. Carefully moving closer, Kaleb quickly hit the off button, but the machine continued to whir and howl. The sample was still in the machine, but Kaleb could see the black blood fighting against the sample port on the machine.
¡°What¡¯s going on? Did the sample destroy the machine!¡± Jar-lock cried over the noise.
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°No! I can still see the sample in the chamber. It wasn¡¯t even vaporized.¡±
¡°Vaporized?! You were going to destroy the blood?!¡± Vivienne asked.
¡°Just a part of it.¡±
Before anyone else could say anything, the large machine stopped destroying the floor and settled. The howling noise faded away and the machine whirred to a stop. Kaleb cautiously moved toward the sample, but Jar-lock held him back as he held a small ball of fire in his other hand. They both moved slowly toward the specimen chamber and peered in.
The glass around the blood was cracked slightly, but the black blood seemed to have calmed down considerably. It was no longer bubbling or throwing itself around. Kaleb was about to move his hand away from his gun when the specimen chamber shattered and the blood leapt toward them. Jar-lock threw his fire ball, destroying the MassSpec while Kaleb barely got his gun out of its holster.
The blood sailed between them both and slammed bodily into Vivienne¡¯s face. The witch looked shocked for a few seconds before she quickly tried to wipe the substance away. But it clung to her hand and face with a vengeance. An ominous feeling pulsed through the air as Jar-lock moved to help his girlfriend remove the blood. But with super speed, Vivienne arm reached up and waved her wand.
Kaleb and Jar-lock were flung against the wall as Vivienne stared in horror at her arm. The wand reared back up as Vivienne used her other hand to pull her wrist downward. Meanwhile the black blood was crawling up her face toward her eyes.
¡°Guys¡ It¡¯s not me, somethings starting to control me!¡± Vivienne shouted.
¡°Demon.¡± Kaleb shouted unhelpfully.
¡°Great. You were right. Now hold her, Prof. I have to prepare a banishing spell.¡± Jar-lock ordered.
Kaleb nodded and flung himself toward the tall woman. But her wand snapped up and a blazing wall of fire appeared between them. Undaunted, Kaleb threw himself through the fire and tackled his friend. Vivienne jerked as she tried to regain control of her own body. She twitched and writhed as the blood finally covered her face. Vivienne tried to scream, but the demon dove into her mouth and silenced her.
Vivienne¡¯s body went still as Kaleb got his arms around the slim woman and locked wrist. Meanwhile Jar-lock had his arms up and was muttering some incantation. Kaleb sighed as he got a firm hold and started to lift Vivienne off the ground.
¡°I think it¡¯s calmed down.¡± Kaleb said.
Jar-lock said nothing as he continued his spell. Kaleb got comfortable and started to settle in when Vivienne¡¯s body flung itself toward the back wall. Kaleb held on for dear life as he was dragged along with the body. Vivienne¡¯s mouth opened and a demonic wail echoed throughout the room. Kaleb could feel his body growing tired as the wail echoed everywhere. But underneath, he could still hear Jar-lock muttering. So he held on.
Vivienne¡¯s body flopped against the wall ineffectually for a few beats before an unseen force dragged her up the wall toward the ceiling. Kaleb maintained his grip and tried to yank Vivienne away from the ceiling, but they both were smashed against it. They were both pulled to the center of the room and Kaleb glanced up to check on Vivienne.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Her face was a pale placid mask with black veins crisscrossing her porcelain skin. As they hung to the ceiling Vivienne¡¯s dead eyes turned to Kaleb. Two pitch black voids stared at him as Vivienne¡¯s face became a rictus smile. He could see sharp pointed teeth behind Vivienne¡¯s pale lips as the demon spoke.
¡°This vessel shall do for now mortals. But you shall be among the first I destroy once I return to the whole. I am no mere plaything for your science to unravel. For such indignity I shall-¡±
Kaleb missed the demon¡¯s last words as Jar-lock thrust his arms up and a bright white light filled the room. The demon screamed and Kaleb felt Vivienne fight against his grip. He held on for dear life as Vivienne¡¯s body slid around the ceiling like a snake trying to get away from a fire. Multiple fluorescent lights burst as he and Vivienne slammed into them. The demon in her body roared in anguish as Jar-lock¡¯s spell did it¡¯s work. Soon color returned to Vivienne¡¯s face. She barely had enough time to smile though before she seemed to pass out.
But Kaleb was more concerned with the sudden and rough drop to the floor. Which was painful, but with Vivienne in her helpless state, Kaleb had to use his body to brunt the damage. That meant all of Vivienne¡¯s weight hit Kaleb right in the stomach as they hit the linoleum floor of the classroom. Jar-lock quickly rushed over and checked Vivienne even as Kaleb wheezed beneath her.
¡°How is she?¡± Kaleb asked through a forceful wheeze.
Jar-lock didn¡¯t answer for several seconds as he ran a magic-covered hand over Vivienne¡¯s body. Kaleb thought she looked much better now. But he wasn¡¯t taking chances, maintaining the bear hug on Vivienne. When Jar-lock was done with his scan, he tilted Vivienne off Kaleb and sighed loudly.
¡°She¡¯s fine. Mild possession. But I think that was a major demon. Did it talk about returning to the whole?¡±
Kaleb nodded as he sat up against a metal desk. ¡°Yeah. Was that hole or whole?¡±
¡°I think it meant whole. As in, this was only a piece of a demonic entity.¡±
¡°So it was trying to get back to it¡¯s actual body? What the fuck was it doing here?¡±
¡°Communicating with Malcolm maybe? Or it was meant as a nasty surprise for the old wizard.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so. Malcolm was some big demonology professor, right? He¡¯d know to be on the lookout for such a thing right?¡±
¡°Maybe.¡± Jar-lock said slowly getting to his feet, hands lighting up with magic.
Kaleb looked around the room and groaned. The ceiling was busted to hell, the wall near the white board was cracked, and Vivienne¡¯s flame wall was petering out in the center of the room. This was to be his classroom in a week and it was fucked.
Kaleb pulled himself to his feet and grimaced at the pain in his gut. ¡°Well, at least the sprinklers aren¡¯t -¡±
Kaleb was interrupted by a deluge of water falling from the ceiling panels. Outside in the hallways shouts of alarm were raised and a loud klaxon started to sound. Jar-lock glared at Kaleb as they stood in the ice cold water. Kaleb waved Jar-lock away as he bent down to grab Vivienne.
¡°Blame me later, lets get the hell out of here.¡±
¡°You''re a freaking menace, dude.¡±
¡°Yeah, well, at least I¡¯m never boring. Now grab your girlfriend.¡±
Kaleb and Jar-lock joined the stampede of students and faculty as they all rushed out of the building. The fire alarm was going crazy and everyone was soaking wet. But as they cleared the fire exit, Kaleb immediately turned them toward the parking lot. Jar-lock missed a stepped, but quickly started to pick up on what Kaleb was doing.
They didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near this mess right now. The classroom they were in was destroyed, the sample they had illegally procured was destroyed, and they had an unconscious witch with them. That all added up to a lot of unwanted questions that neither of them wanted to answer. Thankfully they got Vivienne to their car unimpeded and managed to get the car started before the drones showed up. The community college was smoking, but it didn¡¯t look like the fire had caused much damage.
Jar-lock pulled the car out of the parking lot slowly. Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. But his head kept looking back at Vivienne in the backseat. Kaleb turned the car¡¯s heater on and tried not to look out the window. The last thing they needed was to get pinged by a drone. The HLO was still looking for any reason to come at them and this was a giant hammer they could use to smack Kaleb¡¯s Super Group with.
It was only after they were a few blocks away that Kaleb sighed in relief. He was still soaking wet and highly annoyed, but at least they were clear of everything. That¡¯s when Jar-lock hit him in the side of the head. The mage wasn¡¯t strong, relatively, but it still knocked Kaleb for a loop. He hissed as he glared over at the big man. But Jar-lock¡¯s eyes were on the road as he shook out his knuckles. Kaleb was about to complain when Jar-lock raised a hand.
¡°I know. I know. It wasn¡¯t your fault. But I needed to do that to feel better and you were the nearest person responsible.¡±
Kaleb wanted to argue that he wasn¡¯t really responsible. But he was the one that stole the sample and insisted on studying the vial immediately. But still, Jar-lock could¡¯ve jumped in front of the liquid demon if he wanted to save his girlfriend. Of course she wouldn¡¯t have needed saving if Kaleb hadn¡¯t insisted. His mind whirled around several more times, until eventually Kaleb simply nodded and waved a hand at Jar-lock.
¡°It¡¯s fine. So what¡¯s the plan now.¡±
Jar-lock¡¯s fingers tightened on the wheel of the car before he blew out a breath. ¡°We need to ditch this car. The drones might have missed our faces, but I¡¯m willing to bet the police or fire department will hunt down every car that was in that lot.¡±
¡°So we¡¯re walking home? Great. You can carry Vivienne.¡± Kaleb snarked.
Jar-lock sighed loudly as he took their car further south from downtown Austin. He drove a winding path out of the city until they wound up near the Colorado river. Vivienne was still passed out on the back seat as Kaleb and Jar-lock watched the bank of the river. Not too many people were nearby, but the drones were making regular passes over everything. Eventually they found their moment and moved.
Kaleb pushed the car into the river as Jar-lock held Vivienne. Neither of them said anything as the car slowly sank and they quickly ran back to the street. Damp, tired, and annoyed they both kept to themselves as the trudged slowly along the southern edge of downtown Austin. Kaleb steered them toward a used car dealer, planning on buying an old clunker for cheap. But Jar-lock pushed back.
¡°We can¡¯t buy a different car. The cops are going to wonder what happened to the old one.¡±
¡°That¡¯s if they know the old one was ours. Who¡¯s car was that anyway?¡±
¡°Mine.¡± Jar-lock said sounding surly.
Kaleb bit back a harsh retort and instead tried to make peace. ¡°So that¡¯s great. I can buy you a new car to say I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to be sorry for.¡±
¡°Really? Cause I was slugged in the face and you keep looking at me like I killed your cat. Dude, I had know way of knowing this shit would happen. I saw a lead and I followed it.¡±
Jar-lock sighed loudly. ¡°I know. I understand that my anger is irrational. But when I saw Viv getting hurt, I just couldn¡¯t control it. I know, logically, that she¡¯s not really hurt and that this is just a game. It doesn¡¯t help that the whole experience back there was both terrifying and exciting. Then I get mad at myself for getting excited¡¡±
Jar-lock trailed off as a bus passed them. Kaleb snorted and rubbed his face.
¡°So you get mad at yourself and then hit me? I¡¯ll remember that.¡±
¡°Dude, you can¡¯t pretend that had nothing to do with you.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not. But Viv is fine and I¡¯m pretty sure we got away with everything. Come Wednesday, I tell the college staff that we had to rush Vivienne to the hospital or something. So long as the cops don¡¯t come knocking we should be fine.¡±
Jar-lock sighed as he adjusted Vivienne slightly in his arms. He had her in a princess-carry and refused to let Kaleb help. Her damp robes probably added to the weight the big man was carrying. So Kaleb made his offer again.
¡°So let¡¯s just buy a clunker and be done with this. I really don¡¯t want to walk all the way back to the hangar. It¡¯ll be my treat since all of this was partially my fault.¡±
Jar-lock snorted at him, but before he could respond Vivienne snapped awake with a large inhale. She flopped around like a drowning person for a few seconds until Jar-lock calmed her down. Once she realized she was safe, Vivienne quickly jumped out of her boyfriends arms. Her cheeks were dusted red as she asked.
¡°What happened? I remember you banishing the demon then everything went black.¡±
¡°You remember the possession?¡± Jar-lock asked, morbidly.
¡°You passed out and we ran. The school caught fire and we needed to make a quick exit. We just dumped the car and were discussing buying another.¡±
Vivienne quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Do you have the credits for that?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I would assume so. If not, we can pull it from the Super Groups funds.¡±
¡°Ha!¡± Jar-lock laughed. ¡°Then you can explain it to the duck.¡±
Vivienne smiled as she unsteadily started walking down the street. ¡°Good. Then after that I can tell you both about what I saw.¡±
Kaleb and Jar-lock shared a look before Jar-lock asked the question.
¡°What you saw?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Vivienne nodded. ¡°A portion of an actual demon attached itself to me. It¡¯s not surprising that the connection went both ways. He got some of my memories and I got some of his. I didn¡¯t get a name, but the demon we are dealing with is a major player.¡±
Kaleb blinked at her cheery tone. ¡°You seem awfully cheerful for someone that was just body-snatched.¡±
¡°Ha! Yeah, well, lets say that I now have a vested interest in shoving my wand into a demon¡¯s eye.¡±
The happy-go-lucky way she spoke made Kaleb and Jar-lock stare at each other. But they had to hurry to capture the witch as she began to explain. Kaleb opened the notes function in his menus and started writing things down. The more Vivienne explained what she had seen in the demon¡¯s memories, the more Kaleb wondered what he had gotten himself into.
Chapter 136 - Meetings, Arguments, and Upgrades
¡°So, you stole evidence from an educational institute, got suckered into a job you¡¯re not qualified for, and then set another educational institute on fire.¡±
¡°Well, to be fair, Vivienne set the school on fire. But only when she was possessed by a demon. Which is the important part you¡¯re skipping over.¡±
*Quack*
¡°I¡¯m skipping over it, because it isn¡¯t as important. Now we have to hide your involvement in two incidents. Destruction of private property and stealing evidence! We are less than two weeks away from a city auditor sweeping through here and you think stopping the demons is important?¡±
Kaleb crossed his arms as he sat in his chair. ¡°Yes! Given what Vivienne just found out. I think a demon invasion is more important than a few misdemeanors.¡±
He ignored the pitying looks he got from around the table. Jar-lock was shaking his head as Claire tried not to laugh. Abbey had slapped herself on the forehead and was now glaring at him. Two Gun snorted as he tipped his hat.
¡°Son, the classroom may be a misdemeanor. It depends on what you broke. But evidence tampering is a little more serious than that.¡±
Kaleb waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Again, Vivienne set that fire while under the influence. As for the evidence tampering, they have no way to prove that. The sample was destroyed when Jar-lock did his spell, right?¡±
The big mage nodded slowly. But then he put his hands on the table. ¡°I agree that what the Professor did was reckless, but he is also right. We can¡¯t ignore a possible Demonic invasion.¡±
¡°An invasion we only know about because Vivi did a mind-meld with a puddle of demonic slime?¡± Farrah asked, looking up from her notes and raising an eyebrow.
Vivienne nodded. ¡°I know how it sounds. But when we were connected, I saw what the demon is planning. Remember that puddle was only a small part of the whole. The rest of him is out there digging a damn planar tunnel into this realm.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t doubt you.¡± Farrah said sticking her palms up. ¡°But Demons are notoriously tricky. How do we know it didn¡¯t show you something false?¡±
Vivienne opened her mouth to retort. But she quickly closed it again when she realized she didn¡¯t have an answer. Everyone around the table fell silent as they considered what to do. Abby was the first with a response.
¡°It should be easy to verify right? According to Viv, the Demon is using the demon gang to siphon power from the roots of the magical tree-thing, right? So all we have to do is find another root.¡±
¡°Is there one at the Ainsley house? Is that why they were there?¡± Claire asked.
Vivienne shook her head. ¡°No. That was a few errant gangsters doing something they weren¡¯t supposed to. The memories are still a little jumbled, but I don¡¯t think our Demon was happy with them.¡±
Two Gun Barked out a laugh. ¡°Ha! He probably wasn¡¯t too happy with them getting caught either. Lead us right to them.¡±
*Quack*
¡°Not right to them. We still need to find the roots of the tree. Then we have to stop the demons. I¡¯ll coordinate with local law enforcement and get us some more bodies. The threat of an extra-planar being is bound to move the most stubborn of captains.¡±
Kaleb groaned. ¡°Great. While we¡¯re filing paperwork, the demons are out there hoarding magical power.¡±
D34d-I opened his bill to speak, but Jar-lock cut him off. ¡°Actually that could help us. If they are amassing a ton of power in order to summon a demon army, they should be lit up like a Christmas tree. Magically speaking. All we have to do is scan for a huge mass of power.¡±
*Quack*
¡°Jar-lock, you and Vivienne get on that, then. Abby, Claire, and Two Gun can sweep our neighborhood. Farrah provide oversight. Professor-¡±
¡°I swear to god, duck, if you even think of benching me¡¡± Kaleb trailed off as he clenched his robotic fist.
D34d-I narrowed his two large eyes, his feathers literally ruffling up. He quacked again and it took his translator unit longer than usual to translate.
¡°No, Professor. You are not being benched. And I¡¯ll thank you to get that chip off your shoulder. You fucked up. Admit it and move on. The cops will come looking for you and they will ask about the STOLEN evidence. At that time, you will agree to any and all aspects of their investigation. Because if you don¡¯t then the HLO, and by extension city hall, will shut us down. This city is a hellscape of rules, permits, and ordinances. We must navigate them if we want to work here. You don¡¯t like following the rules? Then go Villain or maybe move out of Austin. But don¡¯t be surprised if no one goes with you. We followed you once when your attitude burned a bridge. Do you think we¡¯ll do it again?¡±
Kaleb sat in angry silence as the table absorbed the ducks words. It was Abby that got her words out first and they were shockingly close to what Kaleb was thinking.
¡°Hey, fuck you, duck. He didn¡¯t do anything that bad and, like he said, no one is going to find the evidence. So how about you relax and go back to your damn office?!¡±
Two Gun raised a hand to placate the young woman as he added his two cents. ¡°While I don¡¯t agree with how it was done. The professor just got us a big case...again. Stopping a demonic invasion? Now that¡¯s some high-tier gaming shit right there. If we wanted consequences and paperwork we would¡¯ve stayed with the HLO. We formed this group to get shit done and that¡¯s what the kid did.¡±
The others at the table nodded as the four-foot alien bird glanced around the table. Seeing he was out-numbered, D34d-I threw up his wing-like arms.
*Quack*
¡°Then on your own heads be it. I¡¯ll go alert our police liaison in my damn office then. But when this shit blows up in our face, you can all hang with the lizard.¡±
With that the short player skidded his seat back and marched through the empty hangar and toward the office. Kaleb grimaced at the sound of the office door being slammed and sighed. Around the table everyone shared a few commiserating looks until Vivienne voiced a thought.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
¡°Is he going to be an issue?¡±
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°Not like that. The guy is just a stickler for the rules. He¡¯ll cool down soon.¡±
¡°Maybe. But he still didn¡¯t give me a damn job. So if no one objects I¡¯m going down to Under-Town to gather information.¡± Kaleb announced.
The others all glanced at him before Claire asked. ¡°Do you think they are going to know anything?¡±
¡°Maybe not. But it gets me out of the hangar and I¡¯ll feel like I¡¯m doing something. Plus, it¡¯s literally underground. So if anyone knows of a way to track people underground, it has to be the guys down there.¡±
¡°What about your forge workshop thing?¡±
¡°The kids have been handling that just fine. We¡¯ll hit all of our production targets for the Brute Clan and the Brutes will take it down. So that¡¯s pretty much rolling along by itself.¡±
¡°Are you going to be okay by yourself?¡± Farrah quipped.
Kaleb was sure she was only half-joking. But he gave her an answer anyway. ¡°Please. I can handle Under-Town. I got friends all over the place down there.¡±
¡°Maybe. But keep your head down. You¡¯ll be in hostile territory without backup. Our drones won¡¯t work down there and you¡¯ll be out of comm range.¡± Two Gun added as Claire nodded along.
¡°Guys. I¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t go looking for trouble, it finds me.¡±
¡°Which is why we want you to keep your head down. Even while you hunt down a lead.¡± Vivienne said.
¡°In fact, maybe I should go with you.¡± Jar-lock said.
Kaleb rolled his eyes. ¡°Stop. Everything will be fine. Jar-lock, each of us is attempting the same goal. We are just coming at them from different angles. Let me work my magic in Under-Town while you do your stuff with the magic.¡±
Pensive looks cross each of his friend¡¯s faces and Kaleb was sure he had convinced them when Abby spoke up again.
¡°I¡¯ll go with him. Claire and Two Gun can sweep the neighborhood.¡±
Kaleb was already shaking his head when she finished speaking. ¡°Abby, I don¡¯t -¡±
¡°Yes, you do.¡± The hooded woman barked. ¡°Each of us needs to work in teams for the foreseeable future. We don¡¯t know if the Demon Vivienne merged with saw us or the hangar. So for now, we watch each others backs. We think we¡¯ve got the upper hand, but let¡¯s play it safe.¡±
Kaleb sighed. But as he watched the rest of his friends nodding along with Abby¡¯s words, he relented. ¡°Fine. Me and the shadow kid will sweep Under-Town, Two Gun and Claire can take the neighborhood. The magic couple can take to the library and investigate there. Farrah, you do your thing up here.¡±
All of them nodded and Kaleb thought the meeting was over, but Jar-lock turned to Vivienne and asked.
¡°Do we know what kind of demon we are dealing with?¡±
Two Gun nodded. ¡°Yeah, anything you might know will be helpful.¡±
Vivienne closed her eyes and shuddered. ¡°It¡¯s some form of toxic or sludge demon. It comes from a plane which is in a permanent state of dying. Everything it touches turns to black sludge and rots away.¡±
Jar-lock rubbed his chin. ¡°So it¡¯s a type of corrosion demon? That narrows things down, actually.¡±
The table nodded, but Claire thumbed her armor while looking at Kaleb. ¡°Will our armor hold against corrosion?¡±
¡°It should. It¡¯s top of the line K-Tech stuff and it absorbs energy. There¡¯s not a lot in the way of magical protection, though. So if a Corrosion Demon throws a spell at you, I¡¯d get out of the way.¡±
¡°That would actually depend on the type of demon and the plane it¡¯s from. I¡¯ll know more after looking into things.¡±
¡°So I reckon we can call this meeting adjourned and get ourselves situated, right?¡±
Kaleb nodded as the others slowly joined him. Eventually they all stood and started walking toward their areas. Farrah finished taking notes and hurriedly stood. Kaleb caught her and asked politely.
¡°Could you make sure D34d-I gets a copy of the notes. Shit got pretty heated, but I don¡¯t want him to be left out completely.¡±
Farrah smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The duck is good at adjusting. I¡¯ll make sure he knows what¡¯s going on.¡±
Kaleb gave her a quick thank you and rushed off toward his workshop. It being evening meant that the hangar and his workshop were virtually empty. The Hunter kids were back home, the Brute clan lizards were doing the rounds as guards, and Roy had gone home to visit his parents. Which meant Kaleb and Daivor had just enough time to build something useful.
Entering his workshop, he spotted Daivor sitting on the deck of his gnome home. The tiny bearded man was smoking a pipe and looking blissfully at the ceiling of the hangar. Kaleb tried not to snort as he saw the expression on the gnomes face and moved to his workbench.
¡°Please tell me your not too drunk to work, are you?¡±
Daivor sputtered a bit before he got up from his chair. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m just enjoying the silence. Those kids have livened the place up, but they can take a lot out of gnome. Marie alone asks enough questions to fill a college course.¡±
The way the old gnome said college made Kaleb stand straighter. ¡°How did you already hear about that?¡±
¡°Y¡¯all ain¡¯t exactly quiet. Did you really burn down a whole school?¡±
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°No. Now get up here and help me expand the radius on my scanner.¡±
Kaleb threw the slim Moldi-Screen wrist imager on the desktop as Daivor swung up to his shoulder. The gnome screwed another cigar into his lips and glared down at the K-Tech branded device.
¡°I don¡¯t know. You know how the rest of the K-Tech equipment reacted to tampering.¡±
¡°Explosively.¡± Kaleb blew out as he nodded. ¡°I know. But we need a way to track some people and this is the best I got. I was thinking we re-code it to filter out different aliens or something.¡±
¡°So your plan is to profile everyone in Under-Town?¡± Abby¡¯s voice said from behind him.
Kaleb jumped a foot in the air and yelped. When he landed he spun on the tiny woman and glared down at her. But she brushed him off as she moved toward his worktable. Giving a slight nod to Daivor on Kaleb¡¯s shoulder, Abby picked up the scanner. Turning it over in her hand, she asked.
¡°I thought this was just a heat sensor or something?¡±
¡°Thermal imager.¡± Kaleb said absently. ¡°I was hoping to find a way to filter out anyone who¡¯s not a demon gang member.¡±
Abby rolled her eyes. ¡°You know that the demons, as a gang, are just a collection of demon fanatics, right? Can¡¯t you just scan for demonic activity?¡±
Kaleb grabbed his scanner and placed it on the bench. A menu opened up with a detailed schematic of the device. At least as detailed as Daivor and his skills allowed for. Kaleb blew out the schematic and looked over the pieces as he spoke.
¡°That veers too far into the realm of Magi-tech. I¡¯d have to know what kind of imprint demonic activity leaves in order to scan for it.¡±
¡°So if you knew what you were looking for you¡¯d have already found it?¡±
¡°Essentially. But¡ Daivor are you seeing this?¡±
The gnome slapped the side of Kaleb¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m on your shoulder, dumbass. My view is pretty much yours.¡±
Kaleb ignored the hit as he waved a hand at the screen. ¡°So the chemical composition of these wires looks normal to you?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±
¡°Why didn¡¯t I see that before? These wires are made from non-terrestrial alloy and they are transferring huge amounts of data.¡±
Abby sighed. ¡°Will it help you find some demons?¡±
Kaleb blinked as he slowed his mind down. The discovery was neat, but not what they needed to do right now. Filing it away, Kaleb coughed.
¡°Ahem. No. Not really. But it is interesting and it may be helpful in upgrading this thing before we head to Under-Town.¡±
Abby nodded and sat down at a nearby stool. Pulling down her hood, she said. ¡°Whatever, chief. I got nothing to do tomorrow. So an overnight gaming session won¡¯t be too bad.¡±
Kaleb slowly began taking the wrist imager apart as he nodded at her words. Most of the others were going to do what they could and then log. Which meant he was the only one still in the game. So he had twice the amount of time to find the demons. Cracking his neck, Kaleb turned to Abby.
¡°This won¡¯t take long.¡±
She nodded but said nothing as her eyes got the far off look of someone in their menus. Kaleb coughed awkwardly again and turned back to his work. But he felt he needed to say something else.
¡°Also¡ Um, thanks for having my back out there. With D34d-I.¡±
¡°Please. That damn duck has a stick up his cloaca. Sometimes ya gotta bend the rules a bit to play the game. The HLO has proven that they don¡¯t mind hitting below the belt. So we can¡¯t either.¡±
Kaleb nodded at her words and went back to work. Daivor leapt down to the table and began helping him disassemble the device. The workshop fell into comfortable silence as Kaleb worked on upgrading his tech. Carefully not thinking about how he was, once again, running toward trouble.
Chapter 137 - Rodents In The Deep
Kaleb sipped his coffee and stared out at the crowds of Under-Town. The dirt-ridden streets were full of aliens and humanoids rushing around. The throng of bodies pushed against each other as people went on their way. But Kaleb was free of the tumult. Instead, he was at the outset of the chaos, watching and waiting.
¡°You look like a dumbass.¡±
Kaleb glared at the short woman as he leaned against a building. Abby was dressed in her typical all-black hoodie and pants. She almost blended in with the surrounding shadows as they both watched the crowd.
¡°Like you don¡¯t? I bet you stick out like a sore thumb.¡±
¡°Next to the lizard in a bright-white trench coat with a mechanical arm? I doubt it. You¡¯ve been clocked by at least three of those Rakgu guys.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he glanced up at a roof across the street. Two humanoids wearing fedoras and dirty suits glared down at him.
¡°I see them. But they haven¡¯t made a move. So I figured we were in the clear.¡±
¡°Or they are just waiting for backup. Our last interaction with these guys didn¡¯t go smoothly, remember?¡± He saw Abby shift in the darkness.
¡°Yes, I remember. But we don¡¯t move unless they do. They have more people, so they make the rules for right now. If shit goes sideways, we make a break for the exit.¡±
He heard a long sigh come from the shadows and Abby stepped out, a finger pointed up at him.
¡°That¡¯s all well and good. But what the hell is the plan here? What are we even looking for? I¡¯ve spotted three alien races that look kind of like demons. But we have no way of telling if they are actually associated with the demon gang!¡±
Kaleb finished his rat-coffee and threw the cup into the dirt. ¡°I know! But I figured there would be something down here. This is where the criminal element of Austin congregates. If we sniff around a bit, we should find something.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s sniff around! All this people watching is giving me a headache.¡±
Kaleb nodded and gave his own sigh. She was right. Waiting on a corner for a supposed gang member to fall into his lap was stupid. He had vastly underestimated how many gangs were present down here. Not just the four that now controlled Under-town either. He had spotted several groups of gangsters just wandering the main road. They were buying armor, weapons, food, or anything else that suited their fancy.
¡°Options?¡± Kaleb asked.
Abby swept up to his side and scanned the street. ¡°First, let¡¯s get out of the open. We need a bar or something. Some place these criminals like to gather, then we keep our ears open and wait for actionable intel.¡±
Kaleb blinked. ¡°Actionable intel? Have you been hanging out with Jar-lock?¡±
¡°Two Gun actually. He uses that kind of talk too. But he was the one that explained a bit of spy-craft to me.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
Kaleb was about to step out of the alley and onto the main street when he saw movement. He froze as he realized the two Rakgu guards weren¡¯t on the roof anymore. Abby beside him must have seen it too, as he heard her hiss through gritted teeth. Quickly scanning the streets, Kaleb found the two guards that had been watching them. They were joined by three other men, all in faded black suits. Each of them was carrying a gun, and they were shoving their way toward them.
¡°Well, shit.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°Looks like you were right.¡±
Kaleb turned to glance at Abby. But the short woman was gone. Leaving him in the faded shadows of the alley. Kaleb swore under his breath and drew his Cybar pistol. He rested his mechanical hand on his Sun Gun and waited for the gangsters to get closer. Once he started shooting, the crowded street was going to go haywire.
An icy chill down his spine was Kaleb''s only warning. He spun at the sensation and came face to face with the point of a knife. A woman in a faded grey suit was lunging at him, dagger extended. But a shifting shadow slammed into the woman and dragged her into the alley wall. Abby slammed the woman into the wall and grabbed both of her wrists.
The two women struggled as Kaleb brought his gun up and tried to aim. But Abby swept the woman¡¯s legs and took them both to the ground. The short shadow-mutant fell onto the other woman, elbow poised to strike. They thumped to the ground and Kaleb saw Abby¡¯s elbow slam into the assassin¡¯s throat. The gangster choked and spasmed in pain and Kaleb moved to deliver the coupe de grace when a loud gunshot filled the streets.
Kaleb jolted and spun, remembering the other Rakgu gangsters. But instead of seeing the suit thugs running at them, they were staring up the street. Kaleb and Abby had hidden a few blocks from Under-town¡¯s chief attraction: The Arena. A twisted monument of metal and wood that stretched into the dark sky of Under-Town cavern home. Kaleb had assumed that being close to the place would draw more people. He had been right. The Arena drew hundreds of criminals to its large doors.
But now those criminals were rushing away from the building like a pack of rats. The full main street became jammed as people ran into and over each other. Guns, lasers, and magic went flying as people started fighting in the streets. Chaos was everywhere, as several thugs pushed past Kaleb to get through the alley. But Kaleb was still trying to find the source of the commotion. A gurgle brought him back around to Abby as she stood up. The gangster woman wasn¡¯t moving anymore, and her eyes were rolled back into her head.
¡°I said there were three of them!¡± Abby growled.
But Kaleb ignored her as he scanned the streets. Abby joined him as soon as the source of everything revealed itself. A giant brown wolf crashed through the streets in front of the arena. Thugs and gangster went running as the giant thing tore through the streets. Some people tried to shoot or fry the thing with their powers, but the behemoth ignored them as he turned and started down main street.
The crowds went fucking nuts as the wolf crashed into them. Behind it, Kaleb could see dozens of people chasing the wolf. Some flew while others ran, but they were all focused on their target.
¡°We need to get out of here!¡± Kaleb yelled over the shouting crowd.
¡°No shit!¡± Abby responded, pulling him deeper into the alley.
But Kaleb pulled the small woman up short. ¡°Not that way. That¡¯s Rakgu territory. We need to cross the street and head west.¡±
Abby stared out at the mass of bodies pushing against each other. She quirked an eyebrow and gave Kaleb her best ¡®are you serious¡¯ face. But all Kaleb could do was shrug. They really didn¡¯t want to get lost in the turf of a gang that was actually looking for them. Abby sighed and, with a powerful stride, walked into the alleyway wall. She vanished into the shadows, and Kaleb wanted to curse. Damn woman could shadow-walk.
He swore he could hear Abby¡¯s laughter as he checked the street again. More and more aliens and humans were pushing past him and the wolf was getting closer. Gritting his teeth, Kaleb put his metal shoulder down and pushed into the crowd. Hands grabbed at him as people shouted and cursed. The thudding of the big wolfs paws grew closer and Kaleb glanced up. A loudly buzzing alien dive-bombed the wolf, but missed and went careening into the crowd below. The alien was quickly stomped as the wolf trampled everyone in its path.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Kaleb punched out with both hands and shoved and pulled against the crowd. It was slow and arduous work. But as the wolf got closer, the crowd thinned enough for Kaleb to dive the remaining distance to the opposite alley across the street. He collided with another alien that kicked him away, and Kaleb rolled deeper into the dark. Getting his feet under him, Kaleb stood and took in his surroundings. Multiple morose faces met him as different aliens and humanoids gave him the once over. Kaleb returned the glances and then pushed further west.
The disruption was the perfect cover to lose anyone that would be tracking them. Shaggy had loosely explained the situation in Under-Town to them the last time he was here. The Big Four of Under-Town were the Rakgu, the Quinica, the UGB, and the Phreaks. Which is where he was headed now. The Phreaks were a gang of aliens and mutants, some of whom had been experimented on, that ran drugs in Under-Town. Among other things. But for a six-foot tall lizard man with a mechanical arm, it was a decent enough hiding place.
¡°Why this direction?¡± Abby asked as she pulled herself from out of a wall¡¯s shadow.
Kaleb tried not to jump at her sudden appearance. Thankfully, Abby was more concerned with getting herself extricated. It took her glaring at him to hear her question, though.
¡°Huh? Oh! The Phreaks are mutants and aliens that have been experimented on, remember? So¡¡±
Kaleb finished by waving a hand up and down his body. Abby snorted but said nothing as she pulled her leg out of the shadow.
¡°Still working on that, are you?¡±
¡°It¡¯s trickier than it looks and takes a great deal of concentration.¡±
¡°Noted.¡±
¡°Now. Where are we going? We still need to find a place to ask questions.¡±
Kaleb nodded and looked around. They were in a long crooked alleyway that bent and twisted as houses and debris crisscrossed around it. Shacks and piles of junk were piled in around them. He figured they would need to keep heading east and find a larger road. Sharing this with Abbey, they started walking.
They did their best to travel in a diagonal through the many back alleys and crooked streets. Everywhere, people were scattered about. Some were moving toward the main streets, trying to see what was going on. While others were picking up the shattered remnants of their existence. Kaleb saw several people pulling dead bodies from broken shacks and picking over the corpses. He and Abby ignored the macabre looting and pushed on.
¡°What the hell was that, anyway?¡±
¡°I think it was Shaggy.¡± Kaleb said, remembering the other only time he¡¯d seen the Villain player wolf out.
Abby stopped. ¡°Oh yeah! He¡¯s a werewolf, right?¡±
¡°Yeah. And that giant wolf looked exactly like the one he turned into when the Rakgu stopped us last time.¡±
¡°Shit! Should we go help?¡±
Kaleb waved her off. ¡°Nah! He¡¯ll be fine. Besides, it¡¯s not exactly rare to see players running about the place.¡±
¡°True. But you actually know this one. He looked like he was in trouble.¡±
¡°Meh. He¡¯ll handle it. Remember, he has his own gang down here. I¡¯d bet that¡¯s where he was running off to.¡±
¡°So he just pulled half of main street toward his friends?¡±
Kaleb grimaced. ¡°Probably.¡±
Abby winced and shook her head. But they continued on their journey. Kaleb kept his ears out for anything. But the citizens of Under-Town were surprisingly tight-lipped. They kept to themselves and kept their heads down. One glance at Kaleb and Abby was all some people risked, while others pointedly ignored them. Not that they were getting no attention at all.
¡°See them?¡± Abby asked.
Kaleb wanted to spin and look around, but stopped himself. Instead, he gave a little shake of the head. A tug on his arm made him spin toward Abby. The shorter woman smiled up at him and darted her eyes over her left shoulder. Following them, Kaleb spotted two¡ people. One was a mutant hybrid or alien. Their skin was gray with yellow stripes and they had one eye bigger than the other. The second one was more decidedly alien, with purple skin and piercing red eyes. But what made them stand out was the giant red lobster claw they had for a left arm.
Abby tugged him back to look at her and kept his attention as she spoke. ¡°They just started following us. I don¡¯t see any others.¡±
¡°Options?¡±
¡°Run or fight?¡±
Kaleb grinned. ¡°Both of those seem way too simplistic.¡±
¡°Then what do you want to do?¡±
¡°Engage.¡±
¡°En- what?¡± Abby asked, but Kaleb sidestepped her and made a beeline for the two obvious thugs.
Big-eye grew scared and his hand moved to his waist. But lobster-claw stopped him and eyed Kaleb as he approached. Behind him, Kaleb heard Abby catching up. So he doubled his speed and raised a hand.
¡°Ho there, criminals! How are you on this fine day?¡±
Lobster-claw scowled and spat in the dirt. ¡°Ain¡¯t no whores here, pal! But why don¡¯t you explain to us why we shouldn¡¯t gut and rob you?¡±
Kaleb smiled. ¡°Because I¡¯d wager that would go poorly for you.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yep. But answer a question or two and you¡¯ll leave unharmed. You¡¯ll also have a few credits to spend on something stupid. What do you say? Great deal, right?¡±
¡°I could snip you in half and take your money instead.¡±
Kaleb smiled and slowly pulled his gun. Letting it hang loosely at his side. Beside him, glaring angrily at him, Abby summoned her shadow-blades. Big-Eye went rigid with fright, but Lobster-claw snorted. Clacking his large pincer, the alien glared at Kaleb for several long moments. Kaleb simply smiled back and waited. Soon the confidence drained from lobster-claw¡¯s eyes and he took a step back.
¡°What do you want?¡±
¡°A bar. Preferably a busy one.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°See, I could tell you. But then I¡¯d have to charge a ¡®Question Tax¡¯ on the credits I would give you. Do you accept the charges?¡±
Lobster-Claw growled, and his large pincers snapped aggressively. Abby tensed at Kaleb¡¯s side and Kaleb tensed his fingers. But Lobster-claw blew out another breath and waved a hand northward.
¡°Just the other side of West Street. You can¡¯t miss the place. But I wouldn¡¯t risk it if I were you. Place like that would chew you up and spit you back into the street.¡±
Kaleb reached into his pocket and flicked a credit chit at Lobster-claw. It was loaded with a hundred credits. Which he figured was more than enough for the information. The aliens non-lobster hand reached out and quickly snatched the chit. Shoving it into his pocket. The gray-yellow alien glowered at his partner. But Kaleb and Abby quickly moved off in the direction they¡¯d been pointed. Behind them, Kaleb heard the beginnings of an argument and smiled.
¡°Risky.¡± Abby said simply.
¡°But better than rasslin¡¯ in the streets.¡±
¡°Is it?¡±
Kaleb simply shrugged and squeezed his large frame between two shacks. Popping out the other side, they walked across several alleys until they reached a large street. Assuming that the large swathe of dirt was West Street, Kaleb rushed across. He ignored the commotion going on around him. Assuming that it was something to do with Shaggy¡¯s lupine run to freedom. Abby close on his heels, Kaleb walked between two large houses and kept his eyes and ears open.
It was another street before Kaleb heard the raucous sounds of drunk people. They had to travel a slightly more to the west. But eventually Kaleb and Abby found the bar and stopped just outside. The place was a fifteen-foot tall wooden building built from actual logs. It had two large square holes in the front wall that were obviously built for windows. But judging from the sound, the windows were never installed.
¡°Well, this is what we were looking for.¡± Abby said as a red alien sailed through an open window.
As the alien ate dirt, Kaleb moved to the bar¡¯s open wooden door. What looked like an unconscious orc was leaned up against the door frame, his big bulk propping the door open. Abby hissed as Kaleb noticed a large short sword impaling the green creature. More raucous noises and fights could be heard inside, and Kaleb glanced at Abby.
¡°Should we¡?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Abby said with finality. ¡°Find a corner table, sit down, and shut up.¡±
Kaleb sighed and pushed through the open door. His senses were immediately overwhelmed with the sights, sounds, and smells of a bunch of humanoids. Aliens of all stripes and colors were all over the bar. Some were drinking, some were eating, and others were fighting. Kaleb had to dodge a stray bolt of red energy as he weaved his way through the tables in the center of the bar. He drew the eye of a few people, but he ignored them. When one tried to grab at him, he broke the flimsy goblin-looking alien¡¯s hand and kept moving. Behind him, Abby sighed.
¡°Just making friends everywhere, huh?¡±
Kaleb found a booth built into the western wall and sat down before he responded.
¡°It sends a message.¡±
¡°Agreed. But now we have to watch out for the guys¡¯ friends.¡±
Kaleb grinned. ¡°That¡¯s why I have you.¡±
Abby grimaced and sat opposite him, checking the table for a menu or something. When they both found nothing, they turned to the bar. A multi-eyed alien was looking their way with six eyes. The other twenty or so were focused on the other areas of the bar. Kaleb held up two fingers and hoped the bartender would get his meaning. Meanwhile, Abby raised her hood and tried to blend in with the furniture.
Combined with the shadows coming off the wall, Kaleb felt she succeeded. So he sat back in his own chair and tried to listen for anything of interest. The bar was filled with the sounds of arguing and shouting everywhere. In the odd corner of silence, aliens and humans sat and whispered secrets into their mugs. Kaleb could barely make out the nearest table argument as a sudden tray with drinks appeared next to their table.
The tray sat itself down and Kaleb spotted five spindly fingers retreat from under the tray. Ignoring the drinks on the table, and looked under it. A two-foot rat standing on its hind legs was about to scurry away after dumping its tray. Kaleb reached a hand out but didn¡¯t touch the furry animal.
¡°Hey!¡±
The rat stood up straight in surprise before it turned to face him. Its beady black eyes seemed terrified at first. But then something happened. The rat went rigid, and its body seemed to shiver. Its black eyes widened, and a voice slammed into Kaleb¡¯s skull.
¡°ENEMY!¡±
Chapter 138 - NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA...
Kaleb sat bolt upright and worriedly looked around. He tried to find the small rat-person thing again. But it was long gone. Hidden within the walls of the bar. Kaleb¡¯s tense posture did not go unnoticed by Abby, who joined him in scanning the bar. Probably thinking he¡¯d seen a threat. Which was only half-right.
The voice was one Kaleb hadn¡¯t heard in a while. But it¡¯s clarity and the smoothness of the voice freaked him out. The last time he heard that voice it had been growly and almost primal. Now it was much calmer. But it still had an edge to it. Like a predator ready to play with its prey. Kaleb shuddered and reached for the drinks the rat-waiter had placed on the table.
Then he froze. What if the rats had done something to the drinks? Was he in danger of being poisoned? Abby looked at him, confusion written large on her face. His hand was frozen on its way to the mug on the table, and Kaleb was sure he was grimacing. Finally, she sighed and leaned over the table.
¡°What is it?¡± She whispered.
Kaleb glanced around the room one last time before he whispered back. ¡°Rat-Man.¡±
Abby snorted and quirked an eyebrow as she sat back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±
¡°My Nemesis. A giant super-strong, telepathic mutant rat. He¡¯s here or close by.¡±
¡°How is that your Nemesis? Also, so what? We still have a job to do, right?¡±
Kaleb sighed and finally gripped the drink on the table. If it was poisoned, he was screwed. But he was sure he was being paranoid. He sipped the drink and immediately scrunched up his face at the taste. It was so sour that it made his eyes water. He forced it down and sat the mug on the table. Airing out his tongue for a bit, Kaleb explained about Rat-Man and Dr. Kane.
It had been when he was working with Deckart and his nephews. They had been captured by a villain named The Rat King. Otherwise known as Rafelos Kane. Kaleb went through the whole adventure. His party¡¯s capture by Kane, their escape, his procurement of Dr. Kane¡¯s research, and the final fight with Rat-man. Or as the system wanted to call him, Man-Rat.
¡°Which is a completely awkward and stupid name.¡± Kaleb finished as he played with the rim of the tray on their table.
Their drinks sat untouched as Kaleb told his story. Abby didn¡¯t seem eager to try hers after the face Kaleb had made, and he didn¡¯t blame her. It wasn¡¯t poisoned as far as Kaleb could tell, but it was disgusting. Abby crossed her arms as she asked again.
¡°So you arrested a giant mutated rat and his master got away? Now you consider this Man-Rat to be your nemesis?¡±
¡°The system picked him as my Nemesis. Which means the rewards are greater if I fight and capture him. But so are the penalties. Also, he gets stronger every time he defeats me.¡±
¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t kill him.¡±
¡°I tried! He is a strength-based Mutant, though. I gouged out an eye and hit him with everything I had. In the end, I got extremely lucky and he was more of a brute than anything. But based on what I just heard, that might not be the case.¡±
¡°Wait! You heard him?!¡±
¡°Our server is a two-foot rat. When I made eye contact with the little creature, Rat-man spoke to me.¡±
Abby stood up and glanced around the room. The suddenness of the move drew a few eyes. But most went back to doing what they were doing. Abby glared at everything as Kaleb tried to calm her down.
¡°I don¡¯t think he''s here. He was probably just using the rat as a scout or something.¡±
¡°He can do that?!¡±
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°Not that I know of. But in all honesty, he might have gotten stronger since we last met.¡±
Abby threw herself into her seat and groaned. ¡°So what do we do?¡±
¡°Well, two options. One, we get the hell out of here and don¡¯t look back.¡±
Abby grimaced, and Kaleb nodded his head. That course of action didn¡¯t sit well with him, either. Rat-Man was tough, but Kaleb sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to run from him. He was a mid-tier Super at best the last time they fought. Kaleb was tougher and more prepared this time.
¡°Or two,¡± Kaleb continued. ¡°We keep investigating the demon gang. Keep our eyes open for an almost eight-foot tall, muscular rat that walks on two feet.¡±
Abby nodded slowly and sat back. Her hand reached out for the drink on the table, but she thought better of it and stopped herself. Kaleb nodded at the smart move and slowly scanned the bar again. He caught a few people¡¯s eyes as he looked around. But they quickly looked away. Some had greedy looks in their eyes, and Kaleb was sure they were going to be tailed when they left.
Without looking at her, he asked Abby. ¡°See any familiar faces or gang colors?¡±
¡°No.¡± Abby answered. ¡°Lot of greedy looks, though, and more than a few pervy ones.¡±
¡°Yeah, we¡¯re getting tailed as soon as we leave.¡±
¡°So let¡¯s leave.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s get up and walk down the street a bit. We turn into an alley and then ask our pursuers any questions we want.¡±
Kaleb tilted his head. ¡°And if they know nothing?¡±
¡°We find another bar and do it again. It¡¯s the Claire-Bear method of information gathering. We did it a lot topside while you were off playing in your lab.¡±
¡°Yeah, how¡¯s that armor treating you, short-stack?¡±
¡°Bullshit! You stole this armor and then borked the tech in it. If anything, you gave the team half-broken equipment. Meanwhile, you¡¯re making weapons for other groups.¡±
¡°Our allies!¡± Kaleb exclaimed, wondering how they had gotten to this conversation. ¡°Those weapons have gotten us NPC guards for the hangar and given us a better position with the Hunters.¡±
Abby put a hand up in a ¡®calm down,¡¯ gesture. ¡°I get it. I was just needling you. You¡¯ve done fine work as a crafter. I¡¯m just saying that your work has mostly been around weapons. When¡¯s the last time you made some armor or something?¡±
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Kaleb wracked his brain. But when no answer was forthcoming, he merely shook his head. Abby nodded and smiled.
¡°See, and you were just talking about having a super-strong Nemesis. I¡¯d get on some countermeasures as soon as possible, Prof.¡±
Kaleb rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. ¡°Yeah¡ But I figured I was in the clear. Rat-Man was thrown in prison and we¡¯ve been busy.¡±
¡°We are always going to be busy. You¡¯ve made time for your other projects. Make time for some rat repellent. Also, you know jail breaks are a near-daily occurrence, right? I mean, players are breaking out of prisons with shocking regularity. And they are taking scores of NPCs with them each time. That¡¯s not counting the number of players who break into prisons to get their buddies out.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he stared at the amber-colored liquid in their mugs. It frothed and bubbled under his gaze as he tried to think of ways to stop Rat-Man in his tracks. Shaking the thoughts away, Kaleb crossed his arm and looked across the table at Abby.
¡°Ready to do this?¡±
¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s head out.¡±
Kaleb nodded and left a credit chit on the table for the drinks. On the way out, he kept his eyes open for anymore rat waiters. But either there were none around, or they were really sneaky. The people who weren¡¯t sneaky were the asshats that were glaring at him and Abby as they left. More than a few were being extremely obvious as they tracked them across the room. Kaleb followed along behind Abby, acting as a guard in case someone snuck on them both. But they cleared the entrance quickly.
Kaleb noted that the dead door guard had been replaced by an equally huge, animalistic guard. The furry T-Rex humanoid gave them a nod as they crossed the threshold and went back to looking scary. Abby stared at the weird-looking guard for a few steps after leaving, but she spun back around and whispered.
¡°Three of them. Not even hiding.¡±
Kaleb started. She hadn¡¯t been watching the T-Rex. She had been keeping an eye out for their tails. Kaleb wanted to smack himself. He was still distracted by the possible Rat-Man sighting. Giving Abby a quick nod, Kaleb fell in slightly behind her and followed. She gave him a confused look, but eventually rolled her eyes and walked down the dark street.
Under-town¡¯s artificial light from above cast everything in long shadows. Shadows that followed them as they hurried westward. Abby took them a full block down the street before she turned into an alleyway. Kaleb quickly followed and was unsurprised to see that the woman had disappeared. Thinking quickly, Kaleb walked down the alley a short distance and turned. He momentarily worried about someone going around and coming from behind him. But when three shadows darkened the opening to the alley, Kaleb smiled.
The three multi-colored aliens grinned as they saw Kaleb waiting for them. Like other members of the Phreaks, each alien had somewhat animalistic qualities. Their leader, a gold alien with blue strips had fur in odd places. The two big purple and green aliens just behind the leader both had clawed hands and sharp teeth. They snarled at Kaleb as he drew his pistol.
¡°Hi!¡± Kaleb said, as cheerful as possible. ¡°It seems you and your friends want to talk to me. What can I do for you?¡±
The leader froze as his brain processed everything. Kaleb saw the alien¡¯s eye grow wide.
¡°Where¡¯s the woman!?¡± He cried just as Abby shot out of the shadows like a cannonball.
Her slight form slammed into one of the two brutes behind the leader. So Kaleb raised his pistol and unloaded into the second brute. The leader dove toward the wall of the alley. But Kaleb ignored him as he watched his blaster shots get absorbed into the purple and green alien¡¯s flesh.
Hissing to himself, Kaleb pulled a plastic egg from his coat pocket. But the big alien wasn¡¯t going to just stand there. With a glance at Abby slicing into his friend, the second brute charged Kaleb, skin glowing blue as it absorbed the energy from his pistol.
The alien was three steps from him when Kaleb tossed the taser-egg. The yellow plastic cracked and spring-loaded wires wrapped around the alien¡¯s body. A quick jolt of electricity made the alien tense up, and Kaleb used the moment to charge forward. Holstering his pistol, Kaleb reared his robotic arm back and let his metal fist fly.
His paralyzed foe grimaced as Kaleb''s fist slammed into the side of his face. Sending the alien sideways. Kaleb lashed out with a kick, trying to trip the alien, and succeeded in making the man fall to his knees. Pulling his Sun Gun, Kaleb proceeded to unload shots into the man¡¯s face at point blank range. The alien¡¯s skin glowed as it absorbed the energy, but soon the alien¡¯s skin became flabby and drooped disgustingly. Then the glowing stopped.
As Kaleb kept firing, his yellow balls of energy finally began burning the poor alien¡¯s skin. A roar from his left brought Kaleb around to see the leader charging at him with his hands raised. His nails were visibly growing, and he held them, ready to stab Kaleb. Quickly shoving his brute aside, Kaleb ducked low and caught the charging leader with his right shoulder. Sharp pain exploded on his back as the leader stabbed at him and Kaleb quickly stood, taking the alien leader with him.
With a grunt, Kaleb lifted the alien by his legs and tossed him as hard as he could over his shoulder. The alien thudded to the ground and Kaleb spun, robotic hand drawing his Cybar again. With both pistols on the alien, Kaleb placed a boot on the man¡¯s neck and waited. Abby was still dealing with her alien. But from the way she was ducking and dodging around the bigger alien, Kaleb figured she¡¯d be fine. Especially cause she kept carving pieces off the more guy with her shadow-blades.
With a shout, Abby launched herself at the taller alien¡¯s face and jammed both her blades into the guy¡¯s eyes. The alien¡¯s body went still and Abby huffed loudly. Her two shadow-blades disappeared, and she glared at Kaleb.
¡°What?¡±
¡°You weren¡¯t going to help at all?¡±
¡°I¡¯m watching the prisoner.¡±
¡°You have a gun!¡±
¡°And you have shadow powers that allow you to create random constructs. Make a damn gun!¡±
¡°Tha-¡± Abby started to say, but stopped herself.
Kaleb could see the thought had never occurred to the short woman. With a sigh, he turned back to the alien leader and smiled again. The thug hissed and scratched at Kaleb¡¯s boot. But Kaleb applied some pressure, and the alien froze. Reaching down, Kaleb quickly grabbed the alien by his shoulders and threw him against the alleyway wall. The metal wall wobbled dangerously, but Kaleb put a hand on it as he shoved his Cybar under the alien¡¯s chin.
¡°Okay, listen here. We want all the information you have on a gang called the Demons.¡±
The alien glared at him before choking out a laugh. ¡°Ha! Fuck you, cop! I ain¡¯t telling you shit.¡±
Kaleb hit the venting switch on his Cybar and let steam fill the space between the two of them. The gun beeped as the venting process finished and Kaleb nodded to himself.
¡°Well then, you will have to talk to my associate. But I can guarantee, though, that she is not as polite as I am. I¡¯ll just shoot ya, but Abby here. Well¡¡±
Kaleb trailed off as he moved to give the thug a good view of the short woman behind him. He didn¡¯t turn around so he couldn¡¯t see the face Abby was making, but the alien didn¡¯t like it. Kaleb saw the man gulp as his gold skin went slightly pale. His wide eyes returned to Kaleb, and the two stared at each for a long time.
¡°I¡ I don¡¯t know about any demons. They ain¡¯t a group represented down here. I mean, they might be a small-time group like we were. But if you ain¡¯t part of the Big Four, you ain¡¯t worth knowing. At least to most of us.¡±
¡°So who would know?¡± Abby asked from behind Kaleb.
The alien¡¯s eyes widened again, and he struggled briefly in Kaleb¡¯s grip. Kaleb jammed his pistol into the alien¡¯s chin and shook him until he stopped squirming. The alien got a hold of himself and glared at Kaleb before he answered.
¡°There¡¯s a guy, works for the UGB, he''s an information broker. He¡¯d might know something.¡±
Kaleb nodded slowly as he asked. ¡°How can we find th- FUCK!¡±
Kaleb¡¯s vision was obscured by a giant blue window and he almost let go of the alien. Tightening his grip, Kaleb hissed behind his teeth as he read the notification. Abby tapped his shoulder, forcing him to glance at her.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡±
Kaleb gave an annoyed smile as he told her what he was seeing.
-
-
-
-
-
|
Nemesis Alert
|
|
Your Nemesis is in the area. Double experience and skill growth when hunting down and capturing your Nemesis. Experience gained when not in pursuit will be halved. Once confronted, a special instance will be created for you to battle your Nemesis uninterrupted. Other players may watch but not participate unless they are part of your party. If one party escapes, then a small portion of Experience will go to the one that stays in the assigned area.
|
Chapter 139 - Rat-Man Redux
Kaleb sat at the bar. Diligently tying wires together in his hands. The spool of wires and broken plastic eggs spilled out across the bar top. He would¡¯ve preferred a quieter and cleaner workspace. But he didn¡¯t have much time. Although, how much time he had was a mystery to him. It had already been thirty minutes since he got the notification. He was sure Rat-man was in Under-Town and trying to sniff him out.
If Kaleb guessed right. The beast was probably going around and asking his little cousins to search for Kaleb. Which meant an entire cave town of rats was out looking for him. He hoped that returning to the original bar would buy him some time to prepare. Also, the bar itself would be a great place to search for weapons and items for traps. But unsurprisingly, the bar patrons and owner were highly resistant to Kaleb¡¯s arguments for help.
BAM
A body slammed into the bar and almost unseated Kaleb from his stool. Looking over, he saw an angry horned alien glaring into the bar. Kaleb swiftly drew his Sun Gun and fire a shot into the side of the alien¡¯s head. The yellow orb of energy slammed into the man and he went rigid. The alien toppled over and Kaleb went back to work as the sounds of fighting carried on behind him. Abby¡¯s voice broke into his concentration, sounding winded and annoyed for some reason.
¡°You could be helping, you know!?¡±
¡°I have to prepare for Rat-Man. He is no joke and I¡¯m going to need all my strength and skill to bring him down.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t think me being exhausted is going to hurt our chances?¡±
Kaleb spun around with a raised eyebrow. Abby was at the center of a group of criminals running and stabbing whoever got close. The short woman was ducking and dodging around the various aliens, hybrids and humanoids while chopping off limbs with her shadow-blades. She flipped over the head of a Minotaur-looking guy and stabbed backward, chancing a glance in his direction.
¡°To be honest, I figured you¡¯d go for the information broker while I dealt with this.¡±
Kaleb finished tying the ends of the wires together and started rolling them up. He rolled them along the bar, careful not to trip on the dozens of bodies on the floor of the bar. At the end of the bar were three large mason jars with cupnex wiring spilling out of them. He wound the wires up and jammed them into the last jar before sealing it tight. Spinning toward Abby, he raised his new creation high and cackled.
¡°BEHOLD! The Taser-Jar!¡±
¡°Not your best work.¡± Abby grunted as she grabbed an alien¡¯s head and kicked off another thug¡¯s face.
¡°Everyone¡¯s a critic.¡± Kaleb said as he drew his pistol and started firing.
Abby had already cleared out most of the bar¡¯s clientele. But the sticklers and the ones looking for nothing but a fight had hung around. The true criminals. The cowards and bullies had all high-tailed it as soon as Abby had started chopping limbs off. His Cybar and Sun Gun¡¯s energy slammed into the back of several aliens and they howled in pain. Between Abby and him, they cleaned up the remaining thugs with no problems. Although Abby still looked angry¡ and a little winded.
¡°What?!¡±
¡°We could¡¯ve been done twice as fast!¡± Abby complained as she kicked an unconscious gangster.
¡°Hey! I didn¡¯t want it to go this way to begin with. I figured these idiots would bolt as soon as you started slicing people up.¡±
¡°Really? How did you see this going? You¡¯d just walk into a bar full of criminals, wave some credits around and they¡¯d all jump up to help you?¡±
Kaleb shrugged his shoulders as he set his Taser Jar down and walked behind the bar. ¡°Yes. The criminal element has always been motivated by money. It¡¯s a proven fact. Wave some credits in their faces and they¡¯d¡¡±
¡°Try to rob you. Immediately.¡± Abby deadpanned.
Kaleb rolled his eyes as he grabbed a large brown glass bottle from behind the bar. ¡°I even told them it was all I had. What were they going to do? Try to rob me for more?¡±
¡°YES!¡±
¡°Well, I know that now.¡±
Kaleb turned to grab another bottle when a sweaty pink hand reached up and grabbed his wrist. He looked down to see the bartender glaring up at him, half-angry, half-pleading.
¡°Don¡¯t! That¡¯s my livelihood.¡±
Kaleb smacked the guy in the face with his metal fist and sighed. ¡°Which I offered to buy from you at a premium. But instead, you sicced your goons on us and now your bar is going to get trashed. Believe me, I wish it could¡¯ve been different.¡±
Kaleb found some duct tape under the bar and started taping three bottles of liquor together. He popped the tops on them and shoved whatever cloth he could into the tops. While he did that, Abby grabbed a glass of water and sat down. She watched him as he prepared four sets of firebombs. When he finished the fourth and started on a fifth, she snorted.
¡°Geez! Are you sure you have enough?¡±
Kaleb set the bottles of liquor down and glared at her. ¡°I don¡¯t think you truly understand what we¡¯re dealing with here. It is a super-strong, super-tough rat with telepathic powers and an army of rat followers. I need every edge I can get.¡±
¡°You mean we.¡±
¡°No. I meant ¡®I.¡¯ You need to go and find this UGB info-broker. We can¡¯t ignore the whole reason we came down here. We need to find information on the demons.¡±
Abby sipped at her water. ¡°We don¡¯t even know if this info-broker is going to know anything. But I¡¯m supposed to find them while you''re over here having an epic boss battle? Fuck that! The notification said you could have a party help you, right? So, I¡¯m helping. I bet the rewards for taking down a nemesis are sweet!¡±
¡°Abby,¡± Kaleb said, wrapping duct tape around the bottles. ¡°I¡¯m not planning on winning. I got extremely lucky last time. The guy was playing with his food and I managed to just barely beat him. This time, he is coming for blood and I doubt he¡¯ll be holding back. He hits me once and I am paste. I know it.¡±
¡°So don¡¯t let him hit you. Stick and move, then put his furry ass into the ground. Besides, isn¡¯t that more of a reason for me to stick around? Between the both of us, we can take the sonofabitch down.¡±
¡°Or he could kill both of us and we¡¯d both be out any skill growth or points we¡¯ve earned while in Under-Town. Not to mention all the damage to our equipment I¡¯d have to repair.¡±
Abby opened her mouth to say something. But it got caught in her throat as she looked around. The bar was full of aliens and humanoids that she had taken down fairly ruthlessly and efficiently. She glared at all of them before snapping her eyes back to Kaleb.
¡°Is that why you let me fight all these guys alone? You knew I¡¯d gain a bunch of Evo Points from fighting them and now you¡¯re using the fear of losing them as a way to get me to leave?¡±
Kaleb kept quiet as he finished preparing his fire bomb. That actually wasn¡¯t what he had planned. But it was better to stay quiet and let others think he was smarter than he was. In truth, he just didn¡¯t want to have to come down here again after Rat-Man killed them. It was better for one of them to find the UGB guy and find out if they had been wasting their time. Otherwise they¡¯d get killed, lose a shit-load of progress and then have to come back down here, anyway.
Abby¡¯s face twisted into a smile. ¡°Well, the jokes on you, fucker. I didn¡¯t get a lot of points from these thugs. But I can spend the points I got right now and still be prepared for your evil Man-Rat.¡±
¡°Rat-Man.¡± Kaleb corrected as a shiver went down his spine.
The air seemed to grow tense and Kaleb felt an ominous feeling in the air. It was like standing in a field right before a storm. The air was almost humming as he turned to Abby.
¡°You¡¯re too late, Abby. He¡¯s here.¡±
Abby snorted. ¡°Pfft! Good try. I¡¯m still helping you.¡±
The words were barely out of her mouth when the front of the bar exploded. Bits of wood and metal went sailing toward them. Kaleb grabbed as many firebombs as he could off the bar counter before throwing himself away from the oncoming debris. He got a glimpse of Abby back-flipping away as he cradled his firebombs. He only managed to grab three of them. A roar from the front of the bar grabbed his attention, and Kaleb turned to see his Nemesis.
Rat-Man stood in the center of his impromptu entrance, his snout-like nose raised high as he sniffed the air. His bulging muscles tensed as he caught Kaleb¡¯s scent in the air and turned toward him. Unlike last time, Rat-Man was actually half-dressed in a pair of orange shorts that looked like they used to be prison pants. His muscular torso was, of course, bare. The giant bipedal rat¡¯s foot-claws clicked against the wooden floorboards as he entered the room and stared down at Kaleb.
Kaleb felt the familiar intrusion as Rat-Man forced his thoughts into Kaleb¡¯s mind.
¡°ENEMY!¡±
Kaleb stood to his full height and adjusted his lab coat. He set two of the firebombs on a nearby table as he cradled the third in his hand. Moving away from the other bottles, Kaleb smirked at his Nemesis.
¡°I see your vocabulary is still the same.¡±
Rat-Man chortled. The sound was a disturbing gurgling from the back of the Rat¡¯s throat.
¡°NO. I¡¯VE LEARNED. IMPROVED!¡±
Kaleb blinked as he noticed the words sounded a little smoother and less guttural than the last time.
¡°Yet you¡¯re still shouting all the time.¡± Kaleb winced as he sneakily reached for his Cybar.
¡°I SHOUT. CAUSE. I AM ANGRY!¡±
¡°And I¡¯d love to help you with that big fella. But I have more important stuff to do.¡±
Kaleb brought his gun up and pointed it at the giant Rat-man. But the creature ignored the weapon as it pounded angrily on its own chest. It screeched in fury and Kaleb winced as the sound seemed to pierce into his mind. When he finished screaming, the beast spread its massive arms and curled its fingers into claws.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
¡°I AM MOST IMPORTANT! I AM MASTER! ENEMY. DESTROY!¡±
Rat-man launched himself as he finished speaking. But Kaleb was already dodging to the side. As he did, he awkwardly threw his firebomb with his right hand. With his left, he took aim and waited for the right moment. Rat-man sailed through the air snarling as Kaleb jumped away. The trio of taped bottles was on a direct course for the giant rat, and Kaleb waited for the last moment. Even as his own dodge ended and he landed on the floor. He kept his gun up and waited until the liquor was right in front of Rat-man and then he fired.
The earth-shattering explosion Kaleb had been expecting didn¡¯t happen. Instead, a large ball of fire engulfed the flying Rat-Man as little bits of fire rained all around. Kaleb quickly got to his feet as Rat-Man roared in pain and fury. He kept firing with his Cybar as he circled around to the front of the building. Rat-Man scratched at his face and body until the flames were out and then whirled to Kaleb again. Bits of fire spread along the wooden floor and the assorted bodies, growing slowly bigger.
Rat-man ran at Kaleb this time and he circled to his right again. Trying to get toward the other firebombs and his Taser Jars. He couldn¡¯t find Abby, but he hoped she was running for it. Or at least planning something spectacular. A ripping sound filled the air as Rat-Man¡¯s claws caught the tail-end of Kaleb¡¯s lab coat. The fabric and Kevlar tore under the Rat¡¯s claws as Kaleb spun out from his dash.
Spinning around, Kaleb vented his Cybar and grabbed his Sun Gun. Setting it to its highest setting, Kaleb aimed right at Rat-Man¡¯s snarling face. He unloaded two blasts of solar-powered energy into the beast, but it ignored both of them as it dashed forward again. Its clawed feet tearing up the bar¡¯s floor.
Kaleb rolled out of the way of the charging bull and got to his feet in the middle of the bar. The flames were growing along the floor at his feet. But he ignored them as he put more energy rounds into the mutated rat¡¯s flank. It roared petulantly as it punched a nearby table in a rage. The table shattered under the punch and Rat-Man kicked the debris at Kaleb. Bits of wood hit Kaleb in the shins, doing little to no damage as he tried to get closer to the bar.
Two of his Taser Jars were sitting at the edge of the bar. Thankfully, unshattered from the force of Rat-Man¡¯s entrance. But it would put Kaleb dangerously close to the approaching beast. Rat-Man had fallen to all fours and was screeching like a beast. He watched Kaleb as he slid toward the bar. Rat-Man¡¯s beady eyes caught sight of the jars and seemed to come to an understanding. He launched himself at the edge of the bar, massive shoulder turning the wooden counter into splinters. Both jars shattered on impact, but the cupnex wiring did its job and sprang out like a net.
As Rat-Man stood back up to his full height, his body was wrapped with thin wires that crisscrossed his furred body. He started ripping the wires off of him, but his fur and his large nails made it difficult. Kaleb took his chance and sent a bolt from his Sun Gun into the mass of wires and fur. The cupnex took the charge and dispersed it as electrical energy shocking Rat-Man all over his body. The enormous beast froze up and squealed as the electricity coursed through his body.
¡°Suck it, fucker!¡± Kaleb screamed as he back-pedaled a few steps while reaching into his lab coat.
Taking a knee, he pulled his trump card from its shoulder holster and focused. The Magic Gun whirred to life as the center chamber spun and glowed blue. Rat-Man was still writhing as Kaleb focused on thoughts of a large icicle piercing the beast¡¯s chest. He channeled all of his meager magical power into the gun¡¯s chamber and then, with a shout, he released it.
A blue missile formed at the end of the Magic Gun and shot forward. The large blue icicle shot through the air without a sound and slammed right into Rat-Man¡¯s chest. The beast roared in pain and fell to its knees, half the icicle sticking out of its chest. Kaleb had hit it on the left pectoral and the magical shot seemed to have gone halfway through Rat-Man¡¯s body.
Kaleb shakily got to his feet as a headache swelled behind his eyes. His vision blurred as he took in his Nemesis. When he saw that Rat-Man wasn¡¯t moving, he breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn¡¯t known if the Taser jar would work, let alone the Magic Gun. But it appeared that Rat-Man¡¯s flesh wasn¡¯t as tough as he thought. Kaleb was about to shout his victory to the sky when a creaking of wood filled his ears. He tried to turn back to Rat-Man, but his vision swam and his new headache made him squint his eyes.
What felt like a grenade went off in Kaleb¡¯s chest and he felt his feet leave the ground. The next sensation was his back hitting something hard and then sailing through that. Then he hit something metal and the sounds of metal tearing filled his world. Kaleb heard the distant roar of Rat-Man and tried to focus. But his whole body felt like it was on fire.
He blinked away the dust and debris in the air, as well as his pounding head. He was lying on his back, staring up at a corrugated metal ceiling. Unrecognizable shouts and screams filled his ears. But he ignored them as he raised his head. There was a large hole in the wall at his feet. As he looked through it, he saw a path of destruction as realized he had been punched through several homes as well as the bar wall.
Kaleb gave a silent thank you to the creators of the K-Tech armor as he got to his feet. It hadn¡¯t blunted the damage much at all. But he assumed the armor was the reason his spine wasn''t liquid right now. Slowly pulling himself to his feet, Kaleb grimaced as he saw a family of aliens all glaring at him.
¡°Sorry.¡± He said feebly.
He threw a few credit chits to the nearest alien and stumbled back through the hole he had made. In the distance, he could hear Rat-Man roaring. But it didn¡¯t sound like the beast was having fun. Kaleb gazed through the houses he had been punched through and tried to see the bar. Rat-Man¡¯s large form was just visible as he stood in the hole he had punched Kaleb through. A dark figure was dancing around the beast and Kaleb swore under his breath.
¡°Damn it, Abby.¡±
He vented his Cybar and holstered his Magic Gun as he checked his HP.
HEALTH: 36/151
Kaleb stumbled his way through the three other houses he¡¯d been punched through. With one hit, he¡¯d been almost killed. And who knew how much damage he had done to Rat-Man? The back of his mind started thinking up ideas for new weapons while the rest of his attention was on the fight ahead of him.
Abby was dashing in and out of the giant rat¡¯s range. Each time she got close, new wounds would open up on the other mutant¡¯s body. But Rat-Man seemed oblivious as he swiped angrily at the dashing woman. Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure how long she could keep it up, but at least she was doing some damage. Kaleb trudged closer as he tried to think of a way to help. His Cyber and Sun Gun were good dps, but he needed to hit harder. The Magic Gun in his shoulder holster beat against his ribs and Kaleb formed an idea.
After speed-walking through the next building, Kaleb turned north and moved around the back of the buildings. As the sounds of Abby and Rat-Man¡¯s fight grew fiercer, he made his way to the bar from behind. He tried kicking in the back door, but when his foot went through, he simply shot the doorknob and opened it. He rushed through the back rooms of the bar and came out into the main room.
Abby and Rat-Man were still fighting near the hole in the eastern wall. But Kaleb¡¯s eyes went to the western side of the bar where his two firebombs were. The first one had been a disappointment explosion wise, but Kaleb had an idea. Pulling his Magic Gun, he started focusing on a giant fireball. The pain behind his eyes spiked, and Kaleb felt his legs go weak. But he continued toward the two molotovs.
He gripped both in his large metal hand and aimed his gun with his normal one. Abby dashed around the side of Rat-Man and then froze when she saw Kaleb. He winced as Rat-Man used the opportunity to backhand his friend. Abby went sailing the through back of the bar, taking the wooden walls with her. Rat-Man roared in triumph and raised his hands to the sky.
¡°Hey!¡± Kaleb shouted.
Rat-Man whirled, hissing, as he caught sight of Kaleb. With no further words, Kaleb tossed both firebombs at once. Rat-Man charged, his eyes firmly set on Kaleb. He ignored both bunches of bottles as they broke against his fur, coating him with alcohol. It felt like a knife was jammed into Kaleb¡¯s brain as he used the last of his magic to shoot a fireball from his Magic Gun.
Kaleb didn¡¯t get to see what happened after that as his vision went black. The sound died down and he felt his body collapse. The last thing he saw was a large orange blur filling his vision. He waited in darkness for what felt like a long time, but he didn¡¯t get any notifications of his death, nor was he transported to Deathville.
The next thing he saw was Abby¡¯s face as he blearily opened his eyes. Her dark hair was haloed by a ring of fire and Kaleb blinked as he realized she was saying something. But his body wasn¡¯t responding to his commands at the moment. He could barely register where he was at first. But soon things came to him.
The bar was fully on fire now. Behind Abby was a kneeling Rat-Man who looked frozen in place. His fur was blackened and his skin was cracked. Bits of metal and wood were falling from the ceiling and Abby was trying to get him to stand. Kaleb tried to say something, but all that came out was a stream of liquid he assumed was blood. Judging by Abby¡¯s worried look, he was right.
Kaleb rolled onto his back and waited for the game¡¯s healing. Hopefully, it would give him enough strength to get out of the building before it crashed on top of him. Meanwhile, Abby seemed to vanish as he blinked, but he couldn¡¯t blame her. He was probably screwed. No sense in both of them having to go through Deathville.
As he waited, he went through his notifications. His Toughness was maxed again, along with his Regen finally. His Dodge had been raised to level four, and he had even earned a new skill. One he probably should¡¯ve gotten a long time ago.
| Congratulations |
| Your constant reliance on archaic and uncivilized weapons has awarded you the Ranged Combat skill. Now you can take your enemies out from afar¡ you chicken. |
| Ranged Combat ¨C Beginner Level 3 |
| The first person to win a fist fight is the person who¡¯s friend arrives with a gun. You are that person. Ranged weapons are easier to handle and you hit what you''re aiming at for once. |
| You are 3% faster with ranged weapons and 5% more likely to hit what you¡¯re aiming at. |
¡°That seems way past due.¡± Kaleb thought as he closed the notification.
But at least it came in at level three. Probably because of the fight with his Nemesis. Thinking of Rat-Man made Kaleb open his eyes. But again, his view was filled with Abby¡¯s face. He tried to look around her, but he slowly realized she was jamming a vial of something against his lips. Wearily, he opened his mouth and felt a warm liquid roll down his throat.
Power surged through his body as his aches and pains disappeared. His ears popped as the sound came back to him and the roaring flames and Abby¡¯s chastisement filled his head.
¡°We¡¯ve got to go! This place is coming down and I don¡¯t know if that bastard is going to get back up!¡±
Kaleb blinked. ¡°Is he not dead!?¡±
Abby sighed as she looked over at Rat-Man kneeling on the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t touch him anymore. It¡¯s like his glitched or something.¡±
¡°Or it needs me to do something. He is my Nemesis, after all.¡±
¡°Well, get the fuck up and do something, then. This bar is down for after the shit you just pulled.¡±
¡°You mean winning the fight?¡±
¡°I was winning the fight. Then you came in and distracted me. Next thing I know, I¡¯m punted through several buildings and you¡¯ve set this whole place on fire.¡±
Kaleb had nothing to say to that as he slowly got to his feet. The health potion Abby had gotten him was powerful stuff. He could feel his wounds healing in real time. The fire raged through the bar as Kaleb slowly approached Rat-Man. Abby was right. It looked like the beast was glitched out or something. The fire didn¡¯t touch him and the debris falling from above passed right through.
Kaleb wondered if they should ping an admin as he got closer. But a sudden notification blocked his views.
-
-
-
-
-
|
Congratulations
|
|
You have defeated your Nemesis with a party. Experience gained is shared throughout the party based on contribution. But now that you¡¯ve defeated your Nemesis, you have a choice. Do you defeat them for good or send them to jail? If you send them away, they will eventually come back stronger than before. But the rewards will be increased. But if you defeat them, your name will resound through the city and everyone will know what you have accomplished. For better or worse.
|
|
Spare/Kill
|
Kaleb felt a grin spread across his face, as he didn¡¯t even have to think about it. With a press of a button, Kaleb sealed his and Rat-Man¡¯s fate. A blue circle suddenly appeared around Rat-Man as Kaleb closed out the window. The circle pulsed twice and then Rat-Man and it were gone. Sighing, Kaleb turned toward Abby.
¡°Time to go.¡±
Chapter 140 - The UGB And Information
|
Toughness Skill Level Maxed
|
|
Maybe you were a punching bag in a past life, but your ability to take a hit and keep going puts you a cut above some Mundanes. Taking more devastating hits, while not recommended, will raise this skill to the limits for Mundanes. Combinable skill.
Current Health increase: 10%
Current physical damage decrease: 5%
|
|
Regen Skill Level Maxed
|
|
While not as hardy as others, taking a good rest can do wonders for most Mundanes. Increases your regeneration of health while at rest.
At rest, health regeneration is increased by +6
|
|
Dodge Skill level Up
|
|
Being ahead of your enemies¡¯ strikes can save your life. Never underestimate being able to dash in a fight.
Movement speed while dodging increased 4%
|
¡°So we are seriously not going to talk about it?¡±
Abby¡¯s voice pulled Kaleb from his notification windows. He was trying to decide if he should rank up his Toughness skill or wait for something to combine it with. Regen wasn¡¯t a combinable skill, so he was about to bring that one up to Intermediate when Abby spoke up.
¡°Talk about what?¡±
Abby sighed. ¡°We came down here to get information on the demon gang and we wound up in a fight to the death with your Nemesis. Now we are moving on to our original goal like the epic boss fight didn¡¯t happen. Doesn¡¯t that seem weird to you?¡±
¡°Not really? I mean, players are having epic fights all over the place, right?¡±
Kaleb waved a hand at the street. In the distance, the sounds of gunshots could be heard as the odd explosion lit up the streets. Abby nodded at the sounds, but still seemed unsatisfied. They continued down the street as she got her thoughts together and Kaleb went ahead and upgraded his Regen Skill to Intermediate.
|
Regen Skill Intermediate Level 1
|
|
While not as hardy as others, taking a good rest can do wonders for most Mundanes. Increases your regeneration of health while at rest. Can now heal while moving.
At rest, health regeneration is increased by +8
Ambulatory Healing: +2 per minute
|
He left his Toughness alone for now and would wait and see if he combine it with his Dodge Skill. Sure that meant his future skill experience would go down the drain. But he was sure that Toughness and Dodge would give him something good. His In-Fighter Skill had been born from Toughness, Dodge, and Endurance. And Toughness and Endurance gave him Conditioning. So having another combined skill was worth the XP loss in the long run.
¡°It just seems so incongruous. I mean, one minute we are fighting in a burning building with a super-strong rat mutant. Then the next minute we¡¯re walking down a dark street trying to find some gang called the UGB.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the life of a Super Hero.¡± Kaleb shrugged, which sent a spike of pain through his shoulders.
Abby had managed to purchase a medium-tier health potion from a shady vendor on the street. Which is what she used to heal Kaleb, but it hadn¡¯t fully done the job. But with his new Regen Skill, he didn¡¯t have to stop moving to heal now. But Abby still put a hand to his shoulder.
¡°Do you need to stop and rest? I mean, you got kicked through several buildings and almost set on fire.¡±
Kaleb checked his health and grimaced. He was over a hundred thanks to the health potion. But he could most definitely use a break. He gave Abby a silent nod and moved to the side of the road. As he did, he realized that the short woman was as spry as ever.
¡°What the fuck? You got smacked, too. How are you doing so well?¡±
Abby smirked and closed her eyes for a second. A black sheen of armor appeared around her body and flickered for a few seconds. It vanished quickly and Abby explained.
¡°Shadow Armor. I¡¯d been putting off getting it because nothing has been quick enough to hit me yet. But I figured when going up against a Super-Strong build, having some armor would be a good idea. Not to mention I heal faster at night or in the shadows.¡±
¡°Fucking mutants.¡± Kaleb whined as he sat with his back to a metal shack.
¡°You¡¯re the one that chose Mundane for a start. Although now you have magic. Can¡¯t you give yourself mutant powers, too?¡±
¡°Yeah. But it would take some high-level science skills to get the ball rolling. I have samples of blood from various mutants. But no idea how to synthesize them into something useful.¡±
¡°You think your new job could help with that?¡±
¡°Yeah¡ probably¡¡± Kaleb said lamely as his Regen kicked in.
He was delighted to find that the at rest and ambulatory healing combined. So he was gaining ten HP a minute with his new skill. He smiled up at Abby until several shadows fell over both of them. Abby noticed them too and twirled, her arms becoming shadowy blades. The sounds of energy weapons whirred to life and Kaleb got to his feet in time for a male voice to shout at them.
¡°Halt citizens! You appear to match the descriptions of two people of interest in a recent fire south of here. State your business and affiliations.¡±
Kaleb blinked at the clipped tone. Glancing at the surrounding black-armored troops, Kaleb was briefly reminded of K-tech soldiers. But these guy¡¯s armor was a lot bulkier and their weapons weren¡¯t in great shape. Kaleb made a mental note not to offer to fix their guns as Abby asked her own question.
¡°Are you guys cops?¡±
The lead soldier, whose head and face were obscured by a large helmet that left his lower chin on display, smiled.
¡°We are the troops of the Underground Government Body. We bring law and order to this unjust den of criminals. So I repeat, identify yourselves.¡±
Kaleb remembered Wulkun mentioning the UGB. They were one of the Big Four of Under-Town, a group of wannabe cops acting like they weren¡¯t a gang. He figured asking straight-up about an information broker was a sure-way to get shot. So instead he raised his hands and reported like he would to a cop.
¡°Professor Pack Rat, contracted Hero working out of Imperial Valley.¡±
The lead soldier sneered for a quick second but immediately wiped it from his face.
¡°Vigilantes, huh? What the hell are you doing down here?¡±
Kaleb wanted to snort at the man¡¯s holier-than-thou tone. But he bit it back and explained.
¡°We are looking for information on a gang that¡¯s been plaguing our contracted area. It¡¯s called the Demons. Ever heard of them?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have time to memorize every two-bit outfit on the outskirts of Austin. The UGB has an information office down the road. They can get you situated for a price.¡±
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Kaleb and Abby shared a confused glance before nodded thanks to the soldier and trying to walk away. But the other soldiers raised their weapons and the lead asshole snickered.
¡°Sorry. But we work on donations from the community. I¡¯m going to need you to turn over any credits, weapons, and armor you may have.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re robbing us?¡± Abby snorted.
¡°Little lady, I work to make sure people like you can go home safe. But I tell you what, you leave this walking dinosaur and treat my men to a good time and I- URK!¡±
The soldier never finished as one of Abby¡¯s shadow blades sliced through his chin. Kaleb sighed and drew his Cybar as fast as he could. To his surprise, the gun cleared its holster and was up before he could blink. Aiming at the wide-open chins of the four remaining soldiers, Kaleb hip-fired as he moved to the side. Two of his shots hit home as the UGB thugs stood there, stunned. Abby dove onto another target, driving her blades into his armor chest.
The final trooper finally had enough sense to shoulder his own energy rifle. But he barely got Abby in his sights when Kaleb sent three shots into his head and neck. As each orb hit the soldier, his head jerked backwards until he eventually went still and collapsed into a heap. Abby got in a few extra slashes on several of the bodies, and Kaleb stood to the side and examined their armor.
It was a blocky and chunky-looking mess of metal plates and bolts. Not to mention he didn¡¯t want to lug it all the way back to their car. Although the rifles were nice. They looked like standard single shot, high energy laser rifle. He was crouched low, playing with one as Abby finished her cathartic display and finally stood with an annoyed growl.
¡°Fucking sexist assholes.¡±
¡°So much for law and order in Under-Town.¡± Kaleb said idly as he examined the power chamber of the energy rifle.
¡°What are you doing? Loot the bodies.¡±
Kaleb sighed as he put the gun back down on the dead soldier¡¯s body. ¡°I would. But I¡¯m not carrying this shit all the way back home.¡±
Abby looked at him, confused for a few seconds. Then realization dawned on her and she shook her head. With a few quick steps, she walked over and smacked Kaleb on top of his head roughly. Kaleb fell onto his ass and rubbed his head. That had surprisingly hurt.
¡°I mean actually loot, you damn giant goblin. Y¡¯know, like the rest of us do?¡±
Kaleb blinked in confusion as Abby sighed and put her hand on the dead soldier. After a few seconds, the body broke up into particles of light and several items dropped from the corpse. Kaleb could see credit chits, vials of red and blue liquid, and pieces of armor. The gun stayed in place as Kaleb rubbed his face in shame.
¡°I¡ forgot we could do that.¡±
¡°Obviously! You know not every player takes the whole corpse after they win a fight, right?¡±
¡°But that¡¯s so wasteful. I mean, I get so much more stuff if I just collect the whole body.¡±
¡°Well, unless you want to carry a handcart around with you at all times. I suggest you remember we can loot dead bodies.¡±
Kaleb grumbled, but did just that as Abby moved to another body. He moved toward the leader and placed his hand on the body. Clicking yes on the Loot Body pop-up, he was given another surprise at the results.
¡°I¡¯m a fucking idiot.¡± Kaleb groaned as he held the looted items.
¡°Yes, you are. But why now?¡± Abby asked as she turned to look at him.
Kaleb held up a worn bit of paper. It was creased like it had been folded into squares. But Kaleb had unfolded it and was showing it to her. Abby¡¯s face tried to contain a smile as she asked.
¡°Is that a blueprint?¡±
¡°Yeah. I have a skill that increases the Blueprint drop-rate when looting enemies. This is their armor. Something called the Public Service Model Mk 1.¡±
¡°Is it any good?¡±
¡°Lord no. This shit is bulky, and it has several flaws in multiple places. Mainly because of the open face helmet.¡±
¡°So what¡¯s the point?¡± Abby asked, moving to the next body.
Kaleb moved to another as well as he explained. ¡°I can improve on the designs at my workshop. If I had thought to loot the K-Tech people instead of taking their shit. I might have gotten the blueprints for that stuff.¡±
Kaleb waved away the particles of his looting and stared down at some credits, vials, and another blueprint. This one was for the Protectorate Rifle Mk 1. He gave it a quick once over and grimaced. It was equally a mess. The wiring was all over the place and the energy efficacy of the power supply was shit. But he could work with it.
Standing as Abby looted the last body, Kaleb broke the seal on one of the red vials and tossed it back. Warmth filled him as Abby stood from her looting and shouted.
¡°Stop! You don¡¯t know what that is! Why would you drink it?¡±
¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s a health potion, right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what Claire thought when we were patrolling. She was low on health and drank one. It turned out to be acid. It burned her throat and sent her to respawn before we could do a damn thing. Another one made Two Gun super strong for twenty minutes, then he couldn¡¯t even lift a damn finger.¡±
Kaleb grimaced as he listened and held a hand to his stomach. But the surge of energy warmed his stomach and when he checked his HP, he found it was almost too full.
¡°It seems okay. I think that one WAS a health potion.¡±
Abby rolled her eyes as she pocketed the credits and started walking again. Kaleb shrugged and followed the shorter woman. At least now they knew where they were going and their brief fight had sent the more skittish of the population into hiding. Although Kaleb spotted several surly looking people in the cracks and alleys between buildings.
Kaleb idly vented his Cybar and kept it in his hand as they walked. Abby turned to see what he was doing at the noise. But she spun back around and raised her hood.
¡°You know that is equally liable to cause trouble as it is to deter it, right?¡±
¡°Yes. But at least this way we know that the people who approach us are confident enough in their abilities to stand up to a gun.¡±
¡°Or stupid enough.¡±
¡°One is just as dangerous as the other.¡± Kaleb remarked.
Abby remained silent as they continued walking eastward along the road. The asshole UGB guy had said that the information office was a block down the road. Which, thankfully, proved accurate. He and Abby didn¡¯t have to suffer the angry glares of wannabe thugs for long. Now they were standing in front of a three story building with two angry soldiers guarding the entrance.
Both troopers eyed him and Abby as they approached. Abby tried to walk right on through, only to be met with an outstretched hand.
¡°This is the UGB information office, Citizen. What is your business here?¡±
¡°¡ To get information?¡± Abby asked, bewildered.
¡°Are you getting smart with me, woman?¡±
¡°Are you getting stupid with me, man?!¡±
Abby glared up at the taller guard as Kaleb kept his eyes on the second one. He wished he had scanned the building with his thermal imager. Catching a few of these thugs by surprise at point-blank range was one thing. But Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure about running through an entire building full of the fuckers. Surprisingly, it was the guard¡¯s partner who deescalated things.
¡°Russel, it was a stupid question. Just let them through.¡±
¡°Wallace, these people are clearly suspicious.¡±
¡°You say that about everyone.¡±
¡°That¡¯s cause EVERYONE is suspicious!¡± Russell screamed, sounding like an absolute lunatic.
Kaleb almost raised his pistol. But Wallace merely reached over with his stun baton and zapped Russel in the neck. As his partner dropped, Wallace turned back to both of them.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. He is currently off his meds, which makes him a little irritable. You are both free to go inside. But, sir, you are going to need to holster that sidearm. There are SunTik brand gun turrets built into the ceiling. They¡¯ll fry you before you could do a thing about it if they scan a weapon that isn¡¯t holstered.¡±
Kaleb gave the guard a polite nod as he and Abby stepped over the twitching door guard. The sounds of Wallace moving his partner out of the doorway were muffled as they stepped inside. Large fans on the ceiling provided a pleasant breeze and a gentle hum in the air. An atmosphere that was shattered by the dirty look the one person in the room was giving them.
The first floor was split in half by a long desk. On their side were a row of chairs, trash cans, and a water fountain. On the opposite side of the desk were rows of data storage racks, along with a surly old alien with a bright yellow mustache. Kaleb blinked even as the alien¡¯s bulbous head wobbled ominously. Abby rushed toward the front of the desk, but the alien warbled angrily.
¡°Please remain over there until you are called! I am terribly busy and need to collect myself before I deal with any of¡ your types.¡±
Abby froze just beyond the desk and waited. Kaleb was just a few steps further back and was unwilling to move. However, the alien behind the counter was clearly doing nothing. Instead, the alien stared straight ahead and remained unmoving. They stood there for several minutes. Minutes that seemed to drag on and on as Abby tapped her foot angrily. All the while, the clerk was staring straight ahead, not doing a damn thing.
Kaleb was about to charge the desk and save the alien from Abby when the clerk¡¯s bulbous head pulsed dangerously. The alien sucked in a huge breath and seemed to blink rapidly as their mustache moved back and forth.
¡°Ahem! Ah! Good. Now, what can I do for you both?¡±
Abby stomped to the front of the desk and then froze. She had a hand raised and a finger pointed, but nothing was coming out of her mouth. For a brief few seconds, Kaleb thought the alien had done something. But the blush on Abby¡¯s pale face disproved him of that.
¡°We need any information about a gang called the demons. They mostly operate above ground in the¡¡±
¡°In the Decker Lake area, I got them.¡± The alien said, his mustache moving back and forth.
Kaleb watched the alien as his enormous eyes seemed to get a far off look. He realized the creature was accessing some power as it spoke. Abby glanced at him, but Kaleb could only shrug as the info broker came back to himself.
¡°They are a low-tier gang, but they have known ties to an actual demon realm. Cost of the full information download is two thousand credits.¡±
¡°What?!¡± Abby yelled in surprise. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. They are a bunch of thugs! That info can¡¯t be that worthwhile.¡±
¡°The information is worthwhile cause you want it, young lady. Which means I can set the price how I want. Also, there is a premium for information about an actual demonic realm.¡±
¡°So you have info about the realm the demons use?¡± Kaleb asked, putting a hand on Abby¡¯s shoulder.
¡°One of them. If they have access to others, we aren¡¯t sure about that.¡±
¡°And where do you get your information? How trustworthy is it?¡±
The alien gave Kaleb a pitying smile. ¡°Our information network is tied to several entities above ground. We have hooks into every system up there.¡±
¡°Sure you do.¡± Abby said sarcastically.
But Kaleb quickly threw some chits on the counter. ¡°We need it on a data stick as fast as you can make it.¡±
The Alien slowly counted the chits and then set them aside. Equally slowly, the alien reached below the desk and raised a slim silver data stick to his forehead. He closed his eyes and there was a pulse of power in the room. Abby and Kaleb went silent as the alien opened his eyes and then tossed the stick to Kaleb.
¡°The transaction is complete.¡±
Kaleb gave the creature a quick nod and then gripped Abby by the shoulder. He led them both out the door, stopping to wave goodbye to Wallace. They were half a block away when Abby shook herself loose and spun on him.
¡°I can¡¯t believe you paid that alien. Two thousand credits is a full day¡¯s work in our district, you know?¡±
Kaleb grinned and popped her on the forehead with the data stick. ¡°We just took those credits from the UGB, Abs.¡±
Abby rubbed her forehead, eyes going wide at his words. ¡°You just paid them with their own money?¡±
Kaleb smiled as he put the data on the demons in his pocket. ¡°Pretty much. Now let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ve had enough excitement for one day. I have to go over all of this data, anyway.¡±
He walked past Abby as she huffed angrily behind him for a few moments. Eventually she ran to join him and they walked back toward main street.
¡°You¡¯re still an idiot.¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah. Sure.¡± Kaleb snickered.
Chapter 141 - The Debrief And Making Moves
¡°Then we rushed out of the tunnels, got back in our car, and bee-lined it here.¡± Kaleb finished reporting.
Abby nodded next to him and watched everyone¡¯s faces. Jar-lock was taking rigorous notes, while the others all looked at Kaleb. Each with their own mixture of annoyance and wonder.
¡°So you step out of the Hangar for a few hours and wind up in a fight with your Nemesis?¡± Two Gun asked incredulously.
¡°That¡¯s not exactly what happened. But, yes.¡±
Claire huffed. ¡°You¡¯re a trouble magnet of epic proportions.¡±
¡°I am not. Besides, didn¡¯t you get into a few scrapes when patrolling?¡±
¡°We stopped several muggings and foiled a¡ meat heist?¡±
¡°I still don¡¯t understand why that man was robbing a deli.¡± Vivienne chuckled.
¡°His powers were meat-based, so maybe he needed to reload.¡±
Two Gun shrugged his shoulders and turned back to Kaleb. ¡°Either way, it¡¯s nowhere near Nemesis level. That type of shit is crazy, son.¡±
Kaleb waved them all off, trying to get the conversation moving again. Thankfully D34d-I¡¯s robotic voice cut through the air.
*Quack*
¡°That¡¯s not all. We even got the capture fee for Man-Rat¡¡±
¡°Rat-Man.¡±
¡°and we got a bonus for him being outside our Tier Rating. Along with a slight reprimand for not notifying the police immediately when we spotted him. But they thanked us for dealing with him and sending him back to the Super-Max.¡±
¡°So is that the end of your Nemesis?¡± Jar-lock asked.
¡°Nope. If convention holds true, then he will get out again and come for me. And next time he will be even stronger than before. I¡¯m gonna need to come up with some anti-strength gadgets or something.¡±
They all fell into contemplative silence as Kaleb guessed they were thinking how they would deal with Rat-Man. He thought that any one of them would be far better suited for the task. He needed an edge. That would mean more time in the workshop designing and brainstorming. But for now, they had bigger fish to fry.
¡°So, what about the detour you were sent on?¡± Kaleb asked Two Gun and Claire.
They both looked at Jar-lock, who looked a little sheepish as he rubbed his head. ¡°I sent them to Windsor Park. Remember, our giant tree friend told us that one of its roots was out that way?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, when we got there the root was already siphoned and there was no trace of the Demon gang.¡±
¡°It should¡¯ve been the first place we looked, but I fucking forgot all about it.¡±
Vivienne rubbed his shoulders and said. ¡°We all didn¡¯t think about it. We got so laser focused on the demon problem we forgot to come at it from another angle.¡±
¡°But now we can, right?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Yeah, and that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been doing.¡± Jar-lock tossed a heavy book on the table and opened it. ¡°Typhanysor is a Vanity Demon like the professors at Vivienne¡¯s school said. But the demon Malcolm had in the vial was a Befouling demon. One of pollution, corruption and infection. Normally, the pair wouldn¡¯t be caught dead together. But with what Typhanysor is trying to accomplish, I¡¯m thinking all bets are off.¡±
¡°So a Vanity Demon and Pollution Demon teamed up to punch a hole into this realm?¡±
¡°Correct. If I had to guess, it would be the Befouling Demon who was doing the heavy lifting. Vanity demons aren¡¯t known for their work ethic.¡±
Kaleb nodded and rubbed his chin. ¡°So, can we find spots of heightened pollution? I mean, with the sky-scrubbers, most of the air-borne stuff has to be taken care of. But for the ground level?¡±
¡°Yeah, Farrah did several fly-overs of various recycling centers. All are working at peak efficiency. Which tells me that our Befouling Demon isn¡¯t the one crossing over.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the Vanity Demon.¡± Vivienne nodded. ¡°That makes sense. Typhanysor would not only be great at capturing the demon gang¡¯s attention. They would want to be at the front of any demonic plans.¡±
¡°So we scan for this Typhanysor?¡± Two Gun asked, confused.
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°No. A Vanity Demon is a little harder to track. By design, they want to be in a place of leadership and adoration. But so do humans. So my bet is Typhanysor is the leader of the demons. Or maybe in an advisor position with a puppet leader.¡±
¡°So we are back to looking for a gang that¡¯s gone into hiding.¡± Claire huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.
¡°Nope. Remember how Vivi and I were working on a spell to track the amassing magic the demons are collecting?¡±
¡°Sweet! So you found them?¡±
¡°Nope, again. There are no large amounts of magical energy being piled up anywhere in Austin.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his eyes. ¡°Jar, just tell us what you found already.¡±
¡°The Tree!¡± Jar-lock said excitedly. ¡°Remember, the demons are siphoning magic from the large magical tree. So all we had to do was find the thing¡¯s roots. Which surprise, surprise, line up with Austin¡¯s own Leyline map.¡±
Jar-lock swept a large beige poster onto the round table. He unfurled it and started placing weights on its edges as they all moved to look. Kaleb came around to Jar-lock¡¯s left shoulder and peered down as Abby squeezed in beside him. Claire, Two Gun, and Vivienne were on the other as D34d-I simply stood on the table.
They all stared down at the fairly large map, which detailed the entire city of Austin and a few suburbs to the south. But along with the standard road layout and the topographical features, this map had three large blue bulbs in places on the map. One was located right under downtown, while another was right where the Hunter¡¯s Magical Tree was. As for the third, it was further west and seemed to be near a tourist trap called the Aether Cave.
Kaleb pointed to it and raised an eyebrow at Jar-lock. But the mage shook his head.
¡°That¡¯s an attraction for tourists. Apparently the Leyline broke the surface decades ago, and the magic crystallized for some reason. So now there is a solid chunk of raw magic just sitting out in the open for all to see.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡±
¡°Naw. The Leyline retracted a few years back and now the stone stands inert. But it¡¯s pretty neat proof that magic can solidify on this plane. With enough force, that is.¡±
¡°We¡¯re going to take a trip out there after this,¡± Vivienne said happily.
Kaleb rolled his eyes and looked down at the map again. From each blue blob, thousands of tiny fractures spread across the map like a spider-web. Narrow and thick lines of dark blue crisscross everywhere, and Kaleb sighed at seeing the amount of work they had before them.
¡°Yeah, Jar, this looks like a need in a haystack scenario.¡± Two Gun said, scratching his forehead. ¡°How are we supposed to find the right Leyline?¡±
Jar-lock happily rubbed his hands together. ¡°I ask it.¡±
Everyone went quiet and turned to the large mage. Kaleb could feel his face twist in confusion. But when no answer was forthcoming, he sighed.
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°Jar, just fucking say it. This waiting for engagement shit is annoying.¡±
¡°A conversation happens when both parties participate!¡±
Kaleb rubbed his forehead and waited as Jar-lock explained.
¡°Look. We have our own branch of a Leyline coming down across our runway. If I can tap into it and send a pulse of magic through, I may be able to find what we are looking for.¡±
*Quack*
¡°By talking to a non-sentient river of magic flowing beneath the city?¡±
¡°It may be non-sentient, but it has a will. And if someone was tampering with the Leylines, it would want it to stop.¡±
¡°But are the demons tampering with the Leyline? I thought they were just tapping into the root system of a magic tree.¡±
Jar-lock nodded and traced a finger down a Leyline. ¡°Yes, but the tree¡¯s roots line up with the Leyline. This one went right through Windsor Park, which is where Gun and Claire found the remains of the tree¡¯s root, right?¡±
¡°Big ole hole in the ground is what we found. Looked like it was formed by some great big tunnel worm.¡±
¡°Once could be a coincidence.¡±
¡°Either way, I can check in with the Leyline and see what¡¯s what.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his eyes and nodded. ¡°Fine. Jar can talk to a magical force of nature that may or may not fry his brain. What about the rest of us?¡±
*Quack*
¡°We¡¯ve got several reports coming in from our district. From both the cops and the citizens. It appears that the news that the demons are gone has spread to the criminal element. Multiple gangs are trying to fill the demon¡¯s spot.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t the police handling it? Since when do they call us for anything?¡± Abby snorted.
*Quack*
¡°I believe they are trying to keep us off the Demon case.¡±
Everyone froze at that and glanced up at the talking duck. His feathers ruffled a bit, and he seemed to shudder. Once he collected himself, he released another quack. Not for the first time, the duck¡¯s mechanical translator took a while to parse everything D34d-I had said.
¡°I contacted the police about our suspicions and was told, in no uncertain terms, to keep my beak out of it. Caskelmore seemed adamant that the police department was on top of it. I went over his head and spoke to the chief of police in our district. But he also was reticent to hand over any information or help of any kind when it came to the demons. So I went further up the chain and submitted our findings to the SG Representative at City Hall. But, again, I was stone-walled¡ but only after the Rep confirmed we were a non-HLO affiliated Super Group.¡±
BAM
¡°Ha! I knew it! I fucking knew it!¡± Kaleb said happily after smacking the table. ¡°The bastards ARE out to get us.¡±
The others all glanced at him with steely expressions. Kaleb always knew that the HLO was going to use its political pull to stymie Contract Heroes. Now they had almost definitive proof. Granted, it could just be city hall policy not to take Non-HLO heroes seriously. But Kaleb doubted it. D34d-I quacked again, bringing everyone¡¯s attention back to the fowl.
¡°So I believe that in the absence of a standard chain of command. We are forced to work slightly outside the law on this one.¡±
Kaleb chuckled and placed a hand against his scaly cheek. ¡°Oh no! We are going to have to color outside the lines? Oh dear, that¡¯s an absolute surprise. Who could have seen this coming? How could we have known that the maniacal evil corporation that treats super heroes as a business would try to stomp out competition?¡±
A hard smack echoed in the hangar, and Kaleb felt his head jerk forward. A sharp pain flared in the back of his head and he turned to glare at Abby. The short woman was glaring back at him.
¡°Quit being an asshole and let the duck finish.¡±
Kaleb stuck his tongue out at the shorter woman. But turned to look at D34d-I.
*Quack*
¡°So my assumption is that the local PD is now shunting all or most calls to our SG. Like they should have been doing in the first place. But now it is being done with the express purpose of keeping us busy and off the demon case. So I propose we ignore the calls and focus solely on the demons for now.¡±
¡°We can¡¯t take the Relationship hit though. We already have a Good standing with the locals. If we ignore them, we¡¯ll go back to square one with a debuff to bringing it back up again.¡± Claire explained.
¡°Besides, we are still trying to be heroes. Let¡¯s get out there and do some hero-ing while Jar-lock dives deep into the magical weave or whatever.¡± Two Gun added.
Kaleb nodded along in agreement. ¡°We can increase our standing and gain some experience. All while showing the local police that we can do their job better than they can. I love it.¡±
As he finished speaking, he dodged out of the way as Abby swiped at him again. Turning, he smiled at Abby and moved further away. She was getting predictable. Glaring at him, the dark-clad woman nodded in agreement.
¡°It will be a good warm-up for a showdown with demons. When Jar-lock has a location, we can converge and go from there. While we¡¯re out, we can also stock up on supplies. Viv, do you remember where that magical sundries shop was?¡±
¡°Out near Woodlands I think.¡±
They all started making plans as D34d-I got off the table. Kaleb followed the short duck with his eyes for a bit. But the duck simply walked into his office and returned with a bunch of keys. Placing them on the table, Kaleb immediately reached for his own.
¡°So, are we moving in teams or solo?¡±
*Quack*
¡°Let¡¯s go ask our command staff.¡±
Kaleb nodded and turned as everyone broke apart. Two Gun and Claire rushed to the basement to grab their gear. Abby and Vivienne had their heads together and were making a shopping list. Jar-Lock was moving toward his library nook, head bowed in thought. Which left Kaleb and D34d-I walking to the back of the hangar. Lizards and teens were still moving about the place, stacking crates, training, and delivering messages.
They still housed both the teen Hunters and the Brute Clan guards. But they had become such a fixture that Kaleb barely noticed them half the time. As they stepped into Farrah¡¯s section of the hangar, Kaleb marveled at how the woman commanded the room. Not to mention how much the area had expanded.
Her bank of monitors was the focal point of the room. But now she had multiple command stations. Each manned by a lizard or young teen. Off to the side, a few brute guards were placing an oblong drone on a bench. It looked slightly damaged, and Kaleb was about to walk over and help repair it when he spotted Daivor. The small gnome was on the table and seemed to be talking to a bunch of Hunters who surrounded the table. Daivor had a tiny clipboard in his hands and was pointing to various spots on the drone.
To the left was a small alcove of tables and chairs where six Hunters went over stacks of papers, reading and filing them one at a time. The large stack of papers made Kaleb think they were the requests for help. Farrah spun around at their approach and gave Kaleb a huge smile.
¡°Y¡¯all done? My team is still filing the requests in order of urgency and location. I¡¯ve got two drone teams on the most violent offenders, and we are tracking the runners to the edge of our district.¡±
¡°Do we have to hunt those down?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Nope. We hand off the report to the neighboring police department and list the event as still open until we get confirmation of capture.¡±
*Quack*
¡°The team is mobilizing, Farrah. We need the comms ready to go. Get all your drone teams ready and have them recording everything. We need a show of force here. One that the locals will think is just as efficient as the police. Preferably more so.¡±
¡°Finally decided to say fuck the Man, huh?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Better to ask for forgiveness than permission when people¡¯s lives are on the line, right?¡±
Farrah nodded, her bunny-ears swaying with the movement. She moved to the center terminal at the center of the bank of monitors and reached down. She picked something off the desk and tossed it to Kaleb. He caught the small box and opened it. Inside was one of the earpieces he had made before Two Gun had bought them all cheap phones.
¡°I think this calls for some active comms. We have developing situations happening all over the district.¡±
Kaleb placed the comm unit in his ear and nodded at the tables to the side. ¡°Are you going to be able to navigate us to the right places?¡±
Farrah scoffed. ¡°Please, we¡¯ve already got the crimes broken down. We just need you lot out there catching criminals. Let my team handle the paperwork.¡±
¡°When did you do all of this?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been working with the Hunters since you completed your deal with them. Then when the lizards came, everything just sort of fell into place. With some help from the duck here.¡±
*Quack*
¡°Ms. Kyneklos has been requisitioning credits from each payment we received and putting it toward the expansion of our command center. I¡¯ve been helping her design and purchase the various bits of tech in here alongside Mr. Daivor. He has been extremely helpful in teaching hunters about electrical repairs.¡±
¡°Probably out of a sense of self-preservation. Otherwise, he would be required to do all our drone repairs.¡± Farrah chuckled. ¡°But the Brutes have shown interest in other tasks as well. A few of them aren¡¯t too interested in standing around and looking tough all day. So I¡¯ve got them assigned to drone duty, repairs and even filing. They love it.¡±
Kaleb nodded as footsteps sounded behind him. He kept his eyes forward and smiled at his old handler. D34d-I handed out ear pieces as he started explaining the plan to the others. But Kaleb filtered out the duck¡¯s robotic voice as he stared about at the bustling command center. They were well on their way to being a viable super group and soon the HLO was going to get a huge surprise.
Chapter 142 - Cleaning the Streets
Kaleb raised his metal arm and deployed Shocky. The little shield built into his forearm spread out and caught the bat that was aimed at his head. With a thought, he activated Shocky¡¯s Stun feature and sent arcs of blue electricity into the bat, then down into the man holding it. The thug seized up and started gibbering as Kaleb spun to the final gangster in the alley. He spotted D34d-I dancing around a taller man¡¯s waist, wielding his pistol like a club.
With practiced ease, the duck brought the thug to his knees and slammed the butt of his pistol into the side of the guy¡¯s head. The thug crumpled and Kaleb took stock of the alley. Overhead, one of Farrah¡¯s drones hovered over the mayhem, sweeping low for a better look. Kaleb holstered his Sun Gun and dismissed Shocky.
This was the third mugging attempt they had stopped, and it hadn¡¯t even been thirty minutes. D34d-I wasn¡¯t kidding about the gangs being out in force. Multiple young men and women were out and about trying all sorts of shit. Reaching down, Kaleb used the standard Super Group plastic cuffs to tie up both gangsters at his feet. One was still smoking a little from his bout with Shocky.
¡°Police have been notified and are in-route.¡± Said the voice in Kaleb¡¯s ear.
¡°Thanks, Jasper. How¡¯s my car?¡±
*Quack*
¡°It¡¯s fine. Quit being paranoid. It only happened once.¡±
¡°Once is too many times, Dead. I don¡¯t to have to chase down some fucking teens that stole my car for a joyride.¡±
¡°Uhh, your car is still safe and sound up the street, Mr. Rat,¡± Jasper¡¯s youthful voice said in his ear.
Kaleb sighed and nodded as he stacked the unconscious gangsters against a wall. ¡°Fine. What¡¯s next Jasper.¡±
¡°A line of stores are reporting a string of ultra-fast robberies. They''re a block up and working their way down. If you hurry, you¡¯ll be able to catch them at the end of the block.¡±
*Quack*
¡°How the fuck are we supposed to deal with a speedster?! Send it to Vivienne or something.¡±
¡°Your team is the closest and we suspect that when the speedster is done, they¡¯ll leave the neighborhood.¡±
¡°We got it,¡± Kaleb said as he exited the alley at a run and reached into his pocket.
The smooth surface of a plastic egg met his fingers, and he held it gingerly. Behind him, he could hear D34d-I waddling along after him. But Kaleb¡¯s eyes were on the end of the block. The warm Texas sun was beating down on him and it warmed his blood. He bit back a smile and pumped his legs against the hard sidewalk until he came to the cross-street.
He was just in time to watch the front of a Silver For Credits store exploded outward. Shards of glass went everywhere and a black and purple suited woman was standing in the chaos. The body suit clung to the woman¡¯s form as fire seemed to ignite on her body. The black and purple suit seemed to extinguish the fire as the speedster looked around. She was carrying a large burlap sack over her shoulder. Which almost made Kaleb laugh. The buzzing drone drew the woman¡¯s head upward. Kaleb could see she had short black hair that match her body suit and dark tanned skin that clashed with both.
He slowly approached as the woman watched the drone in the sky. When he thought he was close enough, he fast-balled the taser egg and reached into his lab coat. The woman blurred out of the way as the taser egg went sailing past and she turned to regard Kaleb. Purple eyes met his own and a playful grin danced under the woman¡¯s domino mask.
¡°Let me guess, I was supposed to catch that?¡±
¡°It would¡¯ve made this easier.¡± Kaleb said, drawing his magic gun and channeling his magic.
¡°I ain¡¯t a first-timer, cop. Too many speedsters think they¡¯re fast enough to deal with anything. That¡¯s when life slaps them upside the head. It ain¡¯t happening to me.¡±
¡°Oh, so you¡¯re going to drop the stolen goods and run away? That¡¯s nice.¡±
Kaleb kept walking forward as his Magic Gun started to spin up. The speedster did put the burlap sack down. But then she turned to Kaleb and cracked her knuckles.
¡°Naw. Imma kill me a cop and then take that nice-looking gun of yours.¡±
Kaleb smiled as he felt a slight headache form. He stopped channeling his magic and gripped the gun with both hands. He got into a firing stance and quirked an eyebrow at the speedster, who was hopping idly as he got ready. With a snap of air and the smell of burning ozone, the speedster blurred and Kaleb fired. But he wasn¡¯t aiming for the woman, instead he pointed the gun downward and released the ice spell he had been charging.
The road cracked as it was super-cooled and Kaleb saw the speedster blur try to turn away. But it was too late. The woman shimmered back to normal speed as her feet slid along the icy road. She almost tripped and fell, but managed to catch herself as she continued to slide toward Kaleb. That¡¯s when her face met Kaleb¡¯s metal arm in the mother of all clotheslines.
Kaleb winced as he heard the woman¡¯s nose crack. Her feet went up, and she made a complete backflip before slamming down onto the icy road. As quick as he could Kaleb started binding the woman¡¯s hands and feet with the plastic cuffs. She groaned as Kaleb finished and spun her around to face upward. Her nose was bloody and broken, but otherwise she appeared fine. Jasper¡¯s drone flew in close and got a shot of the woman¡¯s face before the young hunter spoke into Kaleb¡¯s ear again.
¡°Oh! This lady is called Black-Wing. She¡¯s wanted in four counties for high-speed theft and armed robbery. She¡¯s got a pretty hefty bounty. Which is good because the police are already saying they are going to charge us for the road you just ruined.¡±
¡°What? It¡¯s just a little ice.¡± Kaleb complained as he looked around the street.
The road was already cooling down under the sweltering sun. But the rapid cooling of the asphalt made the road split and bulge in various areas. D34d-I finally came running up, wings flapping and bill squawking as he took in the scene. He gave the woman a cursory glance before he looked at the street.
*Quack*
¡°They are going to charge us out of the ass for this.¡±
Kaleb waved him off as the duck got his breath back. ¡°It¡¯s fine. What¡¯s next, Jasper?¡±
Jasper''s voice sounded distracted when he answered. ¡°Uhhh, the cops have asked you to remain with the criminal. Like I said, she¡¯s a high-valued target and they want her supervised at all times.¡±
Kaleb groaned. ¡°Argh! Fine. But switch me to another channel. I want to know how the others are doing.¡±
¡°Uhhh, Miss Kyneklos has asked me not to do that.¡±
¡°Oh, come on! What she doesn¡¯t know won¡¯t hurt her.¡±
¡°Yeah, but what we don¡¯t tell her will hurt me, sir. And seeing as you''re not the one right next to her, I¡¯m going to obey her for now.¡±
¡°ARGH!¡±
Kaleb pouted as he reached down and picked up the groggy and groaning woman. He dragged her to the curb and sat her down as D34d-I followed along. The duck sat down a few feet away from the woman and raised his white pistol. Ostensibly keeping her under guard. Kaleb double checked the woman¡¯s leg and arm restraints before standing slightly behind her and checking his pockets.
As he took a slow inventory, his mind was occupied with how useful the freezing spell had been. It made him think of his first gadget besides Shocky. It was a freeze ray. Simple, effective, and rushed. It had served him well. Right up until it cost him his arm. Which took forever to grow back. He was playing the with the idea of bringing his old freeze ray back when a black and white cop car showed up.
They avoided the cracked and pock-marked street. Preferring to hug the curb along the main road. Two uniformed police officers stepped out of the car and walked over. The driver cast a weary eye over the broken side street and Kaleb could see annoyance in the man¡¯s eyes. He bit back any snide remarks as the two cops wordlessly grabbed the woman and started marching her toward their car. Remembering the woman¡¯s ill-gotten gains, Kaleb spoke up.
¡°She had a burlap sack of stolen goods. It¡¯s slightly up the street by the store she was robbing.¡±
The two cops shared a look before the one holding Black-Wing carried on to the car. The other ran down the street to check Kaleb¡¯s words. He returned quickly with the sack over his shoulder and he hurriedly loaded it into the back of their squad car. Both cops gave Kaleb and D34d-I looks before they entered their car. But the driver apparently couldn¡¯t go without a snide comment.
¡°Thanks, Heroes.¡± He said sarcastically.
Kaleb couldn¡¯t help himself, either. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Happy to do your job for you!¡±
The cop froze halfway between entering the car. D34d-I slapped Kaleb¡¯s leg, but he ignored it as he turned and started walking down the street. He knew it would not be the first time one of the cops down here would give them shit. The cops were extremely unhappy to be working with heroes. Almost to the point that it made Kaleb suspicious.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
*Quack*
¡°You need to stop antagonizing them.¡±
¡°Did you hear that sonofabitch? I just returned his bullshit right back to him.¡±
*Quack*
¡°An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.¡±
¡°How does that make sense? I poke your eye out, so you poke my eye out. Then I poke your other eye out, and then you''re blind and I walk away with one eye. Sounds like I won.¡±
The sound of the cop car starting and driving away hid D34d-I¡¯s standard quack as he responded.
¡°You know that¡¯s not what the saying means. It¡¯s about how if we all go around hurting each other, then none of us can make progress.¡±
¡°I know. But I am also a mirror, D34d-I. If someone throws crap at me, I¡¯m going to fling it right back. Do you think I want to be at odds with the police? Half of the shit we are dealing with right now should be their jobs. But because they are fucking with us, we have to deal¡¡±
Kaleb came up short when he was trying to think of an appropriate crime. Thankfully, Jasper spoke up in his ear.
¡°Purse-snatcher.¡±
¡°Yeah, we have to deal with purse-snatchers.¡±
¡°No. I was reporting a crime. We¡¯ve a got purse thief booking it down on an alley to the east. We¡¯ve got a drone on him. But we are going to have to pull it back to recharge soon. So hurry and follow my drone.¡±
Kaleb swore under his breath as D34d-I groaned. But suddenly, the duck stopped and looked up at Kaleb.
¡°Let me have the keys to your car. I¡¯ll grab that and swing round to pick you up while you deal with this.¡±
¡°Oh, so you don¡¯t have to?¡± Kaleb said, pulling out his keys.
¡°It¡¯s a purse-snatcher. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Kaleb tossed the duck the keys and then ran off after the drone. He could see it hovering in the air above and ahead of him. It led him a block over and slightly north before it slowed to a stop outside of an alleyway that split the block in two. The buildings on either side were massive, creating a dark corridor that made Kaleb sigh. Now he was going to have to wrestle with a thief in the dark.
He clipped his flashlight to his chest and waved a hand at Jasper. The drone sailed above the alley as Kaleb stalked forward. He had traversed half of the block before he found what he was looking for. A shirtless man was hunched over near the right-side wall. A purse dropped by his feet and its contents spilled all over the alley floor. Kaleb wasn¡¯t quiet or subtle in his approach, so the half-naked man spun around.
Kaleb winced at the alien¡¯s or, maybe, mutant¡¯s face. Large red eyes sat on a face too small for them as sharp pointed teeth grinned at him. The creature¡¯s grayish skin seemed to shin under Kaleb¡¯s flashlight, but the purse thief didn¡¯t flinch away from it. So he obviously wasn¡¯t a vampire despite hiss looks.
¡°What the fuck are you?¡± The thief hissed as Kaleb got closer.
¡°I¡¯m your worst nightmare.¡±
Kaleb gave himself a mental pat on the back for being able to get that line out without laughing. But the thief¡¯s response surprised him.
¡°No. Waking up without my penis is my worst nightmare.¡±
Kaleb blinked as the old movie quote bounced through his head. He looked back to find the obvious Player grinning even wider at him.
¡°Oh, damn it! You have to be kidding me. Why do I always get the player purse-snatchers? Don¡¯t you bastards know there¡¯s a better way to make money?¡±
The gray-skinned Player shrugged. ¡°Maybe. But seeing the looks on the NPC¡¯s faces when you rob them always cracks me up.¡±
¡°Oh, great and you''re a damn asshole, too.¡±
¡°What!? They ain¡¯t real. So it¡¯s not like I¡¯m hurting anyone.¡±
¡°Yeah. Pulling the wings off digital butterflies makes you perfectly stable.¡±
¡°I am FUCKING STABLE! Who cares if I enjoy watching pain flash across a stupid doll¡¯s face? Better than doing it in real life.¡±
Kaleb pulled his Cybar and Sun Gun and sighed. ¡°Okay, I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re playing up a character or if you¡¯re really twisted. Either way, you¡¯re going to jail.¡±
¡°Oh great. Some bleeding heart pussy is going to save all his digital sex dolls. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let you arrest me today, pussy.¡±
Kaleb sighed and raised the Cybar. ¡°So the hard way, then?¡±
¡°Oh, I¡¯m always hard.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s gross.¡±
Kaleb was about to shoot when the other player¡¯s arms swung up. As they did, they extended, clearing the space between them. Kaleb threw himself backward and fired. But one of his opponent¡¯s elongated arms caught him in the shoulder and slammed him into the left wall. The other player¡¯s arm snapped back to normal as Kaleb used the wall to right himself. Raising his guns, he started firing at the other player.
His opponent stayed crouched to dodge the blasts of energy as he hopped away like a monkey. As the player moved, he bounced off the walls and used the random bits of junk and debris to give himself cover. Kaleb blasted away, seeing multiple shots scorch the other guy¡¯s skin, but the other player stayed mobile. However, when he vented his Cybar, the other player popped out of hiding and punched both of his hands forward. His arms stretched down the alley and Kaleb threw himself to the floor.
He felt the air whoosh by him as the arms sailed past. But then they dropped onto his back and started dragging him across the alley floor. Kaleb rolled over, maintaining a hold of his guns and tried to stand. But the Player¡¯s slim arms were surprisingly strong, and they kept a firm hold on his back. When Kaleb finally got to his feet, it was in time to see the scurrying and manic player flying at him.
The hunched player slammed into Kaleb¡¯s chest and opened his mouth wide, teeth bared. His arms were over Kaleb¡¯s shoulder, holding fast to the back of his lab coat. His legs were on Kaleb¡¯s waist and his sharp toenails were digging into Kaleb¡¯s skin. On instinct, Kaleb raised his metal arm and released a rail spike into the other Player¡¯s torso. The feral-looking player¡¯s face became shocked, and he looked down to see a thick black spike sticking out of his side.
The Player howled in pain as he released Kaleb and tried to yank the spike out. But his arms were still too long. He hadn¡¯t retracted them yet. Kaleb took the advantage and pistol whipped the player in the face with his Cybar. The other player grunted and fell to his ass as he glared up at Kaleb. But Kaleb ignored the glare and put a few shots into the other player with his Sun Gun. His opponent hissed in pain a few times until he went still and simply laid back on the alley floor.
¡°FINE! You got me. Fucking stop! That shit stings like hell!¡±
Kaleb ignored the player and put two more shots into him before he finally stopped and checked his work. Red and purple welts were raised on the other player¡¯s skin and bits of him were smoking. He glared at Kaleb as he raised his hands up to be cuffed. Kaleb snorted and spun the guy around and used three cuffs to basically hog-tie the criminal. He cuffed his hands and feet and then connected them with another set of cuffs.
¡°Oh, fucking come on! This is inhumane.¡±
¡°You¡¯re a stretchy bastard. At least your hands are. Protocol says to be cautious when apprehending a crook. That goes double for when we don¡¯t know the full extent of your abilities.¡±
¡°Great. You¡¯re a fucking boy-scout as well as a pussy.¡±
¡°Whooped your ass,¡± Kaleb said smugly.
The other player clamped his mouth shut and continued his evil glare. Kaleb had a few moments of blessed silence before the other player spoke again.
¡°You know this shit doesn¡¯t matter, right? I mean, every crook in Austin now knows it¡¯s open season on this place.¡±
Kaleb blinked, but stayed quiet. He didn¡¯t want the other guy to know he was interested in what he was saying. So instead he downplayed it.
¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m sure things will even out once the crooks know this place is well-guarded.¡±
¡°Hahahaha, no. It won¡¯t. The words out. This place is now the wild-west.¡±
¡°Oh? And why¡¯s that?¡±
¡°Because, dumbshit. The HLO and the cops don¡¯t bother with independent districts. Once an area has contracted Heroes, the HLO stops answering calls and the cops find better things to do. Which means this entire neighborhood is going to be a free-for-all.¡±
Kaleb twisted his head in confusion. ¡°How would someone like you know that? This game¡¯s only been out for a short time. Are you telling me a guy like you has contacts? Please.¡±
¡°I fucking know people, fuck-lizard! And they are getting ready to carve out this whole neighborhood. Us little guys are just trying to grab what we can before this fucking place becomes a hellhole.¡±
¡°Interesting. Did you get all that, Jasper?¡±
¡°Yes, Sir. Recorded, filed, and Ms. Kyneklos is making copies as we speak. The cops are on route and D34d-I is as well.¡±
Kaleb nodded solemnly as he looked down at the confused player. The man was on his side, glaring confusedly at him. Kaleb smiled.
¡°Thank you so much for this. I mean, you¡¯re a criminal, so your word is shit. But with what you¡¯ve just said, we can cause some waves.¡±
The other player fell silent as he seemed to think about his words. When nothing occurred to him, he looked back at Kaleb, even more confused. But Kaleb remained silent. He stayed silent when the cops arrived and gave him the dirty-eye and he said nothing as he got into his car. D34d-I was in the driver''s seat. The motor was still running as he looked over at Kaleb.
*Quack*
¡°You know what this means?¡±
¡°It means the HLO is picking and choosing the districts they want to protect and warning off the police.¡±
*Quack*
¡°No one¡¯s going to believe us.¡±
¡°Maybe not in City Hall. But we have connections outside of Austin, remember? Also, the court of public opinion is a powerful thing.¡±
D34d-I¡¯s eyes widened in alarm as he turned fully to address Kaleb. ¡°You want to release the footage?!¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Farrah¡¯s making multiple copies. If one accidentally goes missing, that¡¯s hardly our fault. We were just making sure we had back-ups on hand.¡±
*Quack*
¡°That¡¯s a dangerous line of thinking. Especially with our audit coming up.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s put it to the group tonight. We still have to handle the Demon thing and take care of the riffraff here. So we can put it on the back burner for now. But pretty soon we are going to have to expose HLO and the city government for the duplicitous snakes they are.¡±
D34d-I said nothing. He merely gave a honking sigh as he put the car into gear and started down the street. Kaleb spoke to Jasper as their car traveled north.
¡°Alright, kid. Give us the next one.¡±
Chapter 143 - The Bull By The Horns
Kaleb took another large bite of his sandwich as he sat in his car. Ideas for more gadgets flitted across his mind as he chewed. Working the streets for the past few hours had given him some ideas and shown where he was lacking. The smell of acrid smoke was still in his nostrils, and he could feel his shoes falling apart from where they were burnt. He sighed as he swallowed his food and sat back in the driver¡¯s seat of his car.
¡°Yeah, I need some leg armor and more versatile weapons.¡± Kaleb thought as the passenger side door opened and Claire sat down.
The car jostled harshly, and Claire had to shove the seat back. Kaleb watched the woman struggle with his car as he idly sipped his soda. When she was done, she turned a glare on him and Kaleb could see she was just as tired as he was. Her glare softened at his own weariness, but it was quickly replaced with a look of disgust.
¡°What is that smell?!¡±
Kaleb chuckled as Claire opened her window and took large gulps of air. He lowered his own window as well and finished his drink before responding.
¡°Burning building a few blocks over. Pyrokinesis Mutant with a chip on his shoulder. Took him down fairly easily, but the building still had occupants when he set it on fire. So I had to run in and grab them.¡±
Claire raised a sculpted eyebrow and nodded her head. ¡°So that¡¯s why you smell like a campfire?¡±
Kaleb nodded and started his car. Claire got her seat-belt and buckled in as Kaleb stuck his head out the window.
¡°Hey! Viola? Claire¡¯s here and I¡¯m done with my break. What do you have for us?¡±
One of Farrah¡¯s drones swooped low and stopped in front of his window. A youthful voice spoke into his ear as the drone seemed to take them both in.
¡°Alright, the two swaps are done, so Abby and Two Gun can enjoy their break now. I¡¯ve got a gang of thugs moving through Woodland Hills Park. They are holed up in the woods back there and counting their money.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he pulled his car away from the curb and started driving. Claire finally got herself comfortable and asked their handler her own questions.
¡°How many are we dealing with and is Jar-lock done with his damn spell yet? Cracking the skulls of these weaklings is fun and all, but we when are we going to smack down some demons?¡±
There was a pause before Viola answered, and Kaleb was sure the kid was checking on their friendly mage.
¡°Jar-lock has completed his conversation with the Leyline but¡¡±
There was an awkward pause as Viola seemed to be at a loss for words. Thankfully, Farrah came over the comms and quickly calmed things down.
¡°Jar-lock is fine. But he¡¯s a little woozy. Apparently diving headfirst into a stream of untamed magic knocked him for a loop. We¡¯ll keep you updated. But for now there is a group of five thugs that need arresting. They¡¯ve stopped at a cabin just north of the residential area.¡±
Claire cracked her knuckles. ¡°Hmph! Only five? Come on, love. That¡¯s hardly a challenge.¡±
¡°Their leader is reported to be a Super-Strong Mutant with bull horns.¡±
¡°Ohhh, I believe that will do nicely for a momentary distraction.¡±
Kaleb ignored Claire¡¯s giggling as she imagined the absolute slug-fest she was about to go into. Instead, he focused on the road as he asked another question.
¡°What about the cops? Do they know we are going to be handling some other business for a while?¡±
Farrah snorted over the comms. ¡°Pfft! They were surprised we were still out here. I think they suspected us to give up hours ago.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Cause they did. We¡¯ve had to call in cops from Hornsby to pick up our crooks. The chief of police in that district wasn¡¯t too happy with it at first. But when it became clear that he would get partial credit for the arrests, he has been more than helpful.¡±
Claire and Kaleb shared a disgruntled look. All day the damn police department had been a pain in their asses. They weren¡¯t doing anything overt, but their rude glares and slow response times were grating on everyone. Thankfully, the citizens seemed to pick up on the tension between their two groups and seemed to be on their side. At least for now. Kaleb¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by Farrah answering his question.
¡°As for us going off the grid to deal with the Demons, our district should be fine. Calls have slowed down and we even have other heroes moving in to help. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s going to take to deal with the Demons, but you should be covered.¡±
¡°Well then, let us handle this current crop of ne¡¯er-do-wells and we can hurry on to the main course.¡±
Kaleb snorted as he turned his car southward and pulled his Sun Gun from its spot on the dashboard. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. I am completely out of non-lethal options. My Sun Gun is damn near tapped. I¡¯m out of taser eggs, and that damn burning building sapped me dry of Mana. It¡¯s coming back, but I¡¯m a gadget hero with no gadgets.¡±
Seeing that his Sun Gun was only half-charged, Kaleb winced and set it back down. Claire watched him with a critical eye before she asked.
¡°Do you still want to do the Demon Raid without any weapons? We all give you shit for those eggs, but they are useful.¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to remember you said that. Once we are done here, I¡¯m going to head back to the hangar for a resupply. I asked Daivor and Roy to work on replacements when my Sun Gun crapped out. It¡¯ll be a quick stop and then we¡¯ll all regroup at where ever Jar-lock says.¡±
Claire nodded and then nervously cracked her knuckles again. Kaleb took in the green woman for the first time since she climb into his car. Her armor was scuffed and bits of her clothes were cut, burned, and ripped away. She looked fine, but Kaleb could see the same weariness he felt reflected in her gaze. She was putting on a brave front, though.
¡°How¡¯s Two Gun doing?¡±
Claire started at the question, but she answered. ¡°He¡¯s tired, like the rest of us. But he¡¯s pulling through it. I just hope this isn¡¯t a daily thing. But if it is, then maybe Abby¡¯s plan will work.¡±
¡°Abby¡¯s plan?¡±
¡°She posted a few videos on the forums about what was going on out here. Players have been ducking in and out of our district all day. Like they are afraid we¡¯ll snap at them for poaching on our turf.¡±
¡°Vigilantes?¡±
¡°Mostly. A few other contract heroes have reached out on the forums to see if we are interested in combining contracts. Apparently, they are having the same issues we are.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what a Villain player I caught told me. Apparently, the HLO and the Cops are warned off any district run by contract heroes. We got his confession on tape and we will forward it to the proper channels.¡±
¡°You think that¡¯s going to do anything?¡±
Kaleb shrugged and shook his head. ¡°Probably not. Which is why I had Farrah make copies.¡±
¡°You¡¯re going to leak it.¡±
¡°Whoa! It¡¯s not just me here. I was going to put the question to a vote with the SG. But if we send up that particular flag, the HLO is going to get violent. I just know it.¡±
¡°Ha! What? Like they¡¯d send Heroes after us?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so. But I imagine operating in Austin will get harder. We¡¯ll see more pressure from City Hall as well. The footage implicates them, too.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a big beast to be swinging at.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
Kaleb pulled his car to the curb and shut the engine off. The sun was setting and the forested hills to the north of them were drowned in dark shadows. He checked the weapons he had and sighed as Claire got out of the car. She set about stretching as their drone shot off into the woods. Viola spoke up in his ear as Kaleb locked his car and walked toward the woods.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°We had them at an old abandoned cabin in the middle of the woods. Verifying location and then you are free to engage.¡±
Kaleb and Claire responded that they understood and continued up the hill. The trees were tall but spaced well enough for them not to have to squeeze through trees. But the uphill walk combined with branches, bushes, and roots made the climb annoying. Kaleb could see that Claire was having an easier time of it. She would use her strength and shove or snap anything in her way. Although the further they went, the more Kaleb wished she would quiet down. But that wasn¡¯t the woman¡¯s style.
¡°Tell ya what. I¡¯m going to swing around and come at them from the side. You can charge at them from the front.¡±
Claire knocked a slim tree down and turned to look at him. Kaleb turned his own gaze to the wake of destruction following Claire, and she nodded.
¡°Fine. But hurry. I want to get this band of hooligans dealt with so we can move on to the big show.¡±
Kaleb nodded and rushed off. As he did, he explained the plan to Viola over the radio. She confirmed the plan and reported back that she hadn¡¯t found the cabin yet. Kaleb pushed his way through the bushes and detritus on the forest floor as he climbed the hill.
His stamina was slowly falling as he climbed and he took a few breaks to let it recharge. Kaleb was cresting the top of his hill when Viola spoke up again.
¡°Claire, you''re on a direct path to the cabin. But they know you¡¯re coming and are getting ready. Professor, you need to turn to your seven o¡¯clock and walk back down the hill. I don¡¯t think they know you¡¯re here, too. So be stealthy.¡±
Both Kaleb and Claire confirmed the orders. Kaleb turned down the hill and eased down. He had been walking for five minutes when sounds of combat reached his ears. Gunshots and minor explosions went off, and Kaleb hurried.
¡°Claire is engaged with two enhanced mages and two mundanes. No sign of the Bull leader, though.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he ran through the forest. ¡°How¡¯s Claire?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine! The guns aren¡¯t a problem, but that damn wizard is keeping me back with wind spells.¡±
¡°I¡¯m coming!¡±
Kaleb sped up a little, still careful not to trip on any roots. The sounds of fighting were growing louder, and soon he found himself standing on a short outcropping. He was overlooking a small wooden cabin and a large clearing. Claire was on the other side of the cabin, trying to push forward. But an almost visible wall of wind was keeping her back. Meanwhile, two thugs to the left of the cabin were standing in the open, firing their rifles at her.
¡°I don¡¯t have eyes on the mages.¡± Kaleb reported as he tried to find them.
¡°They¡¯re on the right side of the cabin, hugging the wall. One is holding his spell while the other is the one lobbing fireballs.¡± Viola said.
Kaleb nodded and walked along the outcropping toward the other side of the cabin. But it ended before he could look down on the right side of the house. Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Kaleb made a quick decision and backed up. With a burst of speed, Kaleb threw himself off the outcropping and onto the wooden roof. He landed with a hard thud and he was sure whoever was inside would¡¯ve heard him.
So as quick as he could Kaleb crouch-walked to the right edge of the roof and peered over. He spotted the backs of two robe figures and drew his Cybar. Aiming low, Kaleb grinned as his shots caught both people in the back of the knees. They went screaming to the ground and the loud sounds of rushing winds quickly abated.
¡°Your clear, Claire.¡±
¡°Thank you, professor.¡±
Claire¡¯s screams came from the front of the house as she charged the cabin. Kaleb hurried across the roof to the other side. But when he reached the center, there was a loud crack, a blue and black horn sprouted in front of him. Kaleb swore and threw himself backwards. He tumbled across the roof until he caught himself. But the bull super inside the cabin pierced the roof with his horn again. This time, right next to Kaleb.
¡°Shit!¡±
Kaleb got to his feet and ran to the center of the roof. Below him, he heard Claire punching someone and assumed the two mundane thugs had tried to slow the green woman down. He winced as the sounds of bodies hitting the forest floor reached him. But he had to move again as another horn cracked through the roof.
¡°How many times can he do that before¡¡±
Kaleb''s thoughts were cut off as the roof started creaking ominously. He threw himself backward again, this time off the front of the roof completely. As he did, he quickly reported to Claire and then released all the breath in his lungs.
¡°Roofs going down!¡± He shouted.
Then he landed roughly in the dirt clearing surrounding the cabin. He slid a bit, which helped soften his landing. But his back was still screaming at him. He didn¡¯t know if Claire got out of the way of the collapsing house. But he could hear it creaking and cracking as its roof caved in. Kaleb held onto a brief hope that the stupid Bull mutant had crushed himself. But a bestial roar and snort dashed those hopes immediately.
With a grunt, Kaleb pulled himself to his feet and looked toward the cabin. Thankfully, Claire and the big bull-man were currently fighting. The bull was slightly shorter, if you didn¡¯t count the horns. But his arms and chest were downright massive. Kaleb caught himself wondering how the mutants two human legs could hold up that stocky frame. But he shook it off quickly and rushed around the fight. Coming to the right side of the collapsed cabin, Kaleb found the two mages still writhing in pain. Part of the cabin had collapsed onto them. But they both seemed alive.
Kaleb quickly cuffed them and then moved them to the outer edge of the clearing. He was about to search for the two mundanes when the bull mutant roared angrily. The roar was followed by two loud meaty thwacks, and Kaleb turned to see Claire go flying off into the woods. Her slim green form disappeared between the trees, and Kaleb gulped loudly.
The bull-man spun on him and Kaleb wanted to curse his damn luck. Why was he always dealing with super-strong idiots? He did a quick mental checklist of his arsenal and hated what his brain came back with. One Cybar pistol, one Shocky with a taser function, his magic gun, and a few spikes in his spike launcher. He grimaced.
¡°You puny cops can¡¯t stop The Bull!¡± the bull-man shouted as he pounded his chest.
His right leg pawed at the ground a few times before he ran straight at Kaleb. Swearing repeatedly, Kaleb rolled to the side and came up on a knee. He sent two bursts from his Cybar into the bull¡¯s back before he got to his feet and started backing away. The Bull roared again and stalked forward. Kaleb unloaded his entire Cybar into the mutant¡¯s chest, watching as the energy burned away The Bull¡¯s chest hair.
His Cybar beeped, informing him he needed to vent it. But the Bull was already on top of him. Kaleb danced to the side as The Bull¡¯s meaty arm swung at his face.
¡°Thank the Gaming Gods he¡¯s not as fast as Man-Rat¡ I mean Rat-Man, damn it!¡±
He dodged another large swing from the Bull and danced around the big idiot. With a thought, Kaleb summoned Shocky and placed the shield along the Bull¡¯s back and activated it. A wave of yellow electricity sparked along the Bull¡¯s spine and he went momentarily rigid. But with a sudden roar, the Bull shook off the shock and backhanded Kaleb in the chest.
Kaleb spun like a pinwheel across the entire clearing. An ominous crack filled his ears, and Kaleb felt the armor on his chest break away as he came to a stop at the edge of the clearing. But he didn¡¯t have enough time to get his bearings because the Bull was suddenly on top of him roaring in his face. The mutant¡¯s human foot was on top of Kaleb, pinning him to the ground. He punched and clawed at the leg, but it remained firm as the Bull glared down at him.
¡°Puny Cops all fall to the might of the Bull!¡±
Kaleb ignored the rhetoric and steadied his robotic hand against the Bull¡¯s shin. With a loud thunk, a large metal spike shot out of his wrist and slammed into the Bull¡¯s human shin bone. It pierced all the way through and the Bull recoiled in anger and pain. Kaleb rolled away as the Bull raised his foot and tried to get to his feet. But a large furry hand gripped his throat and lifted him off the ground. Kaleb suddenly missed his spiked boots as he feebly kicked at the Bull¡¯s body and hips. The Bull pulled him close, ready to issue another loud proclamation. But a green fist smacked the Bull in the face and sent him cartwheeling toward the cabin.
¡°Took you long enough.¡± Kaleb choked out.
Claire cracked her knuckles and chuckled. ¡°Hehehe, sorry dear. A few trees fell on me.¡±
Kaleb blinked in surprise, and then just shook it off. Venting his Cybar, he prepared to square up with Claire against the Bull. But the kindly older woman waved him down.
¡°Take a break, Professor. I owe this arrogant cow a beating.¡±
Kaleb wanted to argue, but then he checked his HP and sat down. He was down in the double digits and without his armor. Plus, in a fistfight, he¡¯d be pretty useless. Sighing, Kaleb watched as Claire advanced on the Bull and quickly took him apart. The Bull was tired, burnt, and operating with a bum leg. Kaleb¡¯s spike was still protruding from the Bull¡¯s left leg even as Claire pummeled the poor mutant into the dirt.
When she finished with The Bull, Claire pulled some heavy duty cuffs from her pocket and hog-tied the guy. Kaleb chuckled as she lifted the criminal like luggage and looked around for their drone. Viola¡¯s voice spoke in their ear as the drone took in the devastation.
¡°The cops have been alerted, and they are on their way to the street. They request you move the criminals back down to the road.¡±
¡°Of course they do. Any idea where the two mundanes are?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Mrs. Claire tossed them to the south-side of the clearing. The two mages are still where you left them, Professor.¡±
Kaleb nodded and looked up at Claire. ¡°You grab the Mundanes and I¡¯ll take the mages.¡±
¡°Can you handle them both?¡±
¡°Yeah, I got it.¡±
Claire looked him over as she adjusted her grip on her bull prisoner. She said nothing else and shrugged her shoulders before walking off. Kaleb collected himself and moved toward the two bodies. Checking they were both still fine, Kaleb placed one on his shoulder and gripped the other¡¯s leg with his metal hand. He dragged and carried the pair behind Claire as she carved another path all the way back down the forested hill.
Thankfully, the cops were waiting for them and they didn¡¯t have to stick around. Kaleb crawled into the driver''s seat of his car and grabbed his water bottle. He drained it and threw it back into its cup holder before Claire could even get in the car. Once she did, Claire eyed him carefully. Kaleb met her gaze with a curious one of his own.
¡°You alright, dear?¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Just exhausted. We¡¯ve been at this all day and I am out of tricks.¡±
¡°And armor.¡± Claire said with a pointed look downward.
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll have to make some for tonight. Which means we¡¯re done. Sorry.¡±
¡°No. No, that¡¯s fine. We need to all regroup, anyway.¡±
¡°Yes, you do.¡± Farrah said over the comms. ¡°Jar-lock is out of his stupor and he has a location for us. Abby has called in some Super friends to watch the neighborhood for us. So I¡¯m calling all teams back to the Hangar. The cops have already been informed.¡±
Kaleb sighed and started his car. The Super-Group¡¯s long day was going to turn into a long night. He just knew it. A soft hand on his shoulder brought Kaleb¡¯s eyes around to see Claire smiling at him softly. Her smiled widened as Kaleb sat up a bit and shook off his exhaustion. Claire snapped in her seat-belt and sat back with a sigh. They sat in comfortable silence as the Kaleb drove them on to their next adventure for the night.
Chapter 144 - Speed-Crafting
Kaleb¡¯s car was parked, and he was out of it before the sound of the engine dissipated. Claire was right behind him as they entered the Hangar. But while Claire rushed off to get a quick shower and talk to her husband, Kaleb made a beeline for his workshop. There was a general hum in the air as Brute Clan and teenage hunters hurried around the space. Most of them looking like they were on serious missions.
Jar-Lock was in the center of the hangar, talking to Farrah and some of the others. But Kaleb ignored them as he turned into his workshop. He thought he heard Jar-lock shouting something at him, but the door closed. Cutting off the sound from the hangar.
A wave of hot air hit Kaleb as he entered his workshop. Looking around, he found Roy was at the forge with Terrance, while Marie seemed to be sorting his bins. A few of the Brute clan were in the shop, swinging newly made weapons around. Kaleb groaned as he saw the two large lizards chuckling to themselves. They were swinging a pair of maces around dangerously close to Daivor¡¯s small home.
Kaleb quickly raised a hand for attention. But when that didn¡¯t work, he resorted to shouting.
¡°Okay! Anyone not building something, get the hell out. I have to rebuild my armor and create a new weapon before we attack an army of demon-worshiping idiots. Out!¡±
The two brute clan lizards stared at him, but hurried out as he clapped his hands at them like children. Kaleb had to almost chase them out of the room as Marie, Terrance, and Roy watched him. He waved them off and put his lab coat on its rack. Grabbing a pen from his workbench, Kaleb began to draw out some ideas as the new forge churned out generic weapons. Roy and Terrance were using molds to create spearheads. He briefly played with the idea of taking a mace, but the added weight would really be a pain.
¡°We have anymore Kevlar?¡± Kaleb asked as he sketched out a gun.
¡°Yeah, Doc. It¡¯s in the bins at the back.¡± Roy answered.
¡°What about metal?¡±
¡°We have a large amount of scrap and some alloys Daivor and I were playing with. But nothing exotic.¡±
Kaleb sighed as he finished his gun design and stood up. He found Marie standing behind him, looking over his shoulder. Her curly blond hair was almost matted to her face as she scrunched up her nose at his design.
¡°What are you making?¡±
Kaleb sidestepped the young woman and started rummaging through his various piles of boxes and crates. He shouted over his shoulder as his head was buried in a plastic bin.
¡°I¡¯m giving myself some versatility.¡±
Kaleb found what he was looking for and pulled everything he could find. Marie continued to watch him as he cradled the crystals in his arms. He moved them to the workbench and placed them on top of his new design. Next, he began the arduous task of separating each of the Elentian crystals by color. They had been thrown loosely in the bin. But he had a fair few of them by now. Marie wandered off as he started arranging them by size. But now he had Roy asking questions.
¡°Doc, be careful with those crystals. We only have so many.¡±
¡°I know. I¡¯ve been meaning to order some, but I¡¯ve been busy.¡±
¡°Why do you need them? We¡¯ve got the¡ y¡¯know, the battery. I think we¡¯re set on powering your weaponry for now.¡±
Kaleb set his preferred crystals aside as he snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t need them as a power source. I need them for their elemental properties.¡±
¡°Ohhhh,¡± Roy said as he watched Kaleb set several differently colored crystals aside. ¡°Is there anyway I can help?¡±
¡°Get the forge ready to build some armor. Mine cracked in a fight with a giant Bull-Man.¡±
¡°You mean a Minotaur.¡±
¡°Naw, this was a mutant with Minotaur features, but less of a bull-like head.¡±
¡°Alright then¡ which metal should we use? The scrap isn¡¯t going to make the greatest armor, but we can make do.¡±
¡°No. Use the last of the alien alloy. I need the best. If I¡¯m going to be forced to make something new, it¡¯s going to be better than what I had.¡±
¡°Daivor ain¡¯t going to like that.¡±
¡°Oh yeah, go get him to help you. I need to set this up.¡±
Roy sighed loudly, but hurried to follow his orders. Kaleb, meanwhile, finished what he was doing and got ready to copy his design into the workbench¡¯s system. But as he did, the design was almost immediately rejected. A bright red bar appeared on top of the Workbench¡¯s interface. The words Faulty Design written large in yellow lettering. Biting back a groan of annoyance, Kaleb brought up the design in the system and broke it down.
He wanted a gun with a rotating barrel that could fire each of the crystal¡¯s elemental properties. Fire for red, lightning for yellow, ice for blue, and wind for green. He wasn¡¯t sure what the purple and black crystals would do, but he threw them in for good measure. But the system was rejecting both of the unknown crystals and claiming that he didn¡¯t have enough power to juice everything. It also explained that he would need separate barrels for each crystal and they would need to be reinforced to handle the elemental shots. Kaleb quickly reworked the design to the bench¡¯s specifications, but he was still getting a fault warning. He didn¡¯t have the barrels he needed, so he would need to craft them himself.
He was getting what he needed together when Daivor swung up to the workbench. A stony expression on his face.
¡°What¡¯s this I hear about you using our metal?¡±
¡°I need the alloy for armor, Daivor? Why? What were you using it for?¡±
¡°Nothing. But it¡¯s so pretty though, and it needs to go into some great work. That metal is special.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s metal, Daivor. Made from the scraps we found at a K-Tech dumpsite. We can get more if we need to.¡±
The small gnome perked up at that, but he quickly controlled his expression. ¡°So we will be making another supply run, then?¡±
¡°Sure. After the demons. Why? Are you looking for something?¡±
¡°I¡¯m a Builder Gnome. I¡¯m always looking for new materials to create things. But leave some for the kid, eh? He has been looking forward to crafting some stuff.¡±
Roy snorted. ¡°Like you haven¡¯t?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t sass your elders, boy. Where do you need me, boss?¡±
Kaleb nodded down at his designs. ¡°Can you help me make the barrels? Roy, you and Terrance get to shaping the armor, please. Just a breastplate is fine and I¡¯ll come in to help when all of this is set up.¡±
Roy nodded, but Terrance, having heard his name, looked up in shock. The tall boy looked wary as he explained.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
¡°I haven¡¯t really worked with metal enough to be trusted with such a task.¡± Terrance said, looking chagrined.
¡°I can help. My dad¡¯s shown me a lot, and I¡¯d like to learn more.¡± Marie interjected.
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Fine. Marie, you''re shaping with Roy. Terrance, I want you cutting the Kevlar to size. I think my measurements are around here somewhere.¡±
The tall boy looked relieved as Marie ran over to join Roy. Kaleb had to yell out a reminder not to run in his workshop. But he felt like he was ignored. So instead, he stuck his head back down and got to work.
Other than the separate barrels, he would need a mechanism that spun and locked everything in place. The table was saying it could make one while it was automated, but Kaleb could take the time to shape the pieces himself. The more things he had created by hand, the better the crafting would go once he started the Workbench¡¯s automatic process.
He was deep into crafting the bits of metal for the locking mechanism when his workshop door opened. Jar-Lock poked his head in and Kaleb¡¯s heart stopped. It couldn¡¯t be time to go already. Could it?
Jar-lock chuckled at the face Kaleb was making. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Prof. We¡¯re not heading out anytime soon. A lot of the team need to take a break and we were about to order food. The teens are screaming about pizza and the lizards are curious enough to try it. What about y¡¯all?¡±
¡°Pizza!¡±
¡°Pizza?¡±
¡°No olives, please.¡±
¡°Hell yeah!¡±
Before Kaleb could answer, three hungry teens and a surprisingly loud gnome were all shouting for food. Kaleb shrugged his shoulders and waved an arm at his workshop.
¡°It seems like the vote has been cast.¡±
Jar-lock smiled and nodded, then ducked his head back out of the shop. The room fell into a steady rhythm of work. It was by no means quiet, with Roy and Marie hammering an alien metal into shape. But Kaleb found the noise of his workshop comforting. Even when Daivor started operating the lathe with his magic, and the noise really turned up. Kaleb focused on his own task until he had ground and shaped all the bits of metal he needed.
Once he was done, he assembled all the bits on the workbench and moved to help Daivor. The gnome was hovering over four long pistol barrels. As he got closer, Kaleb realized Daivor was using the Ifrit-bone metal they had mixed a while back. The gnome was now drawing small runes on the sides of the barrels. Kaleb joined in as Daivor explained.
¡°The bone metal isn¡¯t as tough as the alien alloys we have. But it should handle the force of the Elentian crystals fine.¡±
¡°Do we still have bits of the Ifrit lying around?¡±
Daivor snorted. ¡°Pfft! You¡¯re going to be using that for a long time. I¡¯d put a thin layer of the skin under your armor like you did before.¡±
Kaleb sighed, but nodded as he drew an intricate rune on the other barrels. He went with a simple toughness rune to help the barrels withstand the energy. Once they finished, Kaleb moved the barrels onto the workbench and submitted the design again. This time it came back green, and he hit the automate button. He really wished he had to time to build the gun from scratch. But he was sure they needed to hurry. Despite what Jar-lock said.
Kaleb let the table whir and work as metal and crystals floated above its surface. Daivor hopped to his shoulder, and they moved over to the forge area. Marie and Roy were hard at work shaping a large piece of blue-black metal into form. Kaleb stopped a short distance away and watched, not wanting to get in the way.
Marie and Roy were taking turns holding and hammering the metal so that the center of the chest piece bulged out a bit. Kaleb waited for the next switch off before he jumped in and started turning and hammering. Daivor watched and advised from his shoulder, so Kaleb sent Roy to prepare the Ifrit skin. The boy shot him a salute as Marie watched him work with what he assumed was admiration.
Once the metal was shaped, Kaleb began smoothing the sides and making minor adjustments to the metal piece. It was a squat triangle shape. Designed to protect his wide shoulders down to his waist. Kaleb felt that the armor was a bit thin in places, but he could reinforce those later if there was time. It was as he was shaping the metal that Jar-lock swung back in with a few pizzas. Kaleb ignored the tantalizing smell as he smoothed out a rough edge. But the kids and Daivor happily dove in with sounds of hunger and pleasure.
Jar-lock moved near Kaleb¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Almost finished?¡±
¡°Please don¡¯t tell me everyone is waiting for me.¡± Kaleb said, sounding exhausted.
¡°No! No, Two Gun is still asleep and Abby is still healing. Besides, like I said, we won¡¯t be on the move for a while. We have to liaise with another district before we have permission to move.¡±
Kaleb snorted as he stopped working. ¡°Seriously!? You¡¯re still going to go by the book on this one after we have proof that the HLO and the City are trying to screw us?¡±
¡°Hey, the district we are working with is just outside of Austin¡¯s jurisdiction. So they aren¡¯t the ones that screwed us. But don¡¯t worry, the team is pretty much going to vote on releasing your footage. We were waiting for you so we could do an official vote. But we figured¡¡±
¡°I¡¯d say ¡®burn the mothers down?¡¯¡±
¡°Something like that.¡±
¡°Well, y¡¯all are right. Go release that footage as soon as possible.¡±
Jar-lock stuck a huge hand out. ¡°Let¡¯s wait until we finish with the Demon mission. Then the Heroes that save Texas will have also uncovered an evil plot involving the HLO and City hall. Our word will carry a little more weight then.¡±
¡°Fine¡¡± Kaleb sighed dramatically.
Jar-lock chuckled and patted Kaleb on the shoulder before he left. Kaleb went back to work and ignored the smell of pizza wafting past his nostrils. The faster he went, the quicker he could get a slice. Then again, he was competing against a team of teenagers. Kaleb quickly and carefully put the metal he was working with down. He enjoyed a quick bite from the one pizza that was left standing and then hurried back to work. He set Roy and Terrance on the skin and Kevlar again as Marie helped him shore up the new armor¡¯s weaknesses. Marie seemed to be fairly well-versed in working metal and spotting flaws. Both of which she bragged about at every opportunity.
¡°You¡¯re not as good as my dad. But you¡¯re pretty good, Y¡¯know. I mean, I think dad would have gone for a bulkier design. But this is also good. Have you ever worked with standard metals, though? A lot of them don¡¯t require the temperatures you are working at. They¡¯re also easier to get into shape. Without your robotic arm, we would¡¯ve had to hammer all day.¡±
Kaleb nodded along with Marie as she held the piece of metal against his armor with a pair of tongs. He quickly welded the pieces together and then they moved to the next piece. Marie had tried to convince him to add a few ornamental pieces to the armor. But he refused. Instead, he used the flat space of the armor to layer his armor. Carefully and slowly, Kaleb put the pieces of metal together. Once he was done, he stepped back and nodded. He had attempted to layer the armor like an armadillo shell. After a few tests, he found it bent and moved well enough. All he needed now was to get the Kevlar and Ifrit skin underneath it.
He wondered a bit if he had time for leg armor and vambraces. But he shook off the idea. The armor had taken a long time and any new pieces would have to be made from normal metal. Which is not something he wanted.
¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t look like much. But once you sand the odd bits down, it¡¯ll come together better.¡± Marie nodded.
Kaleb grinned. ¡°Yeah, so why don¡¯t you start on that end and I¡¯ll take this end?¡±
Marie snorted and laughed until she realized he was serious. Then she shot him a dirty look and grabbed some sandpaper. Kaleb grabbed his own and started wearing down the edges. Soon, Terrance and Roy joined them. The Kevlar and Ifrit skin in their hands. With a bit of maneuvering, they all started putting the finishing touches on his armor.
Once the armor was shined up and ready, Kaleb dismissed his assistants and started putting the skin and Kevlar in. Daivor joined him as he worked. His cigar puffing out clouds of smoke.
¡°Not bad for a rush job. You think it¡¯ll help you with the demons?¡±
¡°Better than my soft underbelly. Any problems and I can come back and fix it.¡±
¡°Just make sure you come back.¡± Daivor said, looking up at him. ¡°Demons are tricky business, and they can fuck with your mind as easily as your body.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°I know. But we¡¯ll be fine. If everything goes well, we won¡¯t even have to deal with any actual Demons. Just a bunch of zealots.¡±
¡°Yeah, but how often do things go well?¡±
Kaleb waved the worrying gnome off and continued his work. But a sound from his workbench drew his head up. The bench had been whirring away on his new gun this whole time. It had been pulling in bits and pieces from the workshop as it worked on his design. Kaleb hoped the sound was the bench finally being done. But it seemed that it was just alerting them that it was winding down. A large ball of white light was hovering above the table, bits of metal and wiring floating around it. The white orb pulsed a few times and then exploded in a burst of colors that blinded Kaleb. He shielded his eyes until the rainbow light went away. Then he stood in stunned silence as he approached the workbench. The system had crafted his design down to a T and Kaleb gazed upon his creation in wonder.
Chapter 145 - Hell is Apparently in Texas
-
-
-
-
|
*DIY Armadillo Armor Mk 1*
|
|
Defense: +16 (+4 DIY Armorer)
Magical Resistance: 12%
Upgrades: 0/4
Durability: 130
Grade: C
|
|
Description: A rough blue-black metal covered in smaller sheets of scrap. Its layered texture and hinged joints make the armor both flexible and extremely durable. The Kevlar and Ifrit Skin under-layers give the armor some added protection from bullets and magic.
|
-
-
-
-
|
*Elemental Quad-Gun*
|
|
Damage: Variable
Upgrades 0/3
Durability: 105/105
Grade D+
|
|
Description: A four-barreled, Elentian crystal powered gun. The barrels have been modified to withstand the energy from each element. Bulky and quickly made. It¡¯s a good first attempt. Its alien power supply should keep the crystals charged for a long while.
|
Kaleb strolled proudly out of his workshop after he put the finishing touches on both of his new pieces of equipment. The quad-gun hung on his right-hip, meaning he had to move his Cybar to a thigh holster. Combined with the Sun Gun in his left holster and the Magic Gun in a shoulder holster, he felt almost weighed down with weapons. And that wasn¡¯t counting the Taser Egg and Spike launchers.
His friends ohh¡¯d and ahh¡¯d appropriately as he did a little spin with his new armor. Most of the alien alloy was covered with hammered scrap. But Kaleb could see that the stats were nothing to sneeze at. Especially with the new level in DIY Armorer he got from creating the armor. Now he was getting a plus four to all his defenses across the board.
Kaleb tried to wave his friends off to test-fire the Quad Gun, but most of them came to watch. It was surprisingly similar to Kaleb¡¯s magic gun, shooting bolts of electricity and giant fireballs. So much so that Jar-lock commented on it.
¡°Doesn¡¯t this just do the same thing as your magic gun?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Yeah, kind of. But this doesn¡¯t leave me winded and with a screaming headache after every shot. Also, this one can be used instantly. I don¡¯t have to focus and charge a shot. So it¡¯s good for those quick reaction moments.¡±
Kaleb spun and pulled the Quad Gun¡¯s trigger. It was set to the blue crystal, which meant that a spray of crystal-clear ice covered the dirt backstop they were using. The ice hardened and solidified on the dirt, leaving a thin sheen of ice across it. Kaleb spun the barrel to the red crystal and locked it in place. Waiting for the hum of the crystal connecting to the power supply, Kaleb took a breath and then fired. A large fireball belched forth from the barrel and instantly melted all the ice. Kaleb nodded and switched the gun off. The crystals were a constant draw on the gun¡¯s power supply, so he needed to remember to turn it off.
¡°So instead of focusing on your magical studies, you''re using a scientific facsimile.¡±
¡°Hey, I¡¯m not a wizard, okay? I¡¯m a scientist. Besides, I used magic to empower the barrels. In fact, magic has helped my crafting immensely. I just don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be throwing fireballs anytime soon.¡±
Two Gun chuckled. ¡°And with a weapon like that, you don¡¯t need to.¡±
¡°Will you be testing the armor?¡± Claire asked, cracking her knuckles.
Kaleb turned, listening to his new armor make soft metallic sounds as he did. He waved off the super-strong woman.
¡°I think I¡¯ll have plenty of chances to put this armor to the test tonight. As soon as y¡¯all tell me where we are going.¡±
¡°Garfield. Or just past it, the Leylines are screaming at a place between Garfield and Wyldwood. But it hasn¡¯t reached the apex yet. Farrah was talking to the local police out that way and they want to help, but they don¡¯t have the manpower. There are a few Supes out that way, but they are the old retired ones.¡±
¡°And the players out that way say that trying to be a villain in a retired Supe¡¯s area is wishful thinking. Just cause they¡¯re retired doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t still throw down.¡± Abby explained.
¡°But it takes a lot to get them to move.¡± Jar-lock continued.
¡°A potential demon invasion ain¡¯t enough?!¡±
¡°The local PD out in Wyldwood asked one of their retired heroes to help and he said, and I quote, ¡®The demons are always about to invade. Stopping them is a young heroes¡¯ game. Call me if the kids fail and the bastards break through.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his face. ¡°Great¡¡±
¡°At least we know the city will be safe if we fail.¡±
¡°Wasn¡¯t that always a given? I mean, there have to be thousands of players in Austin alone, right?¡±
¡°And a bunch of them are villains that will take advantage of the chaos.¡±
Kaleb nodded in understanding as Farrah sauntered out of the hangar. She took in everyone¡¯s faces before she smiled and gave them a thumbs up.
¡°We are a go for the mission. The Bastrop PD is providing support. They¡¯ll be backed up by the Sheriff¡¯s offices in Garfield and Wyldwood. Bastrop has its own enhanced division, but they understand that this is your show. The kids are packed and we are ready to roll.¡±
Jar-lock and the others nodded as Kaleb stood there confused.
¡°Wait. You¡¯re coming too? And the kids!?¡±
Farrah rolled her eyes. ¡°Our equipment isn¡¯t strong enough for me to provide support from here. Me and my staff will link up with the police and set-up a base camp for you guys.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°That makes sense, but do we even have the cars for this?¡±
¡°It¡¯ll be a squeeze, but we¡¯ll manage since it¡¯s only a twenty-minute drive.¡±
¡°A twenty-minute drive? I thought we would be out of Austin¡¯s jurisdiction.¡±
Farrah nodded as she and Abby led Kaleb to his car. ¡°It is. But just barely. It comes under Bastrop county¡¯s jurisdiction and they are much more amiable to our help. Apparently, the HLO only has a small office out there and they haven¡¯t weaseled their way into Bastrop¡¯s City Hall.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Abby added. ¡°One of the discussions being tabled for later is whether we should move the SG out there.¡±
Kaleb grimaced at the thought as he opened his driver-side door. It felt somewhat like running away, which was probably the smart move. But he wanted to at least give the Austin HLO offices a black eye before he did. Maybe that was petty, but Kaleb really wanted to wipe some smug looks off people¡¯s faces. The sound of his back doors opening made Kaleb turn around and he paled as Daivor and Roy sat down behind him. Farrah was seated behind Abby, who was putting on her seat belt in the passenger seat.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
¡°Whoa! Roy! No way, kid. You¡¡±
¡°Doc, calm down.¡± Roy chuckled as he raised a hand. Kaleb could see the kid was kitted out with his baton dispensers and he was even wearing armor.
¡°I¡¯m just going as support. I¡¯ll providing Miss Farrah with protection and manning the cordon with the police.¡±
Kaleb let out a sigh of relief before what the boy said registered fully. When it he did, he spun on Farrah and raised an eyebrow.
¡°Protection?¡±
¡°That¡¯s just the excuse on paper. Technically, Roy is listed as a junior member of our Super group. In particular, he is your sidekick. So his attendance isn¡¯t exactly mandatory, but it would look poorly on you if your own sidekick wasn¡¯t taking part. This is a big mission and we are a small SG. We need to show a united front.¡±
Kaleb blew out a breath and started his car.
¡°Sidekick, huh?¡± He said as he pulled away from the hangar and turned down the runway.
¡°I gotta think of a good name, though.¡± Roy chuckled. ¡°I was thinking Science Boy or Robot Lad.¡±
Kaleb snorted. ¡°How about The Assistant?¡±
¡°Please don¡¯t try to come up with names. Ever.¡± Abby said, hiding a smile.
¡°Baton Boy?¡±
¡°The Builder?¡±
¡°Kid Mason?¡±
¡°Little Nova?¡±
The car was filled with laughter and bad superhero names for the entire trip. Farrah led him all the way down the seventy-first highway, past Garfield and almost to the Wyldwood county line. Police Barricades started popping up and Kaleb had to give his credentials several times before they were allowed to pass.
The police had stopped traffic in both directions and were set up on the northern edge of the road facing south. They had tents, large trucks, and multiple police officers rushing about and doing their jobs. Kaleb even saw a few costumed Supers out and about. Behind him, Roy was shuffling about in his seat as Kaleb was directed to a parking spot near a large tent. He came to a stop and shut the car off as he gave Abby an uneasy look. She just laughed at him as she got out of the car and let Farrah out of the backseat.
Kaleb shook off his unease and did the same for Roy and Daivor. Although Roy¡¯s new appearance made him pause.
¡°What the hell is that?! Can you even breath in there?¡±
Roy¡¯s laugh came out muffled as he tapped the faceless metal mask with a finger. The silver helmet covered Roy¡¯s entire head, and it didn¡¯t even have eye holes. But by Roy¡¯s laugh and Daivor¡¯s bemused look, Kaleb figured he was missing something.
¡°It¡¯s a Moldi-metal alloy that Daivor and I cooked up. Daivor was also good enough to enchant it for me. I can see and breath as if I was wearing nothing at all. Some of us want to have secret identities, Doc.¡±
¡°Fair point, Metal Head. But we are going to discuss this Moldi-metal later. It¡¯s giving me ideas.¡±
¡°I know, right!?¡± Daivor said excitedly.
The three of them happily jammed their heads together, discussing the possibilities of Daivor and Roy¡¯s invention. They moved among the cops and Enhanced Supers. Drawing eyes from everyone as they discussed proper melting temperatures and how to find more Moldi-metal. Once they were at the main command tent, Roy and Daivor broke off to stand guard as Kaleb entered the tent with a smile on his face. A smile that quickly vanished when he saw everyone staring at him.
¡°What? Are we too late?¡±
Vivienne and Jar-lock looked at him weirdly. ¡°Can you not feel that?¡±
Kaleb focused his attention on his senses. When he did, an immediate sense of vertigo overcame him and he felt like his soul was dipped in pure garbage. A slimy, sticky feeling engulfed him and he wanted to immediately run to a shower. The feeling hung in the surrounding air, and he wanted to run away from it. But he grit his teeth and shoved the feeling to the back of his mind. Opening his eyes, he stared at Vivienne and Jar-lock.
¡°What the fuck is that?¡±
Jar-lock nodded. ¡°They are gathering power to open a gate to the demon realm along the Leyline. And they aren¡¯t hiding it anymore. I think the movements of the police alerted them. They are going to be waiting for us.¡±
¡°Now hold on a minute,¡± said a human man with a large white mustache. ¡°My boys had no way of knowing we would alert them demon fellas.¡±
¡°Sorry, Sheriff. I didn¡¯t mean to imply it was anyone¡¯s fault. But the fact remains, they know we are here and they¡¯ve stepped up their plans.¡±
¡°So, what¡¯s our plan? Smack them fast and hard?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°HAHAHA! Smack! Smack!¡± Mass screamed from his side of the tent.
He and D34d-I took up one whole side of the tent on their own. The small duck was calming Mass down as Jar-lock shook his head.
¡°No. We need to disrupt the ritual before they open the demon gate. So Abby, Vivi, and I are going in first. Once we¡¯ve disrupted the ritual, everyone else can move in and sweep things up.¡±
¡°I get Abby. But why you and Vivienne? No offense.¡± Two Gun asked.
¡°Because we can both cast invisibility spells. But they aren¡¯t that powerful and have to be constantly applied. So it has to be us. The three of us are the only ones that can get close.¡±
¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± Kaleb said, ¡°Where are we going?¡±
Farrah pointed to a map on the table in the center of all of them. ¡°The ritual is happening just south of us. Like Jar-lock said, they aren¡¯t hiding what they are doing anymore. We¡¯ve got reports of news vans and various supers sticking their heads up to take a look.¡±
¡°Then we need to hurry before some idiot blunders in to our operation.¡± Said Claire.
Everyone nodded in agreement and turned to exit the tent. Farrah started talking rapidly to the sheriff as Kaleb and his friends stepped into the dark night. The police had arranged some large spotlights in various places. But for the most part, the stretch of highway was completely dark. Kaleb thought he could see an ominous purple haze raising from the south.
¡°We really need to hurry.¡± He said, unbidden.
¡°Yeah. But final checks are important too.¡± Jar-lock argued as he twisted an ear-comm into his ear.
Kaleb sighed and did the same as his friends checked their weapons and armor. Kaleb gave his weapons one last look over before he sighed and waited for the others. Once everyone was done, Jar-lock, Vivienne and Abby stepped off the south and into the field at the southern edge of the road.
¡°Give us a few minutes and then follow.¡± Jar-lock called over his shoulder as the three of them disappeared.
Kaleb clenched and unclenched his hands as he mentally counted. But the ominous feeling in the air, combined with the purple haze in the distance growing, unsettled him. Claire, Two Gun, D34d-I, and Mass all waited with him, and each seemed to be just as uneasy as him. The rush of movement from the cops behind him fell into a steady hum that Kaleb ignored. Instead, he focused slowly on the purple cloud growing bigger.
¡°Now?¡± He asked, unsure.
¡°It¡¯s as good a time as any.¡±
¡°What if we are early?¡±
*Quack*
¡°Better early than late.¡±
D34d-I¡¯s words emboldened Kaleb to take his first steps off the road into the grass. Jar-lock and the others would be radio silent for their stealth operation. So Kaleb knew they couldn¡¯t ask for a go ahead. Instead, they all continued forward at a steady but slow pace. The last thing the others needed was for them to ruin things. So, as quietly as they could, they made their way further and further south.
The smell of wet earth and grass filled Kaleb¡¯s nose as he walked through the calf-high grass. But even with the pools of water and the vegetation, Kaleb didn¡¯t hear a single animal. No frogs, no mosquitoes, nothing. Kaleb figured that even the bugs knew that shit was going down tonight.
As they walked further south and the dark night was lit up by a wave of purple magic, Kaleb could hear murmurs on the wind. Voices, all chanting in unison, carried through the night to them. But Kaleb couldn¡¯t parse out any of the words. Which told him some magical nonsense was going down. On instinct, Kaleb hurried his footsteps through the dense grass. Eventually, he found himself staring at a large treeline in the distance. But just in front of the treeline, surrounding enormous bonfires belching purple smoke, stood dozens of robed figures.
An acrid and disgusting smell hit Kaleb¡¯s nose as the wind picked up around the demon gang. Kaleb spotted several bodies on the bonfires and realized what the smell was. All the robed figures were chanting in time with one another and each time they finished a line, the smoke grew more dense. The blazing bonfire was also turning colors as the group chanted. Kaleb looked around for Abby and the others, but the night was dark and he couldn¡¯t see very well. He did spot Two Gun and Claire spreading themselves out for an attack.
Kaleb drew his Cybar and Sun Gun, setting them both to their highest settings. Then they waited. The smoke was raising; the chanting getting louder, but Jar-lock and the others hadn¡¯t attacked yet. Kaleb wanted to break radio silence, but he fought it off, even as the chanting reached a crescendo. That¡¯s when he saw a spike of black pierce through one cultist. It was followed by a fireball and then a white missile of magic that lit up the night.
Jar-lock, Vivienne, and Abby appeared all at once as three cultists fell to the ground dead. Jar-lock fired off another large fireball as he shouted into the comms.
¡°Kill as many as you can! We can¡¯t let them finish!¡±
Kaleb realized the cultists were still chanting, even as he and his teammates charged at them. What happened next was a one-sided slaughter, as the demon gang never fought back. Instead, they went to their graves chanting the same stupid chant. Kaleb was starting to feel disgusted with himself when a rumbling nearly swept him from his feet.
Jar-lock swore and redoubled his attacks as Kaleb vented his Cybar. Sending a few blasts into the remaining cultists, he asked.
¡°Does that mean what I think it does?!¡±
¡°Yes! The portal¡¯s coming. Keep fighting. We may be able to mitigate the damage.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s entire party stepped up their speed as the rumbling and chanting seemed to merge into one noise. Kaleb was venting his pistol again and firing into the face of a humanoid alien when the chanting and the rumbling suddenly stopped. Then an unearthly screech echoed through the night and a blinding purple flash filled the area. Kaleb shielded his eyes and then blinked the spots away as he heard the others complaining and groaning. When his eyes were clear, Kaleb spun around and found himself face to face with a large black arch sticking out of the ground.
Jar-lock gave an audible sigh. ¡°Oh good, we stopped most of it.¡±
¡°Most of it? Son, that thing is twenty feet high!¡±
¡°Which means the larger demons can¡¯t come through.¡± Vivienne sighed.
Kaleb stared at the swirling purple magic that flared to life underneath the black arch. It was clearly a magical doorway into another realm. But this one felt all kinds of wrong to his senses. He had seen a few doorways like this, but never this color and never this big. Kaleb even thought the magic was swirling the wrong way.
¡°How do we close it?¡± Kaleb asked, turning to Jar-lock.
¡°We could break the archway. But the safest way would be to¡¡± Jar-lock trailed off as he stared into the purple portal. He glared at the purple magic for a few long seconds until he looked around for Vivienne.
¡°Vivi, is the magic swirling in the opposite direction?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Kaleb answered. ¡°At least compared to the other portals I¡¯ve seen. Is that like an evil portal thing? Like how some toilets go clockwise and others¡¡±
¡°RUN!¡± Jar-lock screamed, interrupting Kaleb.
Everyone hesitated for just a second too long, and that¡¯s when a wave of power exploded from the portal. Kaleb felt sick as the purple magic engulfed him. All around, he heard his friends shout in surprise and he watched as Jar-lock attempted to throw Vivienne clear of the oncoming wave. But it was fruitless. All of them were caught up in a wave of magic that picked them up, spun them around, and then sucked them toward the portal. Kaleb¡¯s last clear view was of the dark Texas sky being tinged purple as he was forced into a portal leading to a Demonic realm.
Chapter 146 - Sludge and Slime
Kaleb was flung out of the demon portal with speed. The cool night air of Texas was replaced with a humid and muggy heat that Kaleb would¡¯ve found comforting; if he wasn¡¯t sailing horizontally through the air of an unknown dimension. He barely had time to get his bearings though, as Kaleb hit the ground. He rolled for a short distance, trying to mitigate the damage. But he shouldn''t have worried.
The ground was soft and bits of it seemed to cling to him as he rolled. Slowing to a stop, Kaleb pulled himself to his feet and tried to look around. But the ground seemed to pull tight against him as he got up. Spinning, Kaleb saw long tendrils of black sludge hanging off his body. In fact, it was everywhere. He was even standing in a pool of black sludge that seemed to be sucking him under.
¡°Not good.¡± Kaleb said as he trudged through the sludge.
He was submerged up to his waist in a small pool of the black stuff. Thankfully, he could still touch the bottom with his feet. So all he had to do was forcefully drag himself out. The pool was surrounded by a large patch of grey dirt. The stuff was everywhere, pockmarked with more basins of black sludge. As Kaleb dragged himself out, he took a better look around. There were no trees, no grass, no animals that he could see. Just miles and miles of grey flatland and sludge. Sometimes the sludge would rise out of the pool and arch through the sky. Sometimes it would just simply bubble and belch gas bubbles into the air. What Kaleb did not see were his friends.
¡°Guys!?¡±
Kaleb¡¯s call echoed through the empty landscape as he pulled his feet free. The black sky was lit with a pale blue moon that cast even darker shadows across everything. Kaleb huffed and tried his ear comms, but all he got back was static. Spinning in place, he couldn¡¯t even make out the portal he had been flung through. Although he could see the large divots his body made as it rolled across the ground.
Kaleb cleaned himself the best he could and test-fired his weapons. The sludge clung to everything tightly. But it could be removed with concentrated effort. When he fired his Cybar and Sun Gun, the energy seemed to burn away the ooze. Leaving a horrid stench behind. The fire and lighting settings did the same with his Quad-Gun. The ice setting froze the stuff solid, creating a large icy block that had to be chipped off. But it was the best way to avoid the smell. The final wind setting was useless. It merely blew the sludge harshly in one direction. However, the stuff clung to Kaleb¡¯s pants like an unruly cat.
Once finished getting himself clean and taking care of his gear, Kaleb pointed himself toward where he thought the portal was and started walking. Occasionally, he would try to contact the others through the comms, but nothing worked. Instead, his attention had to frequently go toward the black geysers of sludge that seemed to angrily crisscross his path. They skipped over puddles of the ooze and seemed to belch forth just as he took another step forward. It was enough to make him think the stuff was alive. So, like any calm, cool, and collected person, Kaleb started freezing the pools as he walked. For science.
His quad-gun whirred and hummed with life as the energy from the power cell fed into the Elentian crystal and spat out a stream of freezing energy. The stream slammed into the black pools and flash-froze them in an instant. Kaleb wanted to whoop as the bubbling and churning from the pools stopped; along with the leaping geysers of sludge. He pulled the trigger multiple times as he walked, freezing various puddles of sludge, both big and small. With the power source the Quad-Gun currently had, Kaleb knew he could keep it up all day.
That is, until something slammed into his back, sending him face-first into the dirt. Kaleb felt long claws scratch down the back of his lab coat as he spun onto his back. Whatever had a hold of him held tight, even as he jammed his back onto the ground. Kaleb got to his feet and tried to yank his assailant off, but his hand slammed into the soft sludge. A gurgling, watery chuckle came from his left ear, and Kaleb pulled his hand back. The sludge held on for dear life, with some of it coming with Kaleb¡¯s hand. But most stayed attached to his back, still trying to claw its way through his lab coat.
An ominous hissing sound from his back told Kaleb that the blob of sentient sludge was actually doing some damage. Quick as he could, Kaleb got out of his lab coat and threw it to the ground. The bulbous ball of ooze was using two tentacles to batter and scratch at the back of his coat. With a wince, Kaleb sent a wave of cold liquid at the blob. It froze as the energy passed through it and turned from black to an icy blue, its tentacles raised to strike again. Kaleb kicked the blob off of his coat and into a nearby sludge pool.
He was putting his lab coat back on when the nearby pools of sludge started bubbling loudly. Kaleb spun back to the one he¡¯d kicked the blob into and froze it. But the other nearby pools kept up with the bubbling and hissing. Soon, more blobs pulled themselves from the dark pools. The sentient mass of sludge wobbled a bit upon making it to land, but then they started to form into small creatures. The viscous and oily blobs pulled themselves into slightly taller shapes. Kaleb wasn¡¯t ready to see what the final form would be, so he drew his Cybar and started firing.
Combined with the quad-gun, Kaleb froze and burned the ooze-creatures as they tried to pull themselves into shape. But there were too many of them. All around him, more and more sludge monsters were pulling themselves out and joining together. Even with the freeze ray and the Cybar, Kaleb was barely making a dent in their numbers. Soon the first of the blobs to pull themselves together raised itself up to its full height and gave Kaleb a watery hiss.
It was an oily, bubbling imp made of sludge. Barely three-feet tall and looking drippy, the thing spread its massive sludge-wings and tried to launch itself at Kaleb. But a blast of energy took one of the creature¡¯s wings off. Kaleb sighed as the creatures were still weak as ever, but now they were forming claws and growing more dense. Dozens of them were forming into different types of imps and creatures. Kaleb watched the sludge creatures for a short while, taking a few potshots until he had to vent his Cybar, and then he turned and ran.
More and more of the things were forming far faster than he could kill them. When his Cybar beeped, Kaleb spun around and started firing again. A wave of sludge creatures were coming after him, but with their sticky composition, they were thankfully pretty slow. Kaleb led them on a short chase back the way he had come. But as he moved, he realized that more pools were disgorging the sludglings onto the ground. Even the ones he froze were thawing out and started to shoot geysers into the air again. Kaleb groaned and switched the Quad-Gun to fire mode again.
When he came to his next stopping point and spun around to fire into the mass of creatures again, Kaleb let loose a wide fan of fire. Popping, hissing, and bubbling echoed into the sky as Kaleb held his nose against the smell. He even waved the weapon along the tops of some of the pools, setting them ablaze. It was a dangerous move, but one that proved highly effective. Even if his eyes were stinging from the fumes and the smell.
This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Large black clouds rose into the air as the bubbling sludge was burned away. Still, Kaleb could see waves of the creatures trying to pull themselves from the fire. The tip of the quad-gun¡¯s fire barrel was cherry red and Kaleb let it hang at his side as he used his Cybar. The nearby basins of ooze were still producing little sludglings, but it was taking them a while to form. Kaleb used the time to gather his breath and look around.
The landscape was still flat and full of sludge pools. Nothing had changed. In fact, Kaleb believed he was back where he had started. With a groan of annoyance, Kaleb picked another random direction and started moving. Occasionally he would turn and deal with the things chasing him, but mostly he focused on the world. There had to be something within the dimension to help him get back home. Not to mention, he still hadn¡¯t run into anyone yet.
¡°HELP!¡±
A familiar voice pierced Kaleb¡¯s train of thought as he ran. He skidded to a stop and listened, but the voice had gone quiet. He sent a casual blast of fire behind him as he spun in place, searching for the voice again. It came as the flame from his quad-gun lit up the dark sky. Turning toward it, Kaleb found who he was looking for after another quick run.
¡°Abby?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Who the fuck do you think it is?! Get me down!¡±
Kaleb stared at the short woman as she was held spread eagle between two large posts made of sludge. They rose out of a massive sludge pit and she was hung suspended over it. Her hoodie was gone and the black sludge was creeping across her body. Almost fully encasing her. As the ooze reached her cheek, she gave another cry.
¡°Do something!¡±
¡°Why can¡¯t you do something? Can¡¯t you... shadow... yourself out?¡±
All he got back was an angry look as the ooze crept across Abby¡¯s face. Kaleb sighed and pointed his Quad-Gun at the solid pillar of ooze holding Abby up. With a pull on the trigger, the pillar was quickly engulfed in flames and slowly burning away. Clouds of noxious and disgusting gas rose into the air, but Kaleb had to turn around and deal with his ever-present crowd of sludge creatures. They were still chasing him.
He sent more Cybar shots their way as he burned down the second pillar holding Abby up. As the fire got to the strands of sludge holding her, Abby began to twist and turn. The harsh movements broke the tethers of sludge holding her and she fell toward the large pool at the bottom. Kaleb took a running start and jumped to catch her, but Abby disappeared as his arms tried to grab her. He slid to a stop on the other side of the pool as Abby shadow-walked out of the ground behind him. She was sparkling clean again, all the sludge removed from her body now.
¡°See! If you could do that, what the hell was I needed for!?¡±
¡°I obviously couldn¡¯t while I was being held. The moment I was free, I could use the skill again.¡±
¡°What the fuck kind of sense does that make?¡±
Abby shrugged as she summoned her two shadow blades. A small army of sludglings was still barreling down on them. The small woman in black snorted as she turned to look at Kaleb.
¡°What the hell have you been doing to piss off this many demons?¡±
¡°Walking¡ I was walking. This damn entire dimension is full of assholes, though.¡±
Kaleb sent several shots into the horde. The blue energy burned their bodies into clouds of gas, and Kaleb sent more on their way as Abby readied herself. Suddenly, the short woman was standing next to him with her hand out, her shadow blades gone. Kaleb sent a wave of fire at the creatures as Abby mumbled something.
¡°What?¡±
¡°..ive .e ..ne.¡±
Kaleb stopped his flame-thrower as he turned to look at the shorter woman.
¡°Give me a gun, please!¡±
Kaleb blinked in confusion. ¡°What?¡±
¡°My blades fucking suck against these things. I cut them and they just fucking reform. That¡¯s how I got caught. Now hurry and give me a gun.¡±
Kaleb looked at his Cybar and Quad-Gun and tried to decide. Abby huffed.
¡°I know you have two more. Just give me the silver one that shoots sunlight or whatever.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes and threw his Cybar at her. ¡°That one¡¯s stronger. You got twelve shots until you have to vent it. The vent switch is on the side.¡±
Abby nodded and then turned to start rapid-firing into the sludgling wave. They were picking up speed now, and Kaleb backed away. The nearby puddles started to pop and hiss as more creatures pulled themselves to shore. Kaleb swore under his breath and set fire to a few pools before grabbing Abby by the arm.
¡°We need to go.¡±
¡°Where?¡±
¡°Like I fucking know. But we need to find the others.¡±
¡°Just keep setting shit on fire. They¡¯ll find us. I was heading your way when those damn tentacles grabbed me.¡±
Kaleb nodded and started setting the nearby pools of sludge on fire. He and Abby did their best to keep out of the smoke. But between her killing sludge monsters and him burning everything, that was getting tricky. But the number of creatures coming for them was getting smaller. The pools farther away were still churning out monsters, but Abby was becoming a better shot pretty quickly.
Kaleb was setting a fifth pool on fire when a green missile slammed into the mass of black sludge. Claire swung her arms out in wide circles as she spun, creating a vortex of punches that sent the sludge creatures reeling. The move was quickly followed by several blasts from Two Gun¡¯s energy pistols. Abby was a decent shot, but Two Gun was a damn artist. Every energy bolt seemed to find the one spot on the sludge creature that made them collapse into a puddle instead of slowly burning away.
¡°Hiya, lovelies!¡± Claire shouted over the crackling fires and bubbling pools. ¡°Did you need a hand?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t. But Abby- Urk!¡± Kaleb doubled over as his own gun was jammed into his side.
¡°We¡¯re both fine. Have you found the others?¡±
Two Gun nodded. ¡°Jar and Vivienne are over by the castle, trying to get it open. Mass and Dead are giving them cover.¡±
¡°Castle?!¡± Abby and Kaleb said together.
¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a castle up that way a bit. You can¡¯t quite see it from here because of all the sludgy architecture. But we can get you back there. It¡¯ll be safer than here, that¡¯s for sure.¡±
Kaleb swept his fan of flames across an area. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡±
¡°Son, this shit is corrosive, remember? You haven¡¯t been playing in it, have you?¡±
Kaleb checked his body over. Everything seemed fine and still in one place. Abby was looking him over as well as he turned back to Two Gun.
¡°I seem okay. The stuff only got on my lab coat. Aside from a quick unwanted dip in the stuff, I¡¯ve been fine.¡±
¡°I lost my favorite black hoodie.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t all your hoodies black, Captain Edgelord?¡±
¡°It¡¯s COMMANDER Edgelord to you, iguana. And that one was special.¡±
Kaleb shook his head and shrugged his shoulders as Claire beat another sludge creature into paste.
¡°So, what¡¯s in the castle? Demon Lord? Exit out of here? Amazing riches?¡±
Two Gun chuckled as he fired a shot without looking. ¡°I¡¯m hoping for all three. But Jar says that the place is a ¡®nexus of arcane energies.¡¯ Whatever that means. So it has to be important.¡±
¡°Not to mention it¡¯s the only structure we have found for miles.¡± Claire added. ¡°If you don¡¯t count the sludge art pieces.¡±
¡°So, off to a demon castle to defeat the evil king and steal his riches?¡±
¡°Yep, and let¡¯s hurry. This smell is going to kill me.¡±
Kaleb nodded as the four of them rushed off. He followed Claire and Two Gun. Along the way, they took potshots at the nearby sludge pits. Kaleb even set a few more on fire out of spite. But as they ran, the pits became less and less prevalent. The grey ground was starting to show signs of black grass growing in odd places. And in the distance, a dark, slimy-looking castle appeared. Under the pale blue moonlight, the castle almost seemed to move and wriggle.
Kaleb blanched, ¡°Oh hell no.¡±
¡°Yep.¡± Two Gun said, way too happy. ¡°Welcome to the Sludge Castle.¡±
¡°~They¡¯ve got blood and pain~¡± Claire sang as she happily bounded forward.
Kaleb groaned as he checked his Quad-Gun. He was sure he was going to be setting that whole place on fire soon.
Chapter 147 - Your Demon is in Another Castle
They ran to the base of the castle where Jar-lock and Vivienne were pondering the castle¡¯s gate. Mass and D34d-I were keeping watch. The massive muscular alien gave them a wave as they approached while D34d-I merely nodded. Kaleb scanned the pulsing, slimy castle as they approached.
It was a beast of a square castle with a large black sludge wall surrounding it. At its center was the keep that rose above the outer wall. It looked just as slimy as the rest of the place. Each of the four points of the square of the outer wall had its own tower. The keep itself had two more towers built on either end of it. Kaleb stared at it as Claire and Two Gun spoke to the others.
¡°You were right, the smoke was the Professor setting shit on fire.¡±
¡°Although Abby was helping him.¡±
Jar-lock turned away from the castle gate and smiled. ¡°Was it working?¡±
Kaleb raised an eyebrow. ¡°Have you not been fighting sludge creatures your whole way here?¡±
Vivienne and Jar-lock shook their heads. ¡°We were dumped right outside this castle and haven¡¯t moved.¡±
*Quack*
¡°Mass and I were thrown clear on the other side of the castle. But we didn¡¯t see any sludge monsters on our way here.¡±
¡°Two Gun and I had to fight a few of the things and some moving trees. But nothing like you two were facing.¡±
Kaleb and Abby shared an aggrieved look before Kaleb explained. ¡°Fire and Ice seem to work best. Energy blasts will eat away at the corrosive sludge and Claire seems strong enough to obliterate them with a punch. But you have to be careful, the suckers are sticky and surprisingly tough if they get a hold of you. Had one latch onto my back and try to claw me up. But I don¡¯t think the sludge could solidify enough.¡±
Jar-lock gave him a once over. ¡°Did none of your stuff corrode from the slime?¡±
¡°My hoodie did.¡±
¡°But none of my stuff has. I was even submerged up to my waist in a spawning pool of the stuff. But nothing happened.¡±
Jar-lock nodded and then turned back to the gate. The large sludgy facsimile of a wooden gate was pulsing and dripping with ooze as they watched. Kaleb was wondering what the problem was when Two Gun asked.
¡°Have you figured out a way to open it yet?¡±
¡°We were waiting for you and the others. But Jar thinks we can freeze it and crack it open. And with the Professor¡¯s intel about the slime, that seems to be the best option.¡±
¡°So, what are we waiting for?¡±
¡°There¡¯s a presence inside the keep.¡± Jar-lock said simply.
Kaleb crossed his arms and waited. Jar-lock would explain, but he¡¯d have to drag his mind out of his own thoughts. When he did, he shook off whatever he¡¯d been thinking about and turned to address the others.
¡°I don¡¯t think the presence is demonic, though. There¡¯s something here, but I can¡¯t put my finger on what it is.¡±
¡°So where¡¯s the corrosion demon the gang was trying to summon, then?¡± Claire asked.
¡°Probably near the gate we were flung through. They would want their army ready and waiting to cross over.¡±
¡°So we need to hurry.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°They could be crossing through the gate right now!¡±
¡°No, they couldn¡¯t. We fucked up the spell, remember? So instead of the portal dragging things from this demonic realm back to earth. The spell now drags things from earth to here.¡±
¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t sound good either.¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t, but at least on the other side, the cops can handle the portal. All they need are some smart mages, and they¡¯ll be able to tell that the gate is going the wrong way.¡±
¡°So what¡¯s our plan, then? Castle raid, and then we put this realm¡¯s demon into a pain cage?¡± Abby grinned.
¡°No. We need to leave. This is the Demon¡¯s realm. His own personal kingdom. Depending on how strong he is, he probably knows everything happening here. But¡¡± Jar-lock glanced back at the castle.
Two Gun laughed. ¡°But a castle is just too juicy to pass up, right?¡±
¡°Please don¡¯t say juicy when it comes to this damn castle. It¡¯s gross enough already.¡± Kaleb asked.
The others all chuckled and stared back at the large, black castle. Kaleb guessed they were each making the same calculation. How fast could they rob a demon¡¯s castle? He figured they could rush in, find whatever was tripping Jar-lock¡¯s magic sensor, and get out with no problems. When he said as much, Jar-lock and Vivienne shared a look.
¡°We could. But the source of magic within the castle is powerful. If we take it, the demon is going to notice and be on us.¡±
¡°Is the source a person?¡± Abby asked.
Vivienne winced as she nodded slowly. ¡°It¡¯s likely.¡±
¡°Well then, we are going in then, right?¡± Claire said.
¡°If we leave, we can escape back to our plane and close the gate. No demon and no problems. But if we go for the castle, we are going to have to fight the demon. In his realm, with his army at his beck and call.¡±
¡°Well, if the demon is at the portal thing, anyway. We¡¯d have to fight him there, too. Besides, I know none of us are going to leave an innocent thing trapped in a demon¡¯s castle.¡±
Jar-lock waggled his head noncommittally. ¡°We don¡¯t know if whatever is in there is innocent. It could just as well be a trap.¡±
Vivienne sighed. ¡°Jar, you know that whatever it is doesn¡¯t feel the same!¡±
¡°Besides,¡± Said Kaleb, drawing his Quad-Gun and setting it to ice. ¡°How are we going to come to a demonic realm and not plunder a demon castle? That¡¯s like Gaming 101.¡±
With that, Kaleb shot a stream of ice cold energy straight into the large gate. The black sludge froze, turning from black to a pale blue as the cold spread across its surface. When it was done, Kaleb released the trigger and turned to Claire. He waved her to the gate politely, and she gave a small curtsy of thanks before moving toward the gate. One massively strong punch later, there was a large hole in the sludge gate as cracked chunks of frozen sludge spread out everywhere.
¡°This is a bad idea.¡± Jar-lock sighed.
¡°And yet, you can¡¯t stop yourself, can you?¡± Abby chuckled as they all slowly entered the bailey.
Kaleb kept his Quad-Gun up as he swept the large open area in front of the castle¡¯s keep. There wasn¡¯t much inside the castle¡¯s walls except for the keep itself and a large two-story rectangular building along one wall. Two Gun nodded at the building, his gun¡¯s poised and ready as well.
¡°That¡¯ll be the barracks. But if the demon is out, that means he probably took his retinue, right?¡±
¡°Sure, but why wouldn¡¯t he leave a guard?¡± Jar-lock wondered.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°Arrogance? Who can say? Let¡¯s get into the main keep and look around, though. Castles mean treasure, and treasure is just another name for loot.¡± Kaleb chuckled as he hurried across the grey dirt bailey.
The keep was the same living slime that made up everything. But as Kaleb put his hand to the door and swung it open, he noticed that the sludge wasn¡¯t sticking to him. It still left a slimy feeling on his hand, but it was a much more solid kind of sludge. Jar-lock seemed to also notice the unique properties of the slime.
¡°We should take some of this.¡± The big mage said as he examined the keep¡¯s walls.
¡°Jar, you know that¡¯s basically the demon¡¯s body, right? I mean, it¡¯s been detached and empowered with magic. But it¡¯s still essentially demon flesh.¡±
¡°And wouldn¡¯t you like to study it?¡±
Vivienne looked torn between intellectual curiosity and absolute disgust. Jar-lock produced a small glass beaker from his robes and scraped some of the sludge into it. Kaleb sighed as he realized he wasn¡¯t the one that would have to examine the stuff. Jar-lock seemed more than happy to do it. Once the big guy was done, Kaleb lead them into the keep.
The first floor of the keep was just a wide open foyer with a staircase leading up to a second floor. There were rooms on either side and with no orders given, the group broke up and explored. Kaleb and Abby swung around the base of the stairs and found a hallway leading to either end of the keep, along with a doorway built beneath the stairs.
Jar-lock and Vivienne reported finding a dining room full of inedible and gross-looking food. Claire and Two Gun found a sitting room and an office. Mass and D34d-I went upstairs, but were staying quiet. Kaleb gave Abby and then the door beneath the stairs a significant look. She looked a little pensive, but then nodded slowly.
¡°We¡¯re heading to the basement!¡± Kaleb shouted as he moved to the door.
¡°Wait! We shouldn¡¯t get too far apart with our comms down¡ again.¡±
¡°Hey, next time, how about you build them?¡±
Kaleb scowled as they were joined by Jar-lock and Vivienne. Two Gun and Claire went to join the upstairs team as Kaleb opened the basement door, glancing through it. A dark tunnel of slimy sludge met their eyes. A steep wriggling staircase seemed to promise danger as Kaleb glanced at his friends. Jar-lock was intense but ready. Vivienne looked disgusted, and Abby was excited. She clutched Kaleb¡¯s gun tight in her hand and waved for him to go first.
¡°Give me some light, yeah?¡±
Vivienne answered by casting an orb of light into the air. It followed Kaleb as he descended the staircase into the dark. The walls seemed to drip and pulse with slime, and the sound got louder as Kaleb hit the bottom of the stairs. He looked around, but the basement was so dark, he could barely see anything. The light from the orb seemed to be devoured by the darkness and Kaleb barely had three feet around him that he could see. He was turning to explain things to the others when he lost his footing.
It felt like the ground gave out beneath him as he spun. He was tilting backwards as Abby rushed to grab him. She seized his robotic arm and started to pull him straight when the ground gave way under her this time. The two of them went tumbling backwards. Kaleb on his back and Abby on top of Kaleb. The ride was quick, but harsh, as they slammed into a cushion of slime and bounced roughly into the air. Kaleb scanned his surrounding as he asked.
¡°You good?¡±
¡°Yeah, but your armor hurts like hell,¡± Abby complained.
¡°Then get up already.¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±
Abby pushed against Kaleb¡¯s chest and rolled off, revealing that Vivienne¡¯s light ball had followed them down. Kaleb pulled himself to his feet and noticed that the light ball was working much better down here. He could see every corner of the large square room. It was mostly empty, and as Kaleb spun around, he realized that the light wasn¡¯t coming from Vivienne¡¯s ball. And the slide they had come down was gone. Ignoring the unknown source of light, Kaleb shouted up at the sludgy ceiling.
¡°Jar! Viv! We are in a sub-basement or something! If you can hear me, give a shout!¡±
A muffled shout could be heard through the ceiling of the room. But Kaleb couldn¡¯t make out words. He was going to try to shout louder when Abby tapped his shoulder aggressively. He turned to see the short, dark-haired woman looking behind him in wonder. Kaleb turned to see what she was staring at and found the source of light in the room. He felt his jaw drop and his throat seize slightly.
Above them, the ceiling turned frosty blue and then broke apart as Vivienne and Jar-lock fell next to them. The muscular mage caught himself and scanned the room immediately as Vivienne rushed to Kaleb and Abby. She checked them for injuries as they stared at the only other occupant in the room.
¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± Kaleb asked.
Jar-lock and Vivienne spun to see what he was looking at as Abby nodded.
¡°I think so. That¡¯s a fucking angel.¡±
The angel-like creature was suspended in the air and strung up between two pillars. It¡¯s body wrapped in a cocoon of sludge. Their wings were spread out between the pillars strings and tethers of sludge spreading each feather out wide. The state of the poor creature¡¯s wings was atrocious, and Vivienne gasped as she examined it from afar. She tried to rush toward it to help, but Jar-lock stopped her.
¡°It could be a trap.¡±
¡°Then we spring the trap and deal with it!¡± Kaleb said as he moved around Jar-lock and Vivienne.
He held up his quad-gun and pointed it at one of the pillars. He froze a section of the large pillar of sludge and then punched his robotic arm into the ice. The pillar cracked and fell, making the angel¡¯s wing swing downward. Jar-lock took care of the second pillar with a spear of ice and Abby and Vivienne moved to help the creature. They caught it before it could hit the ground, but as they disconnected the strings of sludge from its body, the castle rumbled.
Kaleb and Jar-lock stood guard and waited. But nothing else happened as the rumbling slowed and eventually stopped. Abby and Vivienne tore away the sludgy cocoon and pulled the androgynous-looking angel up. The angel looked young to Kaleb. They were probably younger than Roy, if that¡¯s how angel¡¯s ages worked. He was studying the angel-like creature when Jar-lock swore loudly.
¡°Shit! The walls are turning watery!¡±
¡°What?¡± Kaleb asked, confused.
¡°I think the angel was keeping the castle solid. It¡¯s collapsing!¡±
Kaleb spun and took in the room. The light coming off the angel was enough for Kaleb to see that Jar-lock was right. The room was slowly melting as the sludge lost its firmness. He moved to grab the alien, but Vivienne slapped his hands away.
¡°We can¡¯t move them! They¡¯re hurt. I think they¡¯ve been tortured.¡±
¡°We are all going to be hurt if this sludge falls on top of us. We need to get out. Now!¡±
Vivienne bit her lip as her hands glowed blue. ¡°Just give me a few seconds to stabilize them! Please!¡±
Kaleb growled low in his throat as he turned and started freezing a wall with his quad-gun. He held down the trigger until the barrel turned blue and then stopped. As he waited for the barrel to heat up, he watched Jar-lock throw blasts of freezing wind at the three other walls. The sludge was growing more solid, but it was just as quickly melting like cheese. The walls and ceiling gurgled and belched as air escaped the sludgy mass. Kaleb focused on freezing what he could as Vivienne did her healing. Abby glanced around as she held the angel¡¯s head elevated.
¡°We still don¡¯t have a way out!¡±
Kaleb nodded at the wall that he had been keeping frozen. ¡°Jar-lock, give me a grenade spell on my wall. Abby, use the Cybar to keep the sludge back. Vivienne, I hope they are ready to move because we don¡¯t have time.¡±
The ceiling was drooping down on them. Even as Jar-lock tried to keep the room cold. Vivienne answered Kaleb by wrapping an arm under the angel¡¯s wings and lifting them up. Abby hurried to help as Jar-lock wedged a rock containing an explosive spell into Kaleb¡¯s frozen wall. The magic grenade went off and a giant hole appeared in the wall. Kaleb ran through first as Abby fired at the edges of the hole, keeping the sludge back.
As a group, they ran into the next room and repeated the procedure again. In the next room over, Jar-lock found stairs leading up, and they rushed up the stairs. The girls let Jar-lock carry the angel on his back as they rushed up the stairs and into the kitchens pantry. Now on the ground floor, Kaleb found the nearest window and froze it before throwing his body, robot arm first, through the window. Abby, Vivienne and then Jar-lock followed them as they exited the keep on its right side and rushed around toward the gate.
Mass, Claire, and the others were there, looking harried but okay as the castle melted away around them. The bailey they were standing in was free of sludge, so they stayed put as Jar-lock gently put the angel on the ground. D34d-I squawked in surprise as Claire and Two Gun winced at the state of the poor angel. Kaleb agreed. In the dark of the basement and the rush to get out, Kaleb hadn¡¯t realized how hurt the poor thing was. Its wings were almost plucked clean of feathers and its body was almost grey and discolored. Their dark black hair was messy and full of tangles.
¡°What the hell did y¡¯all do?¡± Two Gun asked as the castle melted around them loudly.
¡°We stole an angel from a demon castle.¡± Kaleb said simply as he stared down at the angel.
Two Gun nodded as Claire asked. ¡°The Demon will not like that, will he?¡±
¡°No. No, he most certainly will not.¡± Jar-lock sighed. ¡°The demon was siphoning Holy Mana from the Angel like a battery. I think that¡¯s why the castle was fairly solid.¡±
¡°So he tortured an angel to keep his castle solid?¡±
¡°Not completely. The demon was probably doing something else with them. Maybe trying to channel its power and pervert it?¡±
*Quack*
¡°I think we will get to ask it soon.¡±
D34d-I had his pistols in two of his hands as he nodded at the collapsing castle walls. As the black sludge walls fell to the ground, Kaleb could see a swarm of sludge creatures on the other side. The Corrosion Demon must have noticed his castle melting and marched his forces back. Now they were surrounding the castle. Hundreds of sludge monsters of various sizes screeched and babbled at them as the walls came down. Kaleb spotted a massive mound of sludge in the crowd of sludge monsters and watched as it momentarily pulled itself together. A large maw formed on its bulbous side and it roared angrily and incoherently at them.
¡°That would be the Corrosion Demon.¡± Jar-lock sighed.
¡°What? That mound of pus is the big bad?¡± Two Gun asked as he held his pistols ready.
¡°Don¡¯t underestimate it. It¡¯s a demon in its own realm with an army at its back.¡±
¡°And we have to defend an injured angel.¡±
¡°Just another day in the life of a Super Hero.¡± Kaleb chuckled.
The last of the castle walls fell into pools of sludge and the Corrosion Demon finished its roar. The massive army of sludge creatures pulsed with renewed energy and then charged. Kaleb and his friends readied themselves as the demonic army barreled down on them.
Chapter 148 - Army Of Dark Sludge
¡°That¡¯s a shit-load of critters.¡± Two Gun said, firing off both of his pistols into the crowd.
The blue bolts streaked across the gray landscape and fried two sludgy imps rushing their way. D34d-I pulled his own rifle from his back as Jar-lock and Vivienne got their magic ready. Kaleb threw Abby his sun gun and deployed Shocky as he swapped his Quad-gun to lightning. Off in the distance, the Corrosion Demon roared as its army charged closer.
¡°We ignoring the adds and charging?¡± Kaleb asked as he sent a bolt of lightning into the oncoming horde.
The bolt bounced between three sludge creatures before it went out. Kaleb tsked as he had expected more.
¡°You always deal with the adds first, Prof.¡± Abby said, firing wildly.
¡°That¡¯s when you''re fighting a few dozen. Not a damn army.¡± Claire complained.
She and Mass were standing back, waiting for the right moment. The army was getting closer, and that¡¯s when the two bruisers would shine. Mass was happily dancing on the spot as he seemed to sight up his first target.
¡°Mass and Claire can be on the adds. Viv and I will handle the CC so the rest of you can charge the big bad.¡±
Kaleb shrugged at Jar-lock¡¯s plan. ¡°It¡¯s as good an idea as any.¡±
¡°Just in time, cause the sumbitches are here!¡±
Kaleb swapped his gun to ice and held down the trigger as a wave of sludge monsters threw themselves at him. His friends gave their own shouts, and he heard two loud thumps as Mass and Claire took to the air. Colors flared as Jar-lock and Vivienne started throwing out large AOE spells and Abby disappeared from Kaleb¡¯s view.
Kaleb jumped back as his gun sent sheets of ice into the army of sludge monsters clawing at him. Alongside his own pale blue sheet of fire was Two Gun¡¯s own bright blue laser as they tore through the frozen creatures. D34d-I¡¯s rifle joined in the tumult as more and more monsters were frozen by Kaleb¡¯s gun. But the things were relentless.
They threw themselves over the frozen bodies of their compatriots as Kaleb continued to backpedal. Two Gun and D34d-I joined him in a running fight against the oncoming horde as Claire and Mass slammed into the roiling sea of bodies from above. A rain of fire fell from above as Jar-lock raised his hands to the sky and Vivienne shot bright bolts of mana into anyone who got too close. Abby was helping provide cover for Jar-lock and the two tanks were drawing the larger part of the horde to them. So Kaleb turned to the two men with him.
¡°I¡¯m making a run for the Blob, y¡¯all in?¡±
¡°It¡¯s about time! I was worried we were going to keep doing circles!¡±
*Quack*
¡°Hurry!¡±
D34d-I¡¯s curt command was all Kaleb needed as he turned his gun to the few creatures still crowding them. With a wave of his gun, he froze them in their tracks and charged forward. He put Shocky up and rammed into the frozen statues with his robotic arm and shield. They shattered as he rammed through them as Two Gun and D34d-I provided cover.
It took Kaleb a second to reorient himself on the battlefield. But the large bulbous blob was easy to see from afar. So he pointed himself that way and kept his trigger finger down. The gun was growing colder in his hands, though, and Kaleb really didn¡¯t want to lose another arm to a shoddy weapon. After slamming his way through two more ice statues, Kaleb cut the power to his quad gun and let it rest a second.
Two bolts from Two Gun¡¯s pistols fried a sludge panther that leapt at Kaleb. Meanwhile, D34d-I¡¯s rifle created a large hole in a badger that was about to charge. As the badger reformed, Kaleb swapped barrels to fire and swept his gun across everything. The little beasts went up in flames and Kaleb had to swing wide around the crackling and bubbling pools of melting sludge.
Jar-lock¡¯s magic still rained down from the sky, but it seemed to be avoiding them as they got within shooting distance of the Corrosion demon. It looked like a large black slime from fantasy games. Except more drippy and disgusting. Kaleb kept the throng of creatures back as Two Gun let loose with his own weapons.
A large sludgy cat leapt at Kaleb and he caught it on Shocky. The beast was still on fire and the heat made Kaleb lurch backwards. Two Gun was still firing into the massive blobs side as D34d-I had all four hands shooting weapons at various sludge monsters. Clouds of noxious gas rose in the sky and Kaleb was forced to swap back to ice.
¡°I¡¯m pissing in a lake here.¡± Two Gun swore as he started firing at the adds again. ¡°Every one of my shots is eaten by that thing, like they were raspberry gumdrops.¡±
*Quack*
¡°You have to be doing some damage!¡± D34d-I said as he used the butt of his rifle on a sludge monster to minimal effect.
Kaleb froze the bottom of the sludge cat-monster and broke its legs out from under it. As the black slime dripped off his arm, he cleared them some space with his freeze ray and looked at the Corrosion demon. It was still an amorphous blob just sitting there burbling and, occasionally, roaring. Kaleb saw that every now and again, a sludge imp would crawl out of the thing¡¯s side.
¡°Shit! How long has it been doing that?!¡± Kaleb asked.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
¡°Since I started shooting at it.¡±
¡°We need to tell the others that the boss is an add-spawner. We need to focus damage on it.¡±
*Quack*
¡°They have their own problems.¡±
Kaleb looked down at the duck to see him waving a gun back to where the castle once stood. Jar-lock, Vivienne and Abby were surrounded and killing sludge creatures by the dozens. But Kaleb knew that the two magic users couldn¡¯t keep that up. Meanwhile, Abby was still relying on Kaleb¡¯s guns to kill the sludge monsters. Across from them, their two bruisers were practically buried in a sea of black tar. Green and pink arms were visible under the mass of monsters, but they were fighting a losing battle.
¡°Fuck! We got to get to Claire and Mass! They are overrun.¡±
Two Gun was already moving toward his wife as Kaleb finished speaking. The old cowboy¡¯s pistols flared with blue light as his super-fast hands killed everything in his way. Kaleb and D34d-I followed along, freezing and shooting everything. It was a long jog toward the pair of super-strong heroes. But with the way they were still struggling under the mass of sludgy creatures, Kaleb figured they weren¡¯t too late.
Taking aim at the two lumps of black sludge that were his friends, Kaleb froze them both. Two Gun and D34d-I shot off the surrounding monsters as Claire and Mass punched their way out.
¡°Mass no like!¡±
¡°Yes, that was quite disagreeable.¡±
Bits of their clothes were melting away and Kaleb could see spots on Claire and Mass¡¯s skin that were red and raw from the creature¡¯s caustic effects. Two Gun did a quick scan of his wife before he nodded in satisfaction. D34d-I did the same for Mass, but the big alien¡¯s wounds were already healing even as he swung his massive arm through more sludge creatures.
¡°I take it things didn¡¯t go as planned?¡± Claire asked.
¡°The boss is spawning in creatures. We need to make an end-run at the boss and forego the adds.¡±
¡°Well then, let¡¯s gather up the mages and get to it!¡±
Two Gun started firing again and Kaleb could see the twin barrels of the cowboys guns glowing a faint red. The Ifrit bone barrels should¡¯ve been enough to keep up with the super reflexes of the cowboy. But maybe they were reaching the end of their rope? Kaleb pushed that thought aside as their group rushed toward the center of what would¡¯ve been the old bailey. Jar-lock and Vivienne were still throwing around explosive magic, but they let up as Kaleb and the others approached.
Jar-lock gave them a quizzical look as they fought their way forward. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°The boss is just spawning adds and we don¡¯t have the damage output to make a dent in the damn thing.¡±
¡°It¡¯s going to take all of us,¡± Kaleb added.
Jar-lock was sweating from the exertion of using his magic and Vivienne¡¯s and Abby¡¯s eyes were red from the cloud of smoke that was everywhere. The big mage gave them a nod of acceptance as he focused his arms together and then raised them up high, palms open. A sphere of earth was yanked from the ground and Jar-lock hurled it forward with a push of his arms. The boulder gathered more chunks of ground as it rolled, growing bigger and squashing anything that got in its path.
Claire and Mass followed in the boulders wake, clearing a path for the others. Kaleb followed along as he saw Abby pick up the forgotten angel. The creature was still unconscious and looked to be in terrible shape. Thankfully, its emaciated form seemed to make it easier for Abby to keep up with the rolling boulder. As the large rock grew bigger and their path became more clear, Kaleb rushed forward and swapped his gun back to fire.
¡°Make a hole!¡±
Kaleb called as he rushed toward Claire and Mass¡¯s backs. The two were in the front, pushing aside and sludge creatures that got close or survived the boulder. Both of them heeded his warning and cleared a space just as he sent a gout of fire straight into Jar-lock¡¯s boulder. The fire clung to the dirt without burning itself out. Soon the giant boulder was a flaming ball aimed right at the still stationary Demon.
The boulder collided with the Corrosion Demon and the thing ate it with a wet squelch. The flames on the boulder licked at the slimy exterior of the demon and seemed to shrink it slightly. But soon the boulder was absorbed, and the fire was extinguished. Left in its place was a still roiling and bubbling blob of black goo.
The rest of the party broke off to attack the blob as Kaleb sent a wave a fire at the adds that were pushing toward them. Wet thwacks could be heard as Claire and Mass punched the blob and Two Gun and D34d-I opened fire all around. Vivienne drank a blue potion as Jar-lock summoned a wall of fire right on top of the massive blob. But nothing they did seemed to work, at least not at first.
¡°It¡¯s shrinking!¡± Jar-lock called over the cacophony.
Claire jumped back and wiped the sludge off her knuckles. ¡°It¡¯s not us, it¡¯s the fire! Turn up the heat!¡±
She and Mass turned away from the boss and flung themselves back into the adds as Kaleb and Jar-lock sent waves of flame into the massive Demon''s sides. It roared and wriggled against the flames. But it was shrinking as they burned more of it off. The others of their party formed a ring around Jar-lock and Kaleb as they blasted the big bad with as much fire as they could muster. Kaleb noted the angel was also in the protective half-circle that his friends had created. He thought he saw the angel¡¯s chest move under its mottled gray toga. But he waved that away as the Demon got smaller.
Soon the Demon was as big as Mass, then it shrunk down to Claire¡¯s size, then shrunk down into an oblong cocoon that turned gray as they burned it. Kaleb¡¯s quad-gun heated up in his hands, so he cut the flame and stood back. His reptilian skin didn¡¯t allow him to sweat, so being this close to flame was making Kaleb uncomfortable and grouchy. But the fact that they were winning helped ease his discomfort.
The gray cocoon wasn¡¯t shrinking anymore and Jar-lock¡¯s flames were sticking to the thing like glue. So the big wizard shut off the tap and looked around. Kaleb joined him as he realized the sounds of the army of Sludge creatures were gone. All around them, the gray earth was full of small puddles of black goo. Kaleb was in time to see several sludge imps melt away in front of his very eyes.
His party panted and wheezed as the gray cloud of sludge irritated their eyes and lungs. Kaleb coughed a bit as he spun around. Still alert for any danger. D34d-I reloaded his guns as Jar-lock drank his own mana potion. Abby threw Kaleb his Sun Gun, and he saw it was already depleted. She held onto his Cybar and Kaleb briefly thought about making a side-arm for everyone. But he didn¡¯t let the thought take hold.
¡°That¡¯s not it, is it?¡± Kaleb asked as he rotated his Quad-gun to ice again.
¡°Fuck no! I¡¯d want my money back if that was the boss fight.¡± Two Gun complained.
Claire huffed. ¡°YOU weren¡¯t buried in sludge. I¡¯m pretty sure I swallowed some of the stuff.¡±
¡°Icky!¡± Mass shouted in agreement.
¡°There¡¯s going to be a phase two, for sure.¡± Jar-lock said. ¡°Did you see that cocoon?¡±
Kaleb looked at the pillar of fire that was currently covering said cocoon. ¡°You mean the on-fire remnant of the sludge monster? Yeah, we can all see it. But it¡¯s not doing anything.¡±
He tensed as he watched the fire. Careful not to be caught unaware. But what happened next was too fast for Kaleb to see. All he had time to hear was the sound of a loud crack coming from the pillar of fire. Then a long, black tentacle of sludge shot out and grabbed Kaleb by the head. He heard Two Gun get off two shots before he was slammed headfirst into the ground and everything went black. Phase two had begun.
Chapter 149 - Sacrifice To The Demon Sludge
Kaleb snapped awake almost instantly. The sounds of fighting and shouting penetrated his ears past the overwhelming pain in his face. To be honest, he was surprised that he was alive. The boss monster had slammed him to the ground like a toy. Sitting up and looking around, Kaleb saw he was laying next to the injured angel as his friends were off fighting. The grey angel¡¯s chest still rose and fell softly.
Next to Kaleb was his Quad-gun, and he picked it up as he climbed to his feet. Off in the distance, Clair and Mass were squared up against a seven-foot tall humanoid sludge monster. Its arms and legs were pillars of sludge that shot out in any direction it pointed. Its head was a small dome that sat between its massive shoulders. Fireballs, ice spears, and laser blasts all hit the boss as it swung its giant arms into Mass and Claire.
There were no more adds, the smaller creatures were gone. Now all his group had to contend with was a sludge monster that seemed to tank every one of their hits. Claire and Mass would occasionally slam their fists into the boss, but their hands would come away covered in goop. Even Vivienne''s and Jar-lock¡¯s attempts to freeze and burn the thing were stymied. The boss monster was absorbing almost everything they threw at it. A fact that made Kaleb stop before entering the battle.
He winced as his head throbbed, but still he shouted. ¡°How long has it been absorbing shit?!¡±
¡°Oh, look who¡¯s awake.¡±
¡°Glad you could join us, Professor. Now, shoot the damn thing.¡±
¡°It¡¯s been about two minutes since the fight started and it¡¯s been absorbing every third or fourth hit.¡± Jar-lock answered him.
Kaleb watched the boss absorb another of Vivienne¡¯s ice spears. The long blue spike flew through the air and crashed into the creature¡¯s sludgy chest. The black sludge in that area briefly bulged and then wrapped around the ice. Kaleb raised an eyebrow as basic physics filtered into his head. He tried to wave at his friends to stop, even as his head still pulsed with pain.
¡°Stop! Everyone, quit shooting!¡±
Jar-lock immediately ceased throwing fireballs. Vivienne was next followed by Abby, D34d-I, and then Two Gun. They all glared at him as Claire and Mass were still ducking and diving hits. Two Gun threw his arms wide and shouted back.
¡°What the fuck for? What¡¯s going on, Doc?¡±
¡°Conservation of energy!¡± Kaleb shouted back as he wobbled forward.
Four faces stared back at him in confusion. But Jar-lock¡¯s eyes grew wide as he seemed to come to the same conclusion as Kaleb. The big mage leapt backward and hurriedly called for the others to do the same. But Abby and Two Gun still looked annoyed.
¡°What the fuck, Professor? What the shit does that mean?¡±
Kaleb coughed as a smoky scent in the air tickled his nose. ¡°Energy cannot be created or destroyed.¡±
¡°Only converted into something else.¡± Jar-lock finished for him.
Kaleb nodded as the others pieced together what they were saying. As one, it seemed to hit them and they all moved slightly further away from the boss. The movement caught Claire¡¯s eye, and she clearly wanted to ask what was going on. But she had to side-step a wide swing from the boss¡¯s arm. Two Gun shouted to his wife as Kaleb and Jar-lock put their heads together.
¡°Has it been growing?¡±
¡°No. So it¡¯s not converting the energy into mass. But it also hasn¡¯t been throwing the energy back at us.¡±
Kaleb quirked an eyebrow. ¡°So what the fuck is it doing?¡±
¡°It¡¯s whooping Claire¡¯s and Mass¡¯s asses! That¡¯s what it¡¯s doing. We need to get in there!¡± Abby argued.
Kaleb watched as Mass¡¯s fist slammed into the boss¡¯s sludge arm. The sludge made a wet splat sound, and the arm was pushed off course. But Kaleb saw nothing to indicate the boss was absorbing kinetic energy. Although he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to, either.
¡°What spells have you tried?¡±
¡°Just ice and fire.¡± Vivienne supplied.
Kaleb nodded and raised his Quad-gun. He set it to electricity mode and pulled the trigger. A yellow bolt of electricity erupted from the end of his gun and shot across the field. The bolt hit the sludge monster and wrapped around the monster. Burning little bits of sludge off the creature. Jar-lock joined in by throwing a wide arcing blade of wind from his hands. Kaleb watched with interest as the green crescent moon-shaped blade of wind streaked across and cut straight through the sludge.
Kaleb and Jar-lock smiled as Two Gun swore loudly. ¡°What the fuck does that mean? Can we shoot it now?¡±
¡°No. The boss is only using certain types of damage. But electricity and wind seemed okay.¡±
*Quack*
¡°What¡¯s it using the energy for?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But isn¡¯t it better to not feed the damn sludge monster?¡±
Abby sighed and threw Kaleb his Cybar pistol. Her twin shadow blades sprouted from both of her arms as she ran forward. The boss, sensing a new threat, grew a third arm and started harrying Abby with it. The small woman danced and dodged around as she tried to get closer to the main body. But the wily, sludgy arm was just as flexible as Abby. The three melee fighters were forced to pummel the boss¡¯s arms as they were kept away from the main body. Kaleb noticed another odd aspect of the fight. Jar-lock must¡¯ve read his face, cause the big mage nodded as he threw another wind blade.
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
¡°Yeah, it hasn¡¯t moved since it knocked your ass out.¡±
¡°It¡¯s like it¡¯s rooted to the ground.¡±
¡°It¡¯s just standing there like a damn sludgy advertisement as it smacks our people around.¡± Two Gun added. ¡°Can I shoot the damn thing yet?¡±
¡°Not until we know what it¡¯s doing with the energy.¡±
¡°But that¡¯s just a theory of yours, right, prof? You don¡¯t know it¡¯s doing anything with the energy, do you?¡±
Kaleb grit his teeth and shook his head. The pain flaring up again. Two Gun nodded and drew his pistols again.
¡°Well then, I¡¯m sorry. But I¡¯m going to help my wife then.¡±
Kaleb could only sigh as Two Gun and D34d-I started shooting again. Jar-lock tried to stop them for a few seconds, but gave up quickly. Vivienne put a hand on Jar-lock¡¯s shoulder and whispered something. The big man nodded and Vivienne went over to the angel. She started casting a healing spell as the boss monster roared.
Two Gun¡¯s laser pistols fired into the sludge monster as D34d-I unloaded his pistols and rifle into the thing. Kaleb was sure, D34d-I wasn¡¯t doing any damage. But as Two Gun¡¯s energy bolts smacked into the creature two at a time, Kaleb could see every third shot be absorbed. Instead of creating a small puff of smoke as the blast hit, Two Gun¡¯s shot would simply disappear in the boss¡¯s sludgy flesh.
Kaleb and Jar-lock tried to figure the boss out as they added their own attacks to the mix. But nothing came to them. Jar-lock reasoned that they would only know once the boss had absorbed a sufficient amount of energy. Kaleb would rather they didn¡¯t let it get that far, but he had a good idea of what would happen. Phase three of the boss fight.
It was after several minutes of bombarding the boss that something started to happen. Kaleb felt the ground shift beneath his feet slightly, and he looked down. Nothing stuck out to him, but he could see small reverberations throughout the ground. He turned to point it out to Jar-lock, but the boss roared in defiance again, interrupting him. The next thing Kaleb knew, a black net of interconnected sludge appeared below everyone¡¯s feet. The melee fighters barely gave it a glance as D34d-I and Two Gun stared at the net at their feet.
Assuming it meant the boss was going to trap them, both ranged shooters doubled down on attacking. Kaleb noticed a pattern in the black net at their feet and tried to decipher it. Jar-lock simply threw a cone of fire at the ground. The sludge net ate the magical fire and seemed to solidify into a black web that was partially embedded in the ground. Kaleb and Jar-lock stared at the large symbols woven into the black net and grimaced.
¡°I think I know what it¡¯s using the energy for.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°Yeah.¡±
The two shared a look before they both started shouting for their friends to stop. Abby and Claire jumped away from the creature. But Mass was too slow, the sludge arm the big strongman was fighting spread itself wide and wrapped Mass up completely. Two Gun and D34d-I ignored them and as Kaleb watched, a blue bolt from Two Gun¡¯s pistol smacked into the enormous monster¡¯s head. The blast seemed to pulse for a second on the dome protrusion, and then a black mist shot into the air.
Kaleb found his eyesight obscured as the black mist came from the net at their feet. It encircled all of them, and Kaleb¡¯s instincts were telling him to move. So he did. He dashed out of the mist, finding Jar-lock right at his heels.
¡°Get out of the mist!¡± Jar-lock shouted as he veered away from Kaleb.
Kaleb wondered what the big man was doing, but he set it aside as he dove out of the mist. Spinning and raising to his feet, Kaleb saw an enormous dome of black mist raising from the area. Claire and Abby crashed into the ground on Kaleb¡¯s left. The big green woman was carrying Abby as they both stared up at the black dome. Jar-lock and Vivienne came out next, carrying the angel between them. As they exited the mist making up, the dome solidified and an earth-quaking pulse came from its center.
Claire gave a shout of despair and tried to throw herself back in. But the dome was strong and easily repelled the slim woman¡¯s punches. Abby rolled away from the distraught alien and walked over to Kaleb and Jar-lock, looking confused.
¡°What the fuck is it doing now?!¡±
¡°It¡¯s creating a portal.¡± Jar-lock answered simply.
¡°What?!¡± Claire shouted from her spot near the dome.
¡°The demon is using the sacrifices it has and the energy we gave it to form a portal to the mortal plane.¡±
¡°SACRIFICES!?¡±
Kaleb winced. ¡°Yes, Claire. Two Gun is dead. But don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll appear at back at the police tent. If they¡¯ve set up a rally point, that is. What we need to worry about is beating this damn demon.¡±
Claire huffed angrily for a few moments. But then collected herself and nodded. Abby gave the taller woman a comforting hand, and they all put their heads together. Vivienne was still trying to heal the angel, but she was clearly listening as Jar-lock formed a plan.
¡°Okay, so the demon is going to be weakened after this. Opening a portal takes a huge amount of energy. Even with the three bodies he¡ used. So my bet is, he is going to go through the portal and try to hide.¡±
¡°What the hell kind of boss fight is this?¡± Abby asked angrily. ¡°Isn¡¯t it standard to stick around and fight the heroes until one side is dead?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I think the demon has its own plans. It wants to get to the mortal plane. We are merely an obstruction to go around.¡±
¡°Right, so once the dome is down, we rush the portal and find the demon. Like I said, it should be weakened, so all we need to do is-¡±
¡°Pummel the shit out of it?¡± Claire asked.
¡°Essentially, yes.¡±
¡°Good.¡±
A black wave of energy shot out from around the dome and Kaleb had to fight not to gag. The scent and the feeling of the magical wave were disgusting. Jar-lock and Vivienne looked to be in worse shape even as the solid black dome began to fall. Vivienne sent another jolt of healing energy into the angel before she stood and tried to place the lanky angel on her shoulder. Kaleb moved to her side and took the angel. At her questioning look, Kaleb smiled.
¡°I think we are going to need magic to find the demon once we cross. That ain¡¯t my specialty. So you and Jar need to be at the forefront here. I¡¯ll take care of the patient until we cross.¡±
Vivienne nodded gratefully and turned to the collapsing barrier. A dense black mist was on the other side as the dome fell. But it was quickly being dispersed. Kaleb could feel the magic in the air as something whirled at the heart of the domed area. Kaleb could make out little blue cubes vanishing into the dark sky as Two Gun and the others were killed. Claire roared and rushed forward, but she needn¡¯t have bothered. The portal was pulling them forward again.
This portal was smaller, made for a single demon. But its pull was just as strong as the one made in the mortal plane. Claire was forcefully pulled off her feet as she dashed forward and sent careening into the blue center of the sludge portal. Kaleb noticed the portal shimmer ominously as Claire went through and Jar-lock swore.
¡°The portal¡¯s unstable! Hurry!¡±
Kaleb dragged his unconscious passenger along as Jar-lock and Vivienne were picked up and flung toward the portal. Abby was the next closest, so she got thrown forward next. The short, black-haired woman spun in the air and looked back at Kaleb, but he grinned at her as the magic picked him and the angel up. Abby¡¯s worried look vanished as she was thrown backward through the portal. Kaleb tried to think light thoughts as the pull of the portal dragged him and the angel closer. But he saw the edges of the portal fold in on themselves. The center of the blue swirling magic shuddered and Kaleb felt his legs drag on the ground. On reflex, Kaleb tried to shove the angel forward as the portal collapsed. But they both fell to the hard ground as the magic in the portal went out.
Silence reigned in the demonic plane as Kaleb sat in the grey dirt. The angel had landed on their side, so Kaleb carefully turned them to their back. Looking around, Kaleb swore he heard shuffling in the distance. He was trapped in a demonic realm with an unconscious angel, with no way home. Getting to his feet, he heard the shuffling get louder now. Kaleb holstered the Quad-gun and pulled the Cybar.
¡°Well,¡± He said tiredly. ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens now.¡±
Chapter 150 – Lost With An Angel
¡°RAAAAG-Urk!¡±
Kaleb shot another sludge creature and readjusted the angel on his shoulder. The beasts had become slightly more timid with the master of the house gone. But they still attacked if Kaleb strayed too close. He had only had to deal with a few of the small sludge monsters, though, as they made their way across the grey landscape.
The demon¡¯s portal was gone, and Kaleb did not know how to get it back or even create a new one. So instead, he was trudging his way back to the first portal. Kaleb was hoping he¡¯d be able to do something with that one, if it was still around. And if not, he¡¯d have to wake up his useless passenger.
The angel was still knocked out, and Kaleb was carrying them around. They were fairly light, but their wings dragged through the dirt and the weight was getting to Kaleb. He was about to put the angel on his back when the sludge gremlin popped up. Now, as he tiredly huffed and vented his Cybar, Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good idea. Every time they¡¯d get attacked, he would have to dump the angel and fight. Lending the angel a shoulder was far easier.
With a grunt, Kaleb got his own arm under the angels and lifted. Their wings gave an involuntary twitch and Kaleb hoped that the damn thing would wake up. But nothing happened. The angel stayed unconscious, and he sighed. Pointing himself in the direction of the old portal, Kaleb trudged on. The grey landscape was the same as before, but now the sludge pits and monsters were few and far between. All the spires of sludge and the bubbling pits of the stuff were gone. The demon¡¯s realm was without its master, and Kaleb was lost with a damn holy chicken.
Hauling the holy dead-weight, Kaleb finally recognized some of the landscape. It wasn¡¯t as roiling or beast-filled as it had been. But Kaleb thought he recognized the topography. With renewed vigor, he adjusted the angel and tried to double his speed. The angel¡¯s wings were getting caught on random rocks and divots now, and Kaleb was sure the unconscious angel was getting heavier. His paranoid side was screaming at him that the angel was a trap. But he couldn¡¯t figure out how.
The creature was caged and strung up in the demon¡¯s basement. That had to mean that the angel was what it looked like, right? But Vivienne had poured so much healing magic into the angel and they¡¯d still not woken up. He was sure something was up with the thing or it had a massive health pool.
¡°Or something in this world is fucking with it.¡± Kaleb thought to himself as he pulled the angel up his arm.
It would explain why the angel had ignored so much magical healing. Maybe the demon¡¯s realm was anathema to it. It would make sense¡ if it actually was an angel. Kaleb couldn¡¯t comprehend how such a being could be caught. Especially by a sludge demon. Maybe a trap in the real world? And how long had the angel been down in that basement? They weren¡¯t ancient-looking or old, but maybe angels didn¡¯t age like normal NPCs. Kaleb blew out a sigh of aggravation and continued toward the first portal.
The first sign that something was wrong was the lack of noise. A magical portal, especially one going the wrong way, should make some noise. But the air was quiet and still. The second sign was that the arches holding the portal up were gone. They sat crumbled on the raised dais that had held the large portal. Kaleb sighed and moved the angel closer to where the portal had been. Either it had a time limit or the cops mages had sealed it. Either way, he was trapped.
¡°Well, that¡¯s annoying.¡±
Kaleb rubbed a hand down his face and checked the area. He was going to have to wake up the damn angel now and deal with whatever fallout came from that. The last thing he needed was to get broadsided by some sludge monster.
After making a complete perimeter check, Kaleb came back to the prone angel and weighed his options. Vivienne had poured enough healing magic into the angel that their scars and physical wounds were gone. Now pristine pale skin stood out against the grey ground and their long black hair was straight and tangle-free. They could¡¯ve been a sleeping prince or princess from a fantasy game, quietly waiting for their hero to come save them.
Kaleb prodded the angel¡¯s side with his sneaker. ¡°I don¡¯t need to kiss you to wake you up, do I? I¡¯m not strictly opposed to it. But I don¡¯t even know if I can kiss anything with this beak I have. So how about you just wake up and we say I¡¯m your prince charming, huh?¡±
The angel stayed prone on the ground, facing the black sky. Motionless and lifeless. If it wasn¡¯t for the slight movement of the angel¡¯s chest, Kaleb would¡¯ve thought them dead. He prodded harder with the tip of his shoe. The angel stayed where they were, unmoving and uncaring of the rest of the world. With a sigh, Kaleb leaned down and hovered over the angel¡¯s face. It seemed like too perfect a face to be human, perfectly proportioned, with a cute nose and hair that hung just right over their face.
Kaleb smiled blandly down at the angel before slapping them in the face with his normal hand. ¡°Get up! We¡¯re trapped in the realm of a demon! Wakey-wakey! Some bullshit angel-magic would be really helpful right now. Maybe you could call on your god and open us a way back?¡±
A red welt formed on the angel¡¯s face after Kaleb slapped them, and he sighed. He¡¯d barely hit the perfect bastard, and they were bruising up. It made Kaleb think that this would be a lower choir of angel if it was sticking to the Christian standard. Not an archangel or something. He shook the body as he tried to recall his limited knowledge about angels. But besides Cherubim, Seraphim, and Archangels, he was drawing a blank. He was sure the angel wasn¡¯t a cherub, and it seemed too weak to be an archangel, not to mention a seraphim.
With a grunt of annoyance, Kaleb dropped the angel¡¯s shoulders. Letting the body smack back down into the dirt. Without the angel¡¯s help, Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d get out of the Demon realm. Would he have to wait until his friends found and killed the demon? How long would that take? Was he doomed to be waiting on the sidelines because he hadn¡¯t been fast enough to get to the portal? Was he holding the team back?
¡°Mmrpgh.¡±
A low groan came from Kaleb¡¯s feet, and he stopped his depressing introspection. The angel was starting to move. Their slim hand came up to their cheek, and they moaned in pain. They then seemed to realize that they were free. They blinked, golden eyes flickering across the black sky. Their hands searched their body and wings. As they did, they rolled away from Kaleb and tried to jump to their feet.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°Who am I? Where are you? How get here I did? Wha-¡±
The angel fell into complete nonsense as Kaleb watched them try to master themselves. He kept his hand on his Cybar, but otherwise didn¡¯t make any sudden moves. The angel seemed highly confused and more than a little afraid. Which didn¡¯t bode well for Kaleb. At least that¡¯s what he thought.
¡°Where. Am. I?¡± The angel slowly got out as it closed its eyes and took a breath.
¡°A demon realm run by a Corrosion Demon.¡±
The angel whimpered. ¡°Ah, what order of demon?¡±
¡°Uhhh, Lord? I think? It was super powerful.¡±
¡°¡ and¡ uh¡ how long have I been here?¡±
Kaleb could only shrug at that one. ¡°I have no idea. We found you strung up in the demon¡¯s castle. It looked like he was using you as some kind of battery.¡±
¡°By the choirs¡¡±
The angel began berating itself as they fell to their knees. Kaleb rolled his eyes and silently moved closer. The angel was muttering condemnations of itself and seemed to be lost in its own self pity. Kaleb tried to be understanding.
¡°Hey¡ it¡¯s not your fault. You were captured. This stuff happens. We have bigger issues right now?¡±
¡°Bigger issues!? I have missed so much of my training because Paul wanted to ¡®go out and watch the mortals.¡¯ Now I¡¯ll have to pick up where I left off. If my studies are even relevant anymore! For all I know, it¡¯s been eons since my capture. I¡¯m probably the oldest angel in existence!¡±
¡°And that¡¯s bad?¡±
¡°No, not necessarily. But think of all the good I could have been doing? I could have helped so many people. Then some demon captures me and tries to siphon my holy magics? Stupid thing, it had to have known that it wouldn¡¯t work.¡±
Kaleb nodded idly. ¡°This is all very interesting. But we are still stuck in the demon¡¯s realm and the demon is out there fighting my friends.¡±
¡°You haven¡¯t vanquished the demon!?¡±
¡°Look around! I¡¯ve been busy hauling your angelic &^%- AHHH!¡± Kaleb¡¯s words were caught off as he tried to swear.
A screeching noise pierced into Kaleb¡¯s skull, and the Angel snickered. ¡°You should know not to swear in front of an angel. Even a lower class one such as I.¡±
¡°Noted. Still, I¡¯ve been looking for a way out of this realm while carrying you around. But both portals to the mortal realm have been closed.¡±
The angel hopped to their feet and started brushing the dirt off their knees. ¡°Oh, I might be able to help with that. I was actually training to be a Virtue.¡±
Kaleb merely raised an eyebrow. Seeing Kaleb¡¯s confusion, the angel¡¯s face grew sad. ¡°Are you not aware of the Choirs of angels?¡±
¡°Oh, you mean like cherubim, seraphim, and the Archangels?¡±
The angel¡¯s face was smiling until Kaleb stopped. When it was clear that was the limit of his knowledge, the angel huffed.
¡°Angels are so much more than administrators, warriors and trumpeters. We hold within and contemplate the divinity of our Lord. We are the Lord¡¯s children and we¡¡±
¡°Real excited to hear the end of all of that, really. But can we focus on getting out of here?¡±
The angel huffed again and began straightening their shoddy robes in annoyance. ¡°Fine. As it pertains to us escaping, may I at least inform you of my particular vocation amongst the Choir?¡±
¡°The short version, please. There are sludge monsters about.¡±
The angel waved off Kaleb¡¯s words. ¡°Oh, they¡¯ll begin de-corporealizing here soon. With the master away, his dimension won¡¯t have enough energy to hold itself together.¡±
¡°So, this realm is going to collapse?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°With us inside it?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And that¡¯s a very bad thing, yes?¡±
¡°Oh, most assuredly.¡±
¡°Then why the... fudge are you so calm?!¡± Kaleb shouted even as he looked around for signs of the realm coming apart.
The angel grinned, showing off a dazzling display of white teeth. ¡°Because, as I said, I was training to be a Virtue. Virtues are masters of the Operations of the universes. We maintain the spaces between and are prodigious portal crafters. Crafting a way out of this dimension is a simple task for a Virtue.¡±
Kaleb sighed in relief until he recalled what the angel had said previously. ¡°Wait, you said you were training to be a Virtue? Did you complete your training?¡±
¡°No. In fact, I was still within my first year. But I know the basics.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his eyes as he heard the rough movement of another sludge monster. Raising his Cybar, Kaleb spun on the spot and search for the beast. The angel hid behind Kaleb and worriedly asked.
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°Like I said, the demon¡¯s Sludge army is still here. Their numbers are reduced and they don¡¯t move quite the same. But they are still dangerous.¡±
¡°Dangerous!?¡± The angel¡¯s face contorted in fear as he clutched Kaleb¡¯s lab coat. ¡°I believe we must hurry, then. I am not used to physical confrontations. We must flee this place.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡± Kaleb said and then waited for the angel to do something.
But the angel merely stood there, tugging away at Kaleb¡¯s coat and staring back at him. They both gave each other exasperated looks until the angel explained.
¡°I need to be near the demon¡¯s nexus of power in this realm. From there, I should be able to gather the energies I need to summon us a way out.¡±
¡°Okay¡ where¡¯s that?¡±
The angel shrugged their shoulders, and Kaleb groaned. ¡°You are really no help at all.¡±
¡°I beg your pardon. I¡¯m a conduit for the Lord¡¯s will.¡±
Kaleb fired a blast at a Sludge gremlin that had peeked at them from around a rock. The angel whimpered and clutched his coat tighter.
¡°Yeah¡ that¡¯s great.¡±
Kaleb roughly tore the angel off his coat and started marching back toward the castle. It had been the focal point of the realm. So he figured if the demon was going to have a nexus of power. It would be there. Meanwhile, the angel hurried behind me, stammering and yelping at every shadow. Kaleb rolled his eyes and hoped that his party was having more fun with the demon.
Chapter 151 – Divine Occultism
Kaleb always wondered about angels and demons in games. The symbolism was obvious. Good versus Evil, light versus dark, humankind¡¯s capacity for cruelty versus it¡¯s kindness. Demons were somewhat more understandable in games. Big beastly monsters that messed with your mind or beat up your body. But angels in video games could run the gamut. They could be these otherworldly creatures that helped your party out of the goodness of their souls. Or they could be pragmatic and pedantic assholes more focused on asserting some deity¡¯s will upon you.
Or they could be talkative, asinine assholes.
¡°But the really interesting thing is the structure, magically speaking. It all hangs together neatly on the outside. But if you look beneath, it is literally decaying. Yet, somehow, never falls apart. So demonic realms, like their creators, are possibly in constant and unceasing pain. It¡¯s truly fascinating.¡±
¡°Uh-huh.¡±
¡°And, of course, it¡¯s an angel¡¯s duty to help those in pain. Now, that doesn¡¯t mean we are completely na?ve. Demons ARE Demons and can¡¯t help their nature. But I don¡¯t believe we should blame them. They are tortured and twisted souls. Some archangels or the other choirs would probably disagree, but I think we should be understanding of our fallen brothers and sisters.¡±
Kaleb merely grunted as he readjusted his hold on the angel. For some reason, he was still dragging the angel, whose name was George, across the demonic landscape. George claimed that his legs and body were still recovering from whatever the demon did to him. Kaleb was starting to doubt that assertion. Not from any evidence, but mostly from sheer annoyance. The angel had been talking his ear off about forgiving the demons as a whole. Which Kaleb wasn¡¯t necessarily against at the outset, but he was slowly coming around to a ¡®burn them all¡¯ mentality. Mostly because of George¡¯s constant blathering.
¡°Are your leg¡¯s well enough to walk yet?¡±
¡°Huh? Oh, no. I don¡¯t think so. I was a prisoner of that foul demon for much too long. And this realm seems to be slowing my recovery.¡±
¡°Uh-huh¡¡±
¡°Are we close to the Nexus yet?¡±
Kaleb stared out at the grey landscape, panting slightly. Everything looked the same without the landmark of the demon¡¯s castle. The sludge and ooze were vanishing slowly, but the gray land seemed to stretch on forever in all directions. He tried to shrug, but the angel¡¯s weight nearly doubled on his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, Kaleb turned to see the angel leaning heavily on his side. If it wasn¡¯t for the tired and sallow look of the angel, he¡¯d have tossed him off. Reaffirming his grip, Kaleb kept searching for clues to the castle¡¯s location.
¡°I don¡¯t know. The castle¡¯s gone, and there are no big landmarks with all the sludge disappearing. Can¡¯t you find it?¡±
¡°How would I do that?¡± George panted while looking annoyed.
¡°I don¡¯t know? Use The Force? Feel it in your bones? Sense Evil?¡±
¡°This entire realm is evil, I don¡¯t have bones, and what is The Force?¡±
¡°How do you not have bones?¡± Kaleb asked, stupidly.
¡°Oh, angelic and demonic anatomy is actually quite fascinating. We are not built the same, but the underlying principles are the same¡¡±
George prattled on as Kaleb ignored him and looked around. They hadn¡¯t been attacked for several minutes now and Kaleb could no longer hear the sounds of little gremlin feet. The realm itself was slowly becoming less active. He didn¡¯t know how long they had until everything stopped and the realm collapsed. But Kaleb was sure it wasn¡¯t very long.
With a huff, he marched on, George still yapping away at his side. Kaleb felt his mental stamina slowly draining away as the angel went on and on about the various aspects of Demonic existence. Apparently, the angel had been a fairly fastidious student. Because he was a font of never-ending knowledge when it came to demons. Kaleb only he hoped he was equally well-versed in portal crafting.
Kaleb wondered how his friends were doing. Were they having an epic fight with a sludge monster in the mortal realm? Were they already finished and mopping things up? If they were, how long would it take for Jar-lock to make a portal to come get him? Could Jar-lock make a portal?
A noise to Kaleb¡¯s right shut George up and made Kaleb draw his Cybar. A sludge gremlin was making its way toward them across the open plain. It was moving slowly and seemed to be falling apart with each step. But the closer it got, the more feral it looked. Even as its face and body melted away.
Kaleb kept his weapon trained on the little sludge creature. But he was sure the thing would evaporate before it got to them. George whimpered into his armor, and Kaleb wanted to shake the useless angel. He had already proven himself capable of dispatching these gremlins en masse. But every time they got into a fight, George got scared and tucked himself into Kaleb. He readjusted his arm over the simpering angel and took aim with his Cybar. The poor gremlin was only half a body now and his chin hung down to his waist. It tried to growl menacingly and wave its clawed hands. But it didn¡¯t have the strength.
With a disgusting plop, the sludge gremlin fell to the dirt and stopped moving. The sludge that made up its body spread out across the dirt and changed into dark smoke. Kaleb holstered his pistol and sighed as George¡¯s whimpering stopped. Gulping in air, the angel looked up at the slowly evaporating monster.
¡°How long did that take?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe a minute or two?¡±
¡°Then we don¡¯t have long. We must hurry. Once this plane collapses, we shall be shunted into the realms between. From there, who knows where we might end up?¡±
Kaleb groaned. ¡°I hear you. But I can¡¯t find what¡¯s not here, okay? The castle was the only thing here and now it¡¯s gone. So all of this depressing plane looks the same. So unless you know how to hunt down a nexus point, we are screwed.¡±
George shuddered against him before whimpering again. Kaleb sighed and patted the angel¡¯s shoulder near the wing. The gesture seemed to mollify the angel as Kaleb started marching again. Instead of continuing on his current path, though, Kaleb turned them onto a diagonal. If the demon¡¯s plane was squarish, they¡¯d have a better chance of hitting something. Besides, he needed to do something to increase their chances.
Time passed and Kaleb walked on. He was unsure how long he trudged through the dirt, dragging a talkative angel. But after a long while, Kaleb was surprised to find that George had gone silent. He had no recollection of the angel stopping his verbal diarrhea. But turning to look at George, Kaleb found him looking off to the right.
¡°Find something?¡± Kaleb asked.
George started and coughed awkwardly. ¡°I- I don¡¯t know. I think I feel something in that direction.¡±
George nodded his head off to the right and Kaleb turned them that way.
¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t sense anything here? How do know something¡¯s this way?¡±
George shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe it¡¯s the divine helping us on our journey? Maybe we are being led by the righteous hand. Ha! Soon we shall be free from this doomed realm and be amongst the mortals once more.¡±
Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!
¡°Won¡¯t you have to go straight back to heaven or wherever?¡±
George huffed in annoyance. ¡°Not straight back. I imagine I¡¯ll be given some time off to convalesce.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re going to do that on earth? Where you were most recently abducted? Does that seem like a smart course of action?¡±
¡°You say that because you don¡¯t know how boring Heaven can be,¡± George said derisively.
Kaleb quirked an eyebrow at the curious tone in the angel¡¯s voice. But his eyes caught something on the grey ground and he focused on that. A portion of the dirt was scorched in a wide area just ahead of them. As he looked around, Kaleb noticed more marks and divots in the surrounding dirt. It was the site where he and his friends fought the Sludge Demon. Kaleb sighed in relief and lifted George a little higher.
The angel seemed to get his feet under him and leaned forward as Kaleb started to move toward where he thought the castle should be. Thankfully, the Sludge Demon had remained stationary through most of the fight. So Kaleb had a focal point with which to pivot. Also, George seemed to lean toward where the castle used to be at all times. The angel clearly felt something drawing himself closer.
Soon the angel was walking on his own, Kaleb¡¯s arm over George¡¯s shoulder. Kaleb wanted to curse in aggravation as it became clear the angel was fine. He¡¯d probably been fine for the past the half hour the way he was moving now. George was racing across the dirt, head down and eyes searching for something. Kaleb guessed they were close to where the old bailey of the castle had been. He watched George practically sniff around in the dirt as he slowly checked the horizon.
Kaleb was pretty sure the sludglings were all gone at this point. But he at least wanted to be careful. The purple and black sky was getting dimmer and soon his vision was going to be highly constricted. Thinking about making a torch or something, Kaleb was interrupted by the sounds of something digging into the dirt. Turning, he spotted a smiling George eagerly ripping into the ground with his bare hands. Gone was the tired and whimpering angel. Now, George was a divine being on a mission.
¡°Hey, I know you want to get out of here quickly. But how about we look for a piece of wood or something? Save our hands for the demon battle that¡¯s sure to be waging in the mortal realm.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± George nearly shouted as he looked up at Kaleb.
A weird flash of red appeared behind the angel¡¯s eyes and Kaleb momentarily tensed. But the color disappeared quickly and George seemed to come back to himself. He looked down at his pale hands and saw them covered in grey dirt. He smiled up at Kaleb and coughed awkwardly.
¡°Ahem¡ Yes, that would probably expedite this process. Although I don¡¯t remember spotting many trees in the area. Maybe we can use your armor as a shovel?¡±
Kaleb grimaced as he looked down at his new armor. He wasn¡¯t completely against the idea, but he had just crafted the thing. Using it as a dirt-digging tool seemed disrespectful. Still looking down, Kaleb asked.
¡°What are you digging for, anyway? Is this Nexus thing underground?¡±
George coughed again, this time making the noise sound like a professor about to give a long lecture.
¡°Well, you know Demons reside in the demonic planes, right? Hell, the Infernal, Frozen Wastes, Wisconsin¡ etc? Well, when a demon advances to the point of becoming a Demon Lord, they break off a piece of their power and solidify it. That piece of demonic energy is then used as the basis for their own personal dimensional pocket.¡±
¡°So the demon sludge monster was a Demon Lord and a piece of his power is buried in the dirt?¡±
¡°Essentially.¡± George said, digging again.
Kaleb rubbed a hand down his armor as he considered things. ¡°Wait. So why did the old sludge face leave this bit of his power behind?¡±
¡°Because once the nexus point is used as the realm¡¯s foundation, it cannot be easily removed. It takes time and the proper incantations to remove the stone. And once it¡¯s gone, the entire pocket dimension collapses. Sending all inside back to the Demon Lord¡¯s original realm.¡±
Kaleb nodded a few times until George¡¯s words finally clicked. Turning, he saw George, still kneeling in the dirt. His hands scrabbling at something Kaleb couldn¡¯t see. Kaleb moved closer and slowly drew his Cybar. The manic look in George¡¯s eyes was off-putting and Kaleb was sure the angel¡¯s eyes were red now. George¡¯s fingernails clinked against something in the dirt and the angel made a grunt of triumph. He redoubled his digging efforts as Kaleb swept around behind the kneeling angel.
Cybar raised and ready, Kaleb peeked over George¡¯s shoulder. In the dirt, between the angel¡¯s knees, was the surface of a glossy black orb. It shimmered in the ever-diminishing light, and George¡¯s pale fingers pried at its curved edges. Kaleb felt his vision twist as he tried to look at the thing. It made him feel sick to even look at the large pearl. George, on the other hand, was staring right at the damn thing, cackling with sheer glee. As George turned to look up at him, Kaleb moved closer and put the barrel of his Cybar against the Angel¡¯s head.
¡°What¡¯s up, George?¡±
George started whimpering immediately and put his dirt-covered hands up. ¡°Wha- wha- what!? What is the meaning of this? We have our way home now. Is this really the time for some petty mortal betrayal?¡±
Kaleb took a breath and nodded. ¡°A couple of things, George. First off is how you are looking at that black pearl there. It does not look healthy. Second is the discrepancy in your story. You said this place would collapse without the Demon Sludge thing. Now you are saying you want to collapse it intentionally and send us to a Demonic plane. So I find myself asking: What the fuck?¡±
George¡¯s red eyes crinkled with glee as the Angel smiled. His teeth were now sharp and pointed with enlarged canines. Glancing at George¡¯s hands, Kaleb discovered long black nails sprouting from each of George¡¯s fingers. His wings fluttered and Kaleb had to take a step back. But he kept his Cybar on the George¡¯s head. George cackled, the noise sounding like high-pitched and grating.
¡°Hot damn! It looks like I¡¯ve been caught.¡±
Kaleb felt a pulse behind his eyes and a screeching whine pierced his ears. He immediately had a headache and blinked. Opening his eyes, Kaleb found George standing now, his gun pointed at the Angel¡¯s knees. Kaleb tried to lift his gun, but he wobbled unsteadily on his feet. George tutted as Kaleb tried to get a hold of himself.
¡°We were so close. The valiant mortal, risking life and limb for the weak and tired angel. It could¡¯ve been quite a story. One I would¡¯ve shared across the Infernal plane. Once I was back there. You, of course, would¡¯ve been dead. Your soul ripped apart in the journey.¡±
As George spoke, his shape changed. His angel wings turned red and leathery, his skin turned almost maroon in shade, and his legs thickened and became goat-like. Soon, a red demon was towering over Kaleb as he tried to move, but his body would just not respond. And the headache behind his eyes was getting worse. Demon George flexed his wings and sighed dramatically.
¡°Now I have to change the ending of our tale. Now it is one of the hero stepping forth to unmake the mighty demon¡ and failing spectacularly.¡±
Demon George¡¯s large red hand came up, his nails pointed straight at Kaleb¡¯s face. Kaleb thrashed against the power, forcing him to remain still. But his body still wouldn¡¯t budge. All he could do was barely move his lips. As George drew closer, Kaleb tried for a Hail Mary play as he stuttered through clenched teeth.
¡°Ty¡ Phan¡ Ysor¡¡±
George stopped, his nails inches from Kaleb¡¯s eyes. A shocked look across his demonic face.
¡°What?¡±
¡°Typhanysor.¡± Kaleb said, regaining control of his body once again.
The Demon¡¯s arm shuddered, as though he was still trying to impale Kaleb with it. When that didn¡¯t work, George threw his arm down and glared at Kaleb.
¡°Shit!¡± said the Demon Typhanysor.
Chapter 152 – Dealing With A Devil
Kaleb tried to jump away from the taller demon. But his balance was still off and his legs were stiff. He stumbled backwards and raised his Cybar pistol. He didn¡¯t like his chances of going up against a named demon by himself. Especially one that could screw with his mind. But for some reason, Typhanysor was just standing there. Glaring at him.
Kaleb cleared his throat and looked around. The Sludge Demon¡¯s Nexus was still half buried in the dirt at their feet, and Kaleb briefly wondered what would happen if he grabbed the thing. But he remembered Typhanysor saying that if anything went wrong with the Nexus, then they both got a one-way ticket to the Infernal realm.
¡°Well¡¡± Typhanysor asked slowly. ¡°I¡¯m waiting.¡±
¡°For what?¡±
¡°Really? You don¡¯t know? You just by happenstance invoked a demon¡¯s True Name?! With no idea of the consequences or required etiquette?!¡±
Kaleb felt his eyes go wide. ¡°You put your True Name on a damn pickaxe?! What the fuck? Why wouldn¡¯t you use a pseudonym? What kind of demon dumbass uses their True Name? How vain are you?¡±
¡°VANITY Demon! I am exactly as vain as one would expect an embodiment of pure vanity to be. Besides, how was I supposed to know that someone would translate an old, runic language? I hadn¡¯t even heard of that alphabet until it was traded to me.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his eyes. ¡°So what are the consequences and the etiquette required when using a Demon¡¯s true name?¡±
Typhanysor grimaced and seemed to grit his teeth. His whole upper body shook slightly until an explosion of words blasted from his demonic mouth.
¡°Once a Demon¡¯s True name is invoked, an arcane pact is formed. It is assumed that the Invoker, that¡¯s you, is attempting to bargain with said Demon. So the Demon may not attack the Invoker until all his demands are met, and he releases the Demon. Also, the Invoker can not attack the Demon or the pact is deemed void. The Demon must answer questions truthfully, but maintains the right to deny the request or bargain. The Demon may also negotiate with the Invoker about any requests or demands they have.¡±
Typhanysor leaned over, breathing heavily as the words stopped spilling from its mouth. Kaleb grinned as he leaned forward slightly.
¡°That would be the truth compulsion of the Pact, huh?¡±
¡°Obviously.¡± Typhanysor said through gritted teeth.
Kaleb nodded slowly. ¡°Right. Well, I¡¯m sorry to say that I don¡¯t want anything from you other than a way out of here that will not kill me. So how about I simply request that you stay in the Frozen Wastes for the next one thousand years?¡±
¡°Pfft. No. I¡¯m an Infernal Demon. That would be tantamount to killing me. I unequivocally refuse to go there. So that request is denied. As for the other¡¡± The demon trailed off as an evil grin spread across his face.
¡°I also don¡¯t want to be emotionally or physically traumatized by the experience of getting me out of here. Can¡¯t I just wait for the demon to be defeated?¡±
¡°Bah! A little trauma¡¯s good for you. Besides, your friends defeating Ole Sludgy will not affect this place. Either they kill him and his demonic essence is banished back to the Infernal. Where it will stay until he can reconstitute himself. Or they seal him away in something. In both cases, you¡¯re stuck here unless you can punch your way out¡ magically, that is.¡±
¡°So there is no way for me to get back to the mortal plane.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Typhanysor grinned, showing off all of his spiky teeth. ¡°I can happily take you across to the mortal realm, no problem. We just need the juice to do it. Now, where do you think I could get the energies to accomplish something like that?¡±
Kaleb glanced back down at the black pearl. It was the physical embodiment of part of the Sludge Demon¡¯s power. Even his nascent magical powers could feel the thing pulse in the ground. Typhanysor had been laser-focused on the thing as soon as they got here, and now he was outright asking to use it. Kaleb was absolutely sure that would never happen.
¡°Why do you want that thing so much? And why the fuck does it burn my eyes to look at it?¡±
¡°That would be pure demonic essence you''re staring at. The burn means it¡¯s healthy¡ and you''re looking into absolute chaos. I could use that little bead there to triple my power. I didn¡¯t know Sludgy was so strong, look how healthy it is.¡±
Typhanysor nearly cooed as he crouched down. Kaleb was still trying to get over the fact that Typhanysor called it a ¡®little bead.¡¯ The thing was still half submerged in the dirt. But even he could see it was the size of a basketball. If that was small, Kaleb didn¡¯t want to see big. And if something that size was merely hurting his eyes, what would something bigger do to him?
¡°So you ¡®eat¡¯ that and you become a demon lord?¡±
The demon chuckled haughtily while brushing his long black hair out of his face. ¡°Oh no, not by a long shot. But thank you so much for assuming I am that powerful. Vanity Demons thrive on attention and feed on admiration. But I¡¯ve been chained to the sludge-fuck for so long that I¡¯m weak. He would only let me out to talk to his ¡®worshipers.¡¯ I don¡¯t even have a social media presence anymore. However, when I absorb that Nexus, I will be as powerful as I ever have been. I might even return to earth and become a celebrity again.¡±
Typhanysor got a cheerful look on his face as he recounted all the ways he would get famous and drain the admiration from his followers. Kaleb let him go on for a few seconds before he had to cut him off.
¡°Okay, that explains why you were just ¡®hanging out¡¯ in a basement. But seriously, if you drain that Nexus, you can get us out?¡±
Sneering at the ¡®hanging out¡¯ quip, the demon nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±
Kaleb fell into thought as he tried to find the right wording for his request. If this demonic deal worked like others he had heard of, Typhanysor was going to screw him over. Or at least try to. Which meant that Kaleb had to be very careful about his instructions. He had to be overly pedantic about his word choice. He was carefully selecting the wording of his request when Typhanysor pushed closer.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Kaleb took a step back and glared up at the demon.
¡°I¡¯m just impatient. Wondering what you¡¯re thinking about.¡± Typhanysor.
¡°I¡¯m trying to think of a way out of here that doesn¡¯t end up with your claws through my eyes. So give me a second.¡±
¡°Oh, you don¡¯t trust me? I¡¯m hurt?¡±
¡°You literally tried to kill me minutes ago.¡±
¡°Bygones. Besides, you NEED me to get you out of here. You really don¡¯t have a choice.¡±
Kaleb glared at the demon for a full minute before he huffed angrily. Looking away, his eyes danced across the ground, trying to find a way to cut the demon out of the plan all together. That¡¯s when his eyes landed on the vision-twisting orb of demonic energy. Maybe there was a way to get out that didn¡¯t include the demon.
Kaleb knelt on the ground and put a hand out toward the orb. A titter over his shoulder made him turn to look up. It was a reprieve from looking at the damn orb, and he genuinely wanted to see Typhanysor¡¯s response. The demon¡¯s face was a flat mask of calm. His black eyebrows were slightly raised as he glanced between Kaleb¡¯s hand and the orb. He tittered again and covered the laugh with the back of his hand.
¡°Oh please, do go on. I want to see what that much demonic essence does to a mortal. Besides, do you even know how to summon a portal?¡±
¡°No. But how about I request that you teach me and then stand there while I open myself a way out of here?¡±
Typhanysor¡¯s titter was now a full belly laugh as he took in Kaleb¡¯s face and discovered he was serious. The demon leaned over and clutched its stomach as it guffawed in derision. Kaleb just sat there until he grew tired of being mocked and reached a hand out to the orb again. His scaly hand just brushed against the surface when a wave of magic shot through him. Kaleb clenched his teeth as pain exploded down his arm and through his whole body. It felt like his veins were full of white-hot electricity. His entire body went rigid as he convulsed in pain.
Typhanysor¡¯s laughter redoubled and Kaleb grit his teeth. The childish part of his brain wanted to grab the orb again. But he stopped himself and looked up at the demon again. Typhanysor was right, Kaleb couldn¡¯t control the demonic energies within the orb. He wasn¡¯t powerful enough, or the energy itself was toxic to him. The demon could contain that power, but Kaleb didn¡¯t trust him enough to make the portal. So a plan formed in Kaleb¡¯s mind as he painfully got to his feet.
¡°You were right. That was a stupid idea.¡±
¡°No shit! No, make the request for me to make the portal, and I¡¯ll free both of us.¡±
¡°Yeah¡ No.¡± Kaleb said, wringing out his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll do you one better. You absorb that energy, convert it, and then pass it to me. I¡¯ll use that power to create a portal and enter it. After I¡¯ve gone, you can have what¡¯s left of the orb.¡±
Typhanysor snorted. ¡°Please, that would use up a portion of the orb¡¯s power. Who knows how much of it will be left for me? Why would I do that?¡±
¡°Because otherwise we are not going anywhere and you¡¯ll be stuck here. Just me and you, all alone. With no one to cater to your vanity. No one to admire you. Just me and you in this grey world until my friends come to get me and we kill you.¡±
The demon snorted at the last part. But he looked more than a little worried about no one worshiping him. His eyes scanned the horizon before turning back to Kaleb and wincing at the thought of being stuck here with him. Kaleb would clearly not worship or admire the demon. A thought seemed to occur to Typhanysor as he grinned down at Kaleb.
¡°You still don¡¯t know how to create a portal. I¡¯m the only one here who knows how to do that.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Yes, but we have all the time in the world for you to teach me. Maybe if we take long enough, my friends will show up.¡±
¡°Pfft!¡±
Typhanysor huffed through his nose and crossed his arms imperiously. Kaleb could see the idea worming its way into the demon¡¯s mind. And he took a seat. Typhanysor would either come to the same conclusion he did or continue to try to get Kaleb to trust him. Which was not happening. Kaleb would not trust the demon.
Instead, Kaleb turned his mind inward. Not for the first time, he had been left slightly behind when it came to helping his friends. Originally, he had chalked it up to spending too much time in the workshop. But he was still physically slower and weaker than the others. He had magic, but he hadn¡¯t relied on it as much as he should have. Maybe there was a way to increase his physical attribute with mana that he hadn¡¯t looked into yet. Something to give him an edge. It¡¯s what he hoped his gadgets would do. But crafting such equipment would take him out of the field for an even longer period. In which his friends would reach a new plateau without him. He would always be behind. Unless he did something drastic.
Kaleb¡¯s eyes traveled to the orb again, and he stared at it for as long as he could. Seconds ticked by as Kaleb felt his hand throb in remembered pain and his eyes watered. Thankfully, a cough from Typhanysor made him turn away. Blinking, Kaleb asked.
¡°What?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll¡ Ahem¡¡± The demon coughed, covering his words.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. What was that?¡±
¡°I-ahem¡it.¡±
¡°One more time.¡±
¡°I¡¯LL DO IT!¡± Typhanysor screamed, looking pissed.
Kaleb nodded happily and sprang to his feet. He was brushing off his pants when the giant red demon closed into his personal space. Kaleb tensed and waited for something to happen. When nothing did, he looked up into the angry demon¡¯s face. Typhanysor¡¯s eyes were still mad, but his mouth was grinning.
¡°However! I do not have the time to waste teaching you about portals. We will have to use a quicker method.¡±
¡°Which method is that?¡±
Typhanysor continued to grin as he carefully reached out a claw to Kaleb¡¯s forehead. Kaleb tensed again, preparing mentally for any traps. But the demon merely tapped him on his head and pulled back his clawed hand. Kaleb waited a few seconds, waiting for something to happen. But nothing came to him.
¡°What was that supposed-¡± Kaleb was mid-sentence when a plethora of information slammed into his mind.
It was an overwhelming cavalcade of formulas and magical scriptures. Numbers, runes, and magical knowledge rushed through Kaleb¡¯s mind, looking for a home. A headache formed immediately and forcefully. Kaleb tried to bite his cheek against the pain, but it was all too much. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, his vision tunneling and Typhanysor standing above him, shaking his demonic head.
Chapter 153 – Through and Back At It Again
Kaleb blinked his eyes as pain lanced through his entire body. As he groaned in the dirt, Typhanysor grinned over at him. His red face and sharp teeth were blurry in Kaleb¡¯s vision.
"Look at that. You didn''t die. Congratulations."
"What the fuck was that?"
"That would be the knowledge you need to summon a portal. Now up you get. We only have so long before the information bleeds out of your brain."
"BLEEDS!?"
Typhanysor hissed as he grabbed Kaleb under the arms. "Poor choice of words. Now get up!"
As Kaleb stumbled to his feet, the demon sat down in the dirt. Kaleb used the demon''s broad back to help himself stand. As he did, Typhanysor started mumbling to himself as he put his large clawed hands on the Nexus. Kaleb felt the ambient mana in the air chance direction and head toward the demon. A mass of magical energy surged and Typhanysor took a deep breath.
"Get into position and get your mana ready."
"What do you mean?" Kaleb asked as his body moved without his consent.
His hands went to Typhanysor''s shoulders, and an image crawled its way from the back of his mind. Kaleb tried to study the image as it flashed across his mind. Closing his eyes and trying to focus his attention on the images. But it was a torrent of magical runes that he both understood and forgot. The demon under his hands grunted as he growled.
"Don''t slow down the instructions. Just let them flow out of you."
Kaleb had to fight against his natural curiosity. As he did, the magical formation that contained the knowledge of inter-dimensional portals pushed to the front of his mind. He tried to remember what he could. But the symbols were moving too fast.
Kaleb¡¯s mana surged through him as he felt it connect with whatever Typhanysor was doing. The two energies collided somewhere inside the demon, and then he sent it back out to Kaleb. As soon as the mixed mana hit Kaleb, his mouth started moving unbidden.
He had to listen to himself recite words he didn''t know as a demonic battery fed him magic. Every time Kaleb tried to examine what his body was doing, Typhanysor would grunt or stop him in some way. He was stuck as a spell formed within him and then was forced out. Opening his eyes, Kaleb switched his focus to the magic, leaving his hands. It was an odd swirling mix of red and orange threads. The information jammed into his head seemed to be leading the threads of magic as the words slipped past his lips. Below him, Typhanysor seemed to grunt and the flow of mana between them increased.
Threads of mana sprawled out from his hands and coalesced in the air in front of them. The threads pulled tight together and started to solidify as the color drained out of the magic. Their magic created an oblong portal with a thick, black rim. Its rim looked like it was made of a gnarled and twisted root as the red and orange threads of magic turned black. The color that drained from the rim pooled into the center of the portal and spun in a circle. The circle grew larger until it filled the oblong portal with magic, and then it changed color again. It flashed between bright primary colors over and over until it finally settled on a shallow blue glow.
Kaleb didn¡¯t realize the magic had stopped until Typhanysor jerked out from under his hands. He found he was drained. Not physically, but his mind was lethargic, and he felt tired. Looking at the demon getting to his feet, Kaleb could tell that Typhanysor didn¡¯t feel much better. The giant red demon stumbled to his feet and then brushed off his furry goat legs. He was studying the portal as he nodded.
¡°That wasn¡¯t bad, and we didn¡¯t even use much of the Nexus¡¯ power. This might not turn into a horrible day after all.¡±
¡°Yippee.¡± Kaleb deadpanned as he moved toward the portal. ¡°All I have to do is step through this thing and I¡¯m home, right?¡±
¡°Essentially. I think we got it as close to Austin as possible. But that depends on how good YOUR magic is. All I did was cleanse that evil Nexus for you.¡±
Typhanysor grinned, and Kaleb felt a shiver go up his spine. His brain still felt like it was frozen. But even he could tell the bastard was up to something. But the deal was for him to step through the portal and the demon to stay with the orb. Shaking off his lethargy, Kaleb put a hand on his Cybar.
¡°Whoa there, Typhanysor. You remember our deal, don¡¯t you?¡±
Typhanysor smiled wider. ¡°Oh, I know the deal. You go through the portal and once you are through, I can do what I want with this.¡±
The big demon bent down and scooped up the Nexus pearl. Which looked like it had gotten smaller. Kaleb blinked some pain away from his eyes and tried to ignore the tingling that was starting at his fingertips. All the while, he and the Vanity Demon maintained eye contact. He backed up toward the portal as Typhanysor caressed the orb carefully with his claws.
The next thing Kaleb knew, the pain in his eyes exploded across his skull. Typhanysor had disappeared before his eyes. Kaleb tried to reach for his head, but his arms weren¡¯t obeying him. His whole body tingled as if stuck with thousands of tiny pins. The demon¡¯s voice spoke up from inside Kaleb¡¯s head as he tried to move his body.
¡°There. Now we can both go through the portal, and then I can do what I want with the Nexus.¡±
¡°You took that thing inside me?!¡± Kaleb screamed inside his mind.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t do that much damage. If you¡¯re fast.¡±
¡°Wha¡?¡±
¡°You¡¯re going to want to step through that portal as quick as possible. I don¡¯t know how long your body can handle a demonic Nexus.¡±
Kaleb felt his whole body spasm and suddenly his legs jerked toward the portal. The blue portal itself was wavering and fading fast. Kaleb grit his teeth and took a careful and painful step toward the gate. As his foot hit the ground, a pulse of revulsion shot through him and Kaleb felt his center-of-gravity flip. The portal was dimming; the demon was screaming, and Kaleb had to throw himself forward. Thankfully, the magic of the portal grabbed him and he went end over end through the roiling magic.
Typhanysor crowed incoherently in his mind. But all Kaleb could feel was sick as his body floated listlessly through the portal. Blue patterns and arcane runes passed before his eyes and Kaleb could feel whatever magical knowledge the demon imbued him with draining away. He grasped mentally at the formulas and sigils. But he could only hold onto a few before darkness enshrouded him.
Kaleb felt his body slam into the ground. A loud splash and a squelching noise, catching his ears as his body dug into the muddy ground. He shook and shivered as water soaked into his pants and lab coat. He wasn¡¯t submerged in water, but the ground was wet enough to create a large mud pit. A black mist fell over Kaleb¡¯s eyes and quickly floated away from his body. He watched it as his body slowly felt better. His tiredness left him, and his headache receded slowly. The black mist seemed to pour out of his body and Kaleb could feel Typhanysor¡¯s glee as the demon slowly formed from the magical dark cloud.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
¡°Ahhhhhhhhh, see, that wasn¡¯t so bad, was it? I get out and you-¡±
PEW
Kaleb¡¯s Cybar shot a blue orb straight into Typhanysor¡¯s chest. The big red demon shifted slightly so that the black orb in his hands wasn¡¯t hit. The energy ball from Kaleb¡¯s gun smacked into the Vanity Demon and he hissed angrily. Typhanysor carefully laid the Nexus orb on the muddy ground and glared hatefully at Kaleb. His bare red chest flexed and his goat-like legs pawed at the ground.
¡°You really don¡¯t want to do this, Mortal.¡±
Kaleb cracked his neck and sent the demon¡¯s glare straight back at him. ¡°You circumvented our deal and possessed me. I¡¯m pretty sure I do want to do this. Besides, do you really think I¡¯m just going to let some Vanity Demon run amok in Texas? We already got enough politicians and business people running about.¡±
Typhanysor sighed. ¡°I told you I was going to be a pop star this time.¡±
¡°Oh yeah, like that¡¯s any better.¡±
Kaleb kept his gun pointed at the demon¡¯s large torso. As he did, he dug his feet into the mud and tried to steady himself. Typhanysor¡¯s hooves were still kneading at the ground, and Kaleb was sure the bastard was going to charge. Typhanysor flexed his long red arms and splayed out his long fingernails on either hand. With another long sigh, the demon looked up at the dark sky.
¡°It was always going to end like this, wasn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°You could¡¯ve just stayed in the other dimension.¡± Kaleb shrugged.
¡°Yeah. But I¡¯m a fucking demon!¡±
Typhanysor finished his sentence with an angry roar and then threw himself forward. His arms were spread wide, as if waiting for Kaleb to dodge to the side. Hissing in angry, the tall demon charged and Kaleb quickly back-pedaled. But the muddy terrain and the demon¡¯s own natural speed meant that Typhanysor was going to catch up quick. So Kaleb stopped retreating and threw himself at the demon.
Typhanysor¡¯s face went from a hissing, fang-filled snarl to surprised confusion. Kaleb nearly rammed his nose into the demon¡¯s furry waist as he kept firing his Cybar. The blue energy blasts smashed into the demon¡¯s red body and little clouds of steam would rise from the water they were kicking up. Both Kaleb and Typhanysor were getting soaked as the mud and water went everywhere. Typhanysor tried to back up and make space to swing his large arms. But Kaleb was just a bit faster.
Ducking in closer, Kaleb jammed his robotic arm into the demon¡¯s furry thigh and activated his spike launcher.
THUNK
A large metal spike introduced itself to the meatier part of Typhanysor¡¯s leg. The demon hissed in pain and Kaleb flung himself sideways, hoping the pain would distract the demon from hitting him. But there was no such luck.
BAM!
Kaleb felt an impact on his shoulder and he went twisting through the air. Tall reeds and bits of long grass whipped at his body as he was thrown backward. Thankfully, the mud made for a soft landing as Kaleb held onto his Cybar. He could hear Typhanysor marching closer. Kaleb reached into his coat and pulled out his Quad-Gun and waited as the big demon stalked his way toward him. Switching the output to ice, Kaleb aimed low and waited.
The long reeds and dark night made it hard for Kaleb to see, but the sounds of stomping hoofs gave him a good place to aim. Then the stomping stopped.
¡°Shit.¡± Kaleb hissed as he started slowly backing away, both guns still held in front of him.
The long reeds to his right rustled softly, but Kaleb kept his eyes straight ahead. He was sure Typhanysor was merely playing with him. A sound echoed off to his left, and Kaleb felt compelled to look. But instead he just kept walking backwards, using his peripheral vision to keep himself safe. A mist of darkness swelled up ahead of him, just to his right, and Kaleb aimed his Quad-Gun.
Pulling the trigger, Kaleb watched as a spray of icy mist mixed with the black cloud. Creating a blue-black swirl that hung in the air. When nothing more happened, Kaleb put an energy blast into the mist and went back to covering his surroundings. But just as he looked away, Typhanysor burst forth from the small black cloud. Bits of frost covered the demon¡¯s body as he charged Kaleb and jammed his sharp nails into Kaleb¡¯s torso.
The demon¡¯s nail¡¯s screeched through part of Kaleb¡¯s armor, but luckily didn¡¯t pierce any skin. Kaleb returned the gesture with more energy blasts and a sheet of icy mist down the Vanity Demon¡¯s face. Typhanysor snarled and hissed as he got a full blast of ice to his face. Kaleb jumped back and continued to spray the demon down as he vented and holstered his Cybar.
¡°What the fuck is your plan?! Chill me to death?!¡± Typhanysor screamed as the frost built up around his face and shoulders melted slowly.
The demon closed his eyes and exhaled. As he did, his red body glowed slightly, and the ice melted quicker, soaking the demon in cool water. Kaleb watched some of the water burst into clouds of steam as he cycled to the electricity setting of the quad-gun.
¡°Nope. It¡¯s this!¡± Kaleb said as he pulled the trigger.
An arc of yellow electricity surged forth from his gun and slammed into the large demon. The bits of water and ice clinging to the demon evaporated quickly as the electricity sparked across his face and chest. Typhanysor seized up as the current traveled across his face and even down his body. Kaleb took his chance and charged forth again. Robotic arm reared back to punch. He sent several devastating haymakers into the demon¡¯s body and with each punch he triggered his Spike Launcher.
THUNK
THUNK
THUNK
Kaleb jabbed three of the things into the demon¡¯s body and watched as the electrical current arced across each of the spikes. He had just enough time to pull the trigger on his Quad-Gun again as Typhanysor backhanded him. Kaleb felt the muddy ground suck at his shoes as he was lifted off his feet and sent flying backwards. He whipped through the grass again, like a missile. All the while, he kept his finger pulled on the Quad-Gun¡¯s trigger. For a brief moment, he saw the yellow electrical tether connect his weapon to the demon. But it soon broke off as he got too far away.
He hit the mud on his back and slid a short distance. He could hear Typhanysor still screeching as the electrical attack danced between the metal spikes in his body. His water soaked flesh hopefully helped things along. Kaleb pulled himself to his feet as the Vanity Demon¡¯s yowls of pain slowly stopped. He was planning his next angle of attack when the black mist appeared again. But this time, it was more of an enormous cloud than a light mist. Typhanysor was going to appear right on top of him! Kaleb tossed himself away as the demon¡¯s seven-foot tall frame coalesced almost on top of him. Spinning to take another electrical shot, Kaleb¡¯s wrist was smacked by the demon¡¯s meaty hand. The gun went flying and Kaleb was left wide open. Typhanysor¡¯s other clawed hand snaked underneath Kaleb¡¯s armor and lifted him into the air.
The demon hissed as he pulled Kaleb up to his face. ¡°Now that. Fucking hurt, you little weasel. You should¡¯ve escaped when I gave you an out. Or maybe even been smart and bent the knee. But now I¡¯m going to fucking- URK!¡±
Kaleb wasn¡¯t listening as he raised his robot arm and jammed his fist into the talkative demon¡¯s mouth. With a mental push, Kaleb fired his Spike Launcher again and again. He managed to shoot three more spikes into Typhanysor¡¯s lower jaw and mouth before the demon clamped his mouth down and bit his robotic hand off. Kaleb fell to the mud again as the demon dropped him and yelled in pain. With his remaining hand, Kaleb drew his Cybar again and started firing. As he did, he scanned the ground for his Quad-Gun. But it must have been flung further away because Kaleb wasn¡¯t seeing it.
Typhanysor stopped yelling in pain, and Kaleb dragged his eyes back to the tall demon. The demon¡¯s body was disappearing again, turning into the black mist. Kaleb mentally cursed as he saw his metal spikes fall away as Typhanysor became incorporeal. He vented his Cybar and kept searching for his Quad-Gun, but next to him, Typhanysor was slowly pulling himself together again. Once the demon fully formed himself, he turned to Kaleb and hissed. Displaying all of his sharp teeth.
¡°You will die. Slowly.¡±
Kaleb just sent another energy blast into the demon¡¯s face and backed up. Typhanysor stomped forward, arms held back, ready to claw Kaleb to shreds. That¡¯s when an almighty roar tore through the surrounding reeds. Kaleb swore he could feel the ground quake, even as Typhanysor stopped. They stared at each other in confusion until another roar rocked them both. It hit Kaleb the same time it seemed to occur to Typhanysor what the noise was.
¡°No.¡± The Vanity Demon almost whispered as he turned around and seemingly looked toward the source of the roar.
Kaleb grinned. ¡°Somebody wants his Nexus back, doesn¡¯t he?¡±
A low growl echoed through Typhanysor¡¯s throat as he rushed away, leaving Kaleb in the mud. Kaleb moved to follow, but his foot kicked something and he looked down. His Quad-gun sat half-buried in the mud and he sighed in relief. Picking it up, Kaleb did a quick inventory. His left hand was gone, but he still had a few spikes left. His Cybar was helpful, but not quite powerful enough. The quad-Gun was great for combo attacks, but Typhanysor was probably ready for that.
Holstering both his Cybar and his Quad-Gun, Kaleb sighed as he reached back into his coat. Drawing his Magic Gun, Kaleb tried to focus on the spell that he wanted. He still felt somewhat amped from the Nexus¡¯ power up. Or maybe that was the adrenaline from the fight. Another roar echoed through the night, and Kaleb hurried off after the Vanity Demon. He didn¡¯t know how close the Sludge Demon Lord was or if his friends were still fighting it. But he knew he wasn¡¯t going to let either of the Demons near that orb.
Chapter 154 – Gang’s All Here
Kaleb used the time he went running after Typhanysor to finally get a look at his surroundings. The tall reeds and long grass made him think he was on the plains somewhere. But to his back and at the east and west sides of his eyeline, he could see the lights of two well-lit cities or towns on the horizon. The lack of car sounds were interesting, but it was the middle of the night. However, he couldn¡¯t hear or see the command center the cops had established along the road. So he was somewhere north of two towns and far enough away from the cops to not count on help.
The constant roars of the Sludge Demon had Kaleb hopeful that his friends were chasing the thing this way. But he had his own demon to fry. Ahead of him, Typhanysor cut through the long reeds and muddy ground like a tractor. The demon¡¯s broad back made quite the target for his Magic Gun. But he couldn''t concentrate on his magic and run at the same time. It was when the Vanity Demon slowed that Kaleb risked focusing on his weapon. Typhanysor came to a stop and knelt down just as Kaleb¡¯s attention fully sank into his weapon.
He felt his mana seeping into his hand and being pulled into the gun. Picturing in his mind want he wanted, Kaleb took careful aim at Typhanysor¡¯s red back. Kaleb knelt in the mud, his jeans pushing the wet earth aside. Exhaling slowly, Kaleb felt the twinge of a headache forming between his eyes. He cut off the flow of mana and pulled the trigger on the Magic Gun.
The vial at the gun¡¯s center swirled faster until it was a blue blur. It absorbed his mana and shaped it to his will as it passed it down into the barrel. With a low crack, a long blue spear of ice shot forth from the tip of his gun and lanced through the dark. The silent spear cut its way between the dark stalks of reeds and hit Typhanysor¡¯s back with a wet and meaty sound. Kaleb winced as the Vanity Demon roared, echoing the Demon Lord that was barreling toward them.
Black blood trailed down Typhanysor¡¯s back as he staggered around. The ice spear had cut straight through the demon and pierced him just to the left of his spine. Right under the left pectoral. Kaleb didn¡¯t celebrate as Typhanysor whirled on him, the spear of ice already melting away. Instead, he swapped back to his Cybar and continued to charge ahead. He could barely see the black orb of demonic power lying on the ground next to the yowling Typhanysor.
¡°You puny! Insignificant! Fucking mortal!¡± Typhanysor screamed as the spear in his chest fully burned away.
A gaping hole leaking black blood remained on the demon¡¯s body, and that was Kaleb¡¯s target as he continued to fire. Blue balls of energy crashed into Typhanysor¡¯s red chest, and Kaleb could hear the beast grunt with each hit. The demon looked torn as Kaleb rushed him. In the distance, the Sludge Demon¡¯s roars were getting louder and closer. Kaleb could see the math being worked out behind the Vanity Demon¡¯s eyes. He was wondering if he could kill Kaleb and run before the bigger threat would arrive. Kaleb was going to make him pay for taking the time to think about that.
When there was less than fifteen feet between them, Kaleb started firing into the Demon¡¯s face. Typhanysor growled and crossed his arms across his face to block some of the energy. Kaleb put on a burst of speed and then dropped into the mud. He slid, legs first, past the demon. The wet ground, giving him just enough of a slide to make it to the orb. Typhanysor jerked around, his sharp fingernails held up and ready to gut Kaleb. But he was already ducking around the taller demon and making a run toward the screaming Demon Lord.
¡°NO!¡± Typhanysor bellowed.
Kaleb put his Cybar in its holster and cradled the orb against his armor. He was careful not to touch it with his real hand. But his robotic hand was gone so all he could was carefully balance the demonic orb between his robotic arm and chest. He pulled his right coat sleeve over his hand, used that to stable the thing. But even through the armored lab coat, it made him nauseous.
Another roar from Typhanysor made Kaleb looked around and he could see that the demon was already gaining on him. The Vanity Demon¡¯s cloven hoofs dug through the muddy ground as he screamed incoherently. His long arms were spread out and his fingernails cut through all the reeds and grass they touched. The demon ran chest-first as he chased after Kaleb and the hole in his chest was still bleeding profusely.
¡°Small miracles.¡± Kaleb grunted as he tried to pick up the pace.
But the muddy ground pulled at his shoes with every step. His stamina was dropping quickly, and he was going to be forced to engage Typhanysor again. But a sudden thought hit him as he spun on the spot and held the orb to his chest. Typhanysor, blinded by rage and pain, took a running swing at Kaleb. At the last moment, Kaleb activated Shocky and summoned the small shield to his forearm. Kaleb felt the demon¡¯s nails hit his shield, and he jumped as the force of the blow hit him.
The nails scratched up his arm and shield, leaving long rends in the metal. Kaleb was flung backward as Typhanysor hit him. He sailed in the direction of the Demon Lord as he watched Typhanysor seize up from Shocky¡¯s stun feature. Kaleb wanted to grin in triumph, but a pneumatic hissing sound coming from his arm made him wince. He didn¡¯t know what was broken, and he didn¡¯t have time to guess as his flight met a sudden stop. He hit the ground hard for what felt like the billionth time that night. Except this time, there was no mud to cushion his fall.
Hard earth met his legs and then back as he skidded across the ground like a stone over water. He tried to maintain a grip on the orb, but it went sailing the first time his body spun across the ground. The immediate relief he felt from releasing the demonic thing was immediately squashed by the howling of the Demon Lord. The thing was very close. Kaleb quickly glanced at his bars for the first time.
Health: 115/209
Stamina: 40/168
Mana: 5/110
It wasn¡¯t too bad. His new armor had saved him from a rougher beating. But his run through the mud and his shot with his magic gun drained his Mana and Stamina. Kaleb pulled himself to his feet as he quickly took off his lab coat. Finding the Nexus Orb, he wrapped it in his coat and took off at a run again. His Stamina dropped before his eyes as he did, but he could sense Typhanysor getting closer. The short stun effect from his shield wasn¡¯t going to buy him too much time.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Thankfully, the Sludge Demon¡¯s roars of anger were getting closer and closer. Something Kaleb never thought he¡¯d be thankful for. In fact, as the bulbous midnight-black head of the sludge monster towered over the reeds in front of him, Kaleb started to question his plan. It was only the sounds of shouting coming from his guild mates that gave him some relief.
¡°Where is the damn thing goin?¡¯.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, but we need to get it contained again.¡±
¡°No shit, Sher-Lock. Did you think of that plan by yourself? I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but that damn thing hammered its way past the police mages. We don¡¯t have the people to make a barrier!¡±
¡°Solutions, Abby, not complaints. We need a plan!¡±
Kaleb came crashing through a fresh batch of reeds and barely had enough time to register anything before he shouted.
¡°Here!¡±
He held up the orb, wrapped haphazardly in his white lab coat. Claire and Mass were wrestling with the blobby and sticky Sludge Lord¡¯s humanoid form. It opened its mouth wide and howled again as Kaleb came into view. Two Gun was firing laser blasts into the thing as Abby and D34d-I hacked and shot it. Nearby Vivienne was standing with Jar-Lock examining the fight. Everyone¡¯s heads turned to regard him as another different roar rose to meet the Sludge Demon¡¯s.
Typhanysor barreled closer and Kaleb slowly backed away. The bleeding, exhausted demon took in the scene in front of him and growled in annoyance. The demon¡¯s eyes narrowed on Kaleb and he charged forward, his hoofs kicking up dirt as he moved. Kaleb raised his robotic arm and tried to fire a spike, but all he got was the crackling of loose live wires. His mind raced to find a solution, but nothing came to him as Typhanysor¡¯s long nails reached for his face.
Two blue flashes of light zipped over Kaleb¡¯s head and smacked into Typhanysor¡¯s face at the last moment and Kaleb turned to see a smiling Two Gun. The cowboy tipped an imaginary hat at him as the Vanity Demon screamed in pain. Looking back, Kaleb could see one of Two Gun¡¯s shots had hit the demon right in his eyes. Typhanysor was reeling, and Kaleb wanted to take advantage of it. Claire and Mass were dealing with the Sludge Demon. So, instead, he struck out with the only weapon available to him.
Using his coat as a handle, he swung the orb like a kettle bell and slammed it into Typhanysor¡¯s face. The demon stumbled, screaming in pain, and Kaleb rushed over to Two Gun and the others. The old cowboy glanced down at Kaleb¡¯s missing hand and grinned.
¡°Looked like you needed a hand, son.¡±
¡°You¡¯re fucking hilarious, old man. Why isn¡¯t that Demon Lord dead yet?¡±
¡°We can¡¯t kill him. We got to seal him away!¡± Jar-lock shouted over the roars of the two demons.
¡°Well, how the hell do we do that!?¡±
¡°We had a pile of mages about to do it. Then this beast went running off.¡± Claire said as she wrestled with the Sludge Lord¡¯s tendrils.
It was trying to pull its way over to Kaleb. But the combined strength of Mass and Claire was holding it. The Demon Lord inflated and shrank, but the two super-strong aliens held on to its inky mass. But it was a losing battle. Abby stopped slashing at the Demon Lord to examine Kaleb. Near her, D34d-I dropped his rifle and threw up his wing-like arms.
*Quack*
¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m out. We need to do something!¡±
¡°Working on it.¡± Jar-Lock said as the tattoos on his arm lit up with magic.
Vivienne put her own wand up as well. But she maintained an eye on Kaleb. ¡°What¡¯s in your coat?¡±
¡°The Demon Lord¡¯s Nexus of Power. The big red douche behind me was going to steal it.¡±
¡°What happened to the angel?¡± Abby asked.
Kaleb pulled up next to Abby and Two Gun. He nodded at Typhanysor, who was slowing rising to his feet.
¡°You¡¯re looking at him. Bastard was faking the whole time. Seemingly to get this.¡±
Kaleb unwrapped the orb and the Sludge Demon went nuts. It roared and inflated itself against Mass¡¯ and Claire¡¯s holds. It stretched and writhed and Kaleb could see that the Demon¡¯s skin was corroding or burning both Claire and Mass. He winced as he angled the orb for Jar-Lock and Vivienne to see.
¡°That¡¯s MINE!¡± Typhanysor roared as he leapt toward Kaleb.
Two Gun started firing as Kaleb dropped the orb in the dirt and ducked. Abby back-flipped away and came up with her shadow-blades on both of her arms. Typhanysor screamed against the oncoming fire, but he pushed through. Even as Abby charged him.
Kaleb drew his Cybar again and started firing. With Abby in Melee range and he and Two Gun on ranged DPS, they slowly chipped away at Typhanysor¡¯s health. But the tall demon was still pushing closer. Kaleb kicked the orb with his foot, pushing it closer to Jar-Lock. The mage looked down at the essence of pure demonic energy and then glanced back up at Kaleb.
¡°What am I supposed to do with this?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. Magic something. It¡¯s a giant demonic battery that the Demon Lord used to power his realm. Typhanysor wants it to empower himself and Sludgy over there wants it so his realm doesn¡¯t collapse. Now you plan!¡±
Kaleb focused on firing as Abby spun like a top around Typhanysor¡¯s legs. Her black shadowy blades sliced into the demon¡¯s furry legs and rivulets of black blood were pouring onto the floor. Two Gun¡¯s pistols created tiny pinpricks on the demon¡¯s skin with each shot and Kaleb¡¯s own blast seemed to peel away patches of Typhanysor¡¯s skin.
Fed up with Abby, Typhanysor ignored her and tried to charge toward the orb again. But this time Kaleb met him with his shield up. Abby slammed her own blades into Typhanysor¡¯s back just as Kaleb activated his shield. The Vanity Demon went rigid and Two Gun¡¯s blaster shots peppered his red chest. Kaleb raised his Cybar and fired off multiple shots into Typhanysor¡¯s face until he had to vent his pistol.
Typhanysor glared down at him. Even as Abby jumped onto his back and chopped her arm blades into the back of the demon¡¯s neck. He didn¡¯t break eye contact. Even as Two Gun¡¯s laser blasts danced up the demon¡¯s face. Even as he grunted in pain and slumped down on top of Kaleb. Typhanysor¡¯s glare never wavered.
Kaleb met the glare with one of his own as he heard his Cybar beep. Raising the weapon up, Kaleb noticed Typhanysor was vanishing into a cloud of mists. He was momentarily worried until he realized the mist was slightly different. It blew away on the wind, seeming more like dust than the demon¡¯s weird mist-form. Just for safety, Kaleb put another blast of energy into Typhanysor¡¯s face. It dispersed the cloud into a puff of dust as Kaleb¡¯s shot went through the demon¡¯s face and hit the ground by Abby¡¯s feet.
Abby said nothing though as they all waited to see if Typhanysor was really dead. Then a massive roar reminded them all that the Sludge Demon was still around. Spinning around, Kaleb raised his gun, ready to take on the next demon. But Jar-lock¡¯s cry stopped him.
¡°Wait, Professor. I¡¯m going to need your help with this. Two Gun, Abby, focus on keeping the Demon Lord contained.¡±
¡°What do you think we¡¯re doing, dear?!¡± Claire screamed, pain clearly evident in her voice.
¡°Hurts!¡± Mass echoed in the same tone.
¡°I have a plan!¡± Jar-lock said, raising the demonic orb in his hand.
Kaleb blinked as the mage seemed to have no problem holding a source of pure demonic energy. Then he noticed a shimmer of magic around Jar-lock¡¯s hand. He had coated his hand in magic and was using it as a glove to hold the Nexus. Kaleb bit back a growl of aggravation as he moved closer to Jar-lock and Vivienne.
The three of them huddled around the orb as the rest of the party wrestled with the Demon Lord. Kaleb sighed as he knelt down. The night was still young, and they had one last Demon to deal with.
Chapter 155 – The Demon Lord
The Sludge Demon roared as Kaleb and his friends put their heads together. Behind him, Abby, Two Gun, Claire and Mass were trying to keep the seven-foot Sludgy humanoid in check. Nearby D34d-I was approaching Kaleb. Jar-lock and Vivienne were having a whispered conversation as the feathery alien stuck a hand out to Kaleb and quacked.
*Quack*
¡°Got a loaner I can borrow while you three noodle over the orb.¡±
Kaleb pulled his Cybar and passed it over into one of D34d-I¡¯s four hands. Thinking it over, Kaleb then pulled his Quad-Gun and spun it to ice. D34d-I stared at the gun warily, but Kaleb simply handed it over and shrugged.
¡°Keep it on blue and it should freeze the thing up pretty well. Just don¡¯t hold the trigger too long. The frame has been strong enough so far. But who knows how much longer it can last?¡±
D34d-I carefully grabbed the gun and then waddled off to help the others. Kaleb, feeling naked without most of his weapons and gadgets tried to pull his lab coat over himself. Then he realized his coat was still in the dirt a short distance away. He sighed and instead focused on the two mages who were still whispering over the Nexus Orb.
Jar-Lock and Vivienne seemed to be engaged in a heated, whispered discussion. The tall blonde woman was vehemently shaking her head as Jar-lock was pointing down at the orb in his hand. Kaleb snorted, getting their attention as he waved his mechanical arm around. The wrist where his hand used to be sparked and snapped menacingly, but he ignored it.
¡°Something y¡¯all want to share with the rest of the class? Our friends are over there trying to kill a Demon Lord, y¡¯know?¡±
¡°Actually, they are trying not to kill it. If we do, it¡¯ll just go back to its realm and we¡¯ll be back where we started.¡± Jar-lock explained.
¡°What we need to do is draw a containment sigil and find a decent container to hold the bastard.¡± Said Vivienne.
¡°And I¡¯m telling you we don¡¯t need that!¡± Jar-lock interjected. ¡°We have a magical tether to the Demon Lord. All we have to do is reverse the pull and suck the sonofabitch into this thing!¡±
Kaleb glanced at the orb Jar-lock was waving around. Even now, the thing tried to twist his vision and was giving him a headache. Kaleb turned away and watched the ongoing fight between his friends and the Sludge Lord. Claire and Mass were slamming their fists into the thing¡¯s amorphous body. They didn¡¯t seem to be doing a lot of damage, but it kept the thing¡¯s attention. Abby and Two Gun were getting in the odd shot as they could. But D34d-I was standing off to the side, only occasionally joining in. In fact, the duck seemed hesitant to even use Kaleb¡¯s weapons. Kaleb rolled his eyes and rejoined the conversation with the two mages.
¡°Ok, so we suck the demon into the orb. What are the possible outcomes?¡±
Jar-lock glanced up. ¡°Well, if it works, we contain the Demon in a prison of its own design. Which it may be impossible for it to break out.¡±
¡°May be impossible?¡±
¡°The orb was created by the demon and uses its strength to sustain itself. The demon would need a strength greater than that to break itself out. But the stronger the demon gets, the stronger the orb becomes. So it¡¯s a feedback loop the thing can¡¯t get out of.¡±
¡°Or,¡± Vivienne spoke up. ¡°The orb won¡¯t be able to contain the demon and instead we blow ourselves to kingdom come. It would be like trying to jam two batteries together and hoping the result is a bigger, stronger battery.¡±
¡°What about if we waited for the cops? Maybe they have something to help?¡±
Jar-lock shook his head. ¡°The police mages got hit with a massive backlash when this thing busted out of their containment field. We were trying to get it contained. But then it sensed its orb.¡±
¡°It went ape-shit and crashed through the barrier. Most of the mages dropped from the massive amounts of mana that was thrust back into them all at once.¡±
¡°So we either take the risky option or we try to wait it out until we find someway to contain it?¡± Kaleb asked dubiously.
Vivienne bit her lip in annoyance. But a shout from the fight behind them drew their attention. The sludge monster had grabbed Claire¡¯s leg and flung her bodily away. With only Mass to hold the beast back, the Sludge Lord jerked toward them menacingly. It ignored Abby and Two Gun as they tried to get its attention and rushed for its orb. Kaleb swore and reached for a gun, but all he had was his Magic Gun.
Jar-lock and Vivienne summoned their magic and their minor spells as they all backed up. Kaleb tried to focus as he aimed his Magic Gun. He could see D34d-I still shooting with the Cybar just beyond the Sludge Demon and he hissed angrily.
¡°Damn it, Duck! Freeze the damn thing!¡±
As Kaleb yelled, he unleashed his own stream of ice from his magic gun. He could feel his mana leave him as the Sludge Demon¡¯s black oily flesh turned blue and started to harden. Jar-lock¡¯s fireball and Vivienne¡¯s white bolts also hit the creature, searing its roiling flesh. But it still tried to rush them, long tendrils of black sludge reaching for Jar-lock and the prize the bulky mage held in his hand.
Kaleb cut his stream of ice off as he felt himself reach the bottom of his mana pool. A flash of something in the corner of his eye tried to draw his attention, but he ignored it. All the notifications could be gone through at the end of the night. He was rapidly searching his pockets for something else to throw at the Lord when D34d-I finally started firing his own ice ray into the creature. Kaleb looked up to throw the duck a thank you and instead saw Abby standing there with his gun. D34d-I was behind the short woman as she fired off sheets of ice into the back of the Demon Lord.
¡°Really?¡± Kaleb had to ask as he glared at D34d-I.
The alien duck merely shrugged at him. Apparently, his equipment was well-trusted with the duck. Kaleb bit back an angry comment as he shook his head and turned back to Jar-lock and Vivienne. Both of the mages had switched to ice attacks as well. Between Abby, Jar-lock, and Vivienne, they managed to freeze a sizeable chunk of the Sludgy demon. Its skin turned to ice, and it slowly stopped moving. Becoming a large frozen sculpture of a creepy-looking sludge demon.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Kaleb blew out a breath as the others joined him and the mages. Two Gun spat on the ground as Claire rushed back over to them. Mass also put himself between the iced demon and the rest of the group. Both Super-Strong members of the group looked worn down and beaten. Their armor was corroded and pitted from the demon¡¯s sludge. Kaleb started thinking redesigns as Abby walked over and handed him his Quad-Gun.
¡°Stupid duck was afraid to use it.¡±
¡°Saw that.¡± Kaleb acknowledged.
*Quack*
¡°In my defense, I¡¯ve had to listen to you cause explosions in that little lab of yours for a while now. How was I supposed to know how safe that contraption is?¡±
¡°The fact I brought it into the field should¡¯ve been a clue.¡± Kaleb sighed.
¡°Hey, how about we table this discussion for after we don¡¯t have a slowly melting demon in front of us?¡± Two Gun nearly growled.
¡°The ice won¡¯t hold it for long. We need to seal it, quickly.¡± Jar-lock said.
¡°We don¡¯t have a proper container!¡± Vivienne argued.
Kaleb rubbed a hand down his face. ¡°Then we use what we have! Which, I¡¯m sorry, happens to be the Nexus Orb.¡±
Two Gun glanced between Kaleb and the Mages. ¡°Problems?¡±
¡°If we fuck it up, the orb will explode and kill us all.¡±
Vivienne snorted. ¡°And it will create a crater the size of a football field. Plus, the demon will still get away!¡±
¡°Which is why the others need to hurry and run. The three of us can take the workload. The Professor might not have a lot of mana capacity, but he won¡¯t need much to pass the magic through.¡±
¡°So I¡¯m a magical transformer?¡±
¡°Essentially. You take in the demonic energy and pass it Vivienne, who creates a spell to pull the energy further down the line to me. When it gets to me, I thread it into the orb and try to reverse its pull.¡±
A sheet of ice cracked on the demon, and Kaleb hissed loudly. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go. Everyone back off and hope this works.¡±
Claire grabbed Two Gun and leaped away as Mass did the same for D34d-I. Abby gave them all one last look before she vanished into the shadows. Sighing as his friends all vanished, Kaleb tried to rub his hands together. But wound up shocking his hand with his still sparking broken arm.
¡°So how do I do this?¡± Kaleb asked as he shook the pain out of his hand.
Jar-lock sat in the dirt and stared at the orb as Vivienne prepared herself. She pointed her wand toward the frozen demon and explained.
¡°You need to make contact and find the demon¡¯s mana signature. Once you have it, mentally grab hold of it and try to pass it on to me. From there, it¡¯s just a matter of holding on.¡±
Kaleb winced. ¡°This is going to feel gross, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°I imagine.¡± Vivienne said, not looking happy about it either.
Blowing out another breath, Kaleb approached the melting demon and reached out with his normal hand. His palm came into contact with the melt ice and he felt it sink into the sludge. Immediately, his skin started to burn, and he hissed against the pain. He reached out with his magic and tried to focus. But he couldn¡¯t find anything.
¡°Use your sight,¡± Jar-lock ordered.
Kaleb bit back a snide remark and focused his magic to his eyes. Instantly, his vision was obscured by a large black cloud of mana surrounding them all. It coiled and writhed around everything and seemed to be centered on the demon. Kaleb tried to grab a piece, but the cloud evaporated in his hands. He tried again, but the stuff wriggled and slipped from his grasp over and over. Getting frustrated, Kaleb reached for a tendril of mana that sprung from the demon like a tentacle. His hands made contact, and for a moment, he was elated. Then the tendril slipped away.
¡°Argh! What am I doing wrong?¡±
¡°Use your mind, not your hand. Focus!¡±
¡°We are definitely getting you some magic training after this.¡±
¡°Put it on my list!¡± Kaleb shouted as he focused his emotions and reached out with his mind.
His mental grasp coiled around the same tendril as before, and he felt the thing squash under his control. As he did, a gross smell crossed his nose, and he immediately felt like he had eaten garbage. He wanted to retch, but Kaleb knew that would mean letting go. So instead he gathered up the mana and mentally threw it at Vivienne.
¡°Incoming.¡± Kaleb gulped out as he tried not to vomit.
He used his magic sight to see the mana hit the tall blonde. Her face recoiled, and she almost fell over before she waved her wand and sent the power on down the line.
¡°Keep it coming! Faster!¡± Jar-lock yelled as he focused on the orb.
Kaleb winced and started mentally digging the mana off the Demon Lord. With each mental grab, a new level of gross hit Kaleb in his senses. His eyes burned, his ears hurt, and he could smell and taste things so vile he didn¡¯t want to think about them. But he kept at it, scooping the mana of the Demon Lord away with his mind. Soon Sludgy got free enough to start roaring again. But Kaleb ignored it as passing the demonic mana along got easier.
Soon, it felt like the demon wanted to pass through Kaleb. It was after another few minutes of transferring mana that Kaleb realized something was wrong. The mana was still being pulled down the line between them. But little bits of demonic magic were sticking to Kaleb with each growing regularity. He tried to tell the others, but opening his mouth made him want to puke. He couldn¡¯t say or do anything as more of the black sludgy mana stuck to his on magical aura.
¡°We¡¯re almost done!¡± Jar-lock cheered, apparently unconcerned.
Kaleb tried to speak or say anything. But the wave of demonic energy in his body consumed him. Soon he was a passenger in his own mind. His mouth stuck shut by demonic mana. His body was shrouded in it and he momentarily wondered why neither of the others could see it. Then Vivienne said something that gave him hope.
¡°There¡¯s something wrong.¡±
Kaleb gave a cheer within his mind prison. However, what happened next made him shudder in fear. His body spun around without his conscious thought. He was stuck watching as he turned on Vivienne and Jar-lock. Jar-lock was still looking down upon the orb, but Vivienne was watching him. Kaleb felt his eyes lock on the orb and his body moved.
Arms wrapped in dark tendrils reached out toward the orb. Kaleb could just catch glimpses of his body as it passed by the mental window he was peering out of. He looked like he was covered in the Demon Lord¡¯s mana. Vivienne shouted a warning and Kaleb felt a flash of pain hit him in the side. But his body ignored it as both of his tendril-like hands reached Jar-lock and the orb.
The big mage barely had enough time to glance up as Kaleb¡¯s arms switched to large black spikes. A look of shock passed over Jar-lock¡¯s face as Kaleb''s spiky arms cut through his chest. Vivienne cried out again as Jar-lock slumped over. Kaleb watched his body ignore the mage as he reached out for the orb once more. He could feel the power pulsing within. Whatever Jar-lock had done to the Nexus was making it call out to Kaleb. His tendrils coiled around the orb, and Kaleb felt a sense of home. The nasty feelings in his senses abated, and for a moment he thought he was safe. Then an unnatural pull dragged at Kaleb¡¯s center. He watched through his little window as his face and head were dragged toward the orb. The disgusting feeling came back as Kaleb felt his consciousness slip into the void, inky blackness surrounding his mental prison. Somewhere outside his mind, Kaleb heard his own voice howling in rage.
Chapter 156 – Sea Of Sludge
Again, Kaleb found himself falling. Spinning end over end into an abyss that he couldn¡¯t see out of. He didn¡¯t waste time screaming as he tumbled through the darkness, though. Instead, he sighed loudly at the fact that this felt like the hundredth time he¡¯d been flung through the air.
¡°I really need to invent some hover boots or something. This is getting ridiculous.¡±
As Kaleb tumbled through the air, the smell of decay and rot filled his nostrils. He could still feel the magical presence of the Demon Lord. But was he still in his mindscape, or did he get sucked into the Nexus orb with the Sludge Demon? Kaleb did not know and with the scenery whipping by his face so fast, he wasn¡¯t likely to find out soon either. He tried to right himself during his fall and that¡¯s when he discovered something peculiar.
He had both his hands, and both were flesh and blood. A quick glance down his body also confirmed that he was naked¡ and he had a damn tail. He spun in mid-air as he tried to get a proper look at it. But the long, green tail flailed around as he fell. He could feel the thing trying to obey his commands, but it couldn¡¯t fight the wind passing by.
Kaleb tried to take further stock of his surroundings and body. But his fall was suddenly stopped. He didn¡¯t hit the ground or splash into the sludge that made up the entire place. He simple froze in mid-air. Kaleb struggled to get his feet under him as he looked around. The place was still completely black, but he could see the telltale signs of sludge dripping and roiling around him. There even looked like there was a curve to the ceiling above him. Which made him think he was in the Nexus.
¡°Well¡ shit.¡± Kaleb said into the void.
An absolutely rank taste entered his mouth when he opened it and Kaleb hurriedly closed it to save himself. Now that he was aware of it, he could feel his nostrils stinging and even his skin tingling from the foulness of the place. He was in the Nexus of a Sludge Demon. He needed to get out quickly before the place eroded him.
¡°THERE¡ IS¡ NO¡ ESCAPE!¡±
A watery roar tore through the blackness of the void and sent Kaleb reeling from the sheer force of it. He winced and looked around before he realized it was coming from everywhere. Even inside his own head.
¡°SUBMIT¡ AND¡ BE¡ MY¡ AVATAR!¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s going to be a no from me. How about you get the fuck out of my head?¡±
Kaleb felt something grip his body by the torso and force him lower. As he dropped, he saw the roiling mass of sludge beneath him raise. He struggled against the pull as the sludge bubbled and squelched below. His nose was almost submerged in the muck when the invisible grip let go.
¡°SUBMIT!¡±
Kaleb opened his mouth to respond, but the stench of the sludge made him hack and retch. He tried to move his face away. But nothing happened. Sighing, he settled for a simple shake of his head. An insignificant act of defiance. But it seemed to upset the Demon Lord enough for him to roar in annoyance.
¡°ARGHHH!¡±
The entire world shook, and Kaleb could feel his teeth rattle in his skull. He shook off the feeling and focused on how to get out of this predicament. First, he needed to be able to move. Kaleb pulled his focus inward and tried to think of something. He was in a magical realm, without his gadgets and weapons. Or even his clothes. All he had were his four limbs, a new tail, and his wits.
¡°Wait a second. That¡¯s not all I have.¡±
Kaleb reached for his core of magical power and felt his mind settle. The warm glow of his mana suffused him with comfort, and he felt his whole body go slack. The power echoed through his body and Kaleb felt like the most powerful being alive. Then he fell headfirst into the Sludge.
His body hit the sea of sludge all at once, and he was quickly dragged under. He felt the oily, sticky stuff try to grab at his body. But his own magical power ate away at the inky tendrils. He scrambled against the ocean of sludge and pulled himself to the surface. Once there, he tried to swim, but his hands slammed into the hard surface of the sludge.
An orange glow suffused his skin and Kaleb saw it push back the sludge. The sharp nails on his hands bit of sludge and he slowly dragged himself forward. But it was tough going. The sludge below tried to wrap around his legs and pull him under. But his orange mana burned away the sludge and Kaleb managed to get himself on stable ground. Even though the patch of sludge he stood on looked no different from all the rest of the sludge.
Kaleb checked his mana points and winced. He was burning through mana in this place, and it was dropping quickly. He played with the idea of switching off his orange aura. But he really didn¡¯t trust the place not to engulf him the second it was gone. Although that was going to be a problem in a few minutes. Instead he focused on turning his blazing orange aura into a light shimmer across his skin. Remembering Jar-lock¡¯s own mana manipulation when handling the orb helped.
Soon the bright orange glow was a steady, barely visible shimmer across his body. The MP cost dropped considerably, and Kaleb blew out a relieved breath. Then the ground beneath his feet started to buck and roll. The disembodied demonic voice roared again and the entire world trembled. Kaleb expected another command to submit his body. But instead a sludge monster arose out of the sludge in front of him.
The humanoid sludge creature opened its mouth and roared. As it did, its liquid arms changed into spikes and it charged. Kaleb dove away as the sludge monster barreled down on him like a missile. He felt the sludge monster¡¯s spike arms scythe through the air by his shoulder. But, thankfully, it missed him.
Kaleb rolled out of the dive and pulled himself to his feet. The creature was turning for another swipe, but Kaleb wasn¡¯t going to give it the chance. He rushed forward, hands extended and fingers splayed out to make use of his sharp nails. He caught the monster flat-footed and managed to scrape his nails across the beast¡¯s shoulder. A loud popping and hissing noise filled the air as Kaleb¡¯s attack seemed to burn away part of the sludge.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
But his triumph was short-lived as the creature swung its forearm and hit Kaleb across the face. He stumbled back and tried to right himself. But the beast was already on him. It jabbed at him with its spike arms and tried to impale him. But his aura of magic flashed, and the blows were blunted. But that didn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t hurt.
Kaleb bent over as a particularly harsh blow to his gut made him want to retch. He gathered himself quick and got his arms up to defend. But the sludge monster side-stepped around him and battered his back and side. Kaleb jumped away and tried to keep the creature in front of him, but it was moving too fast. His peripheral vision caught the monster charging his right side, and Kaleb tried to turn and get a defense up. But he was too slow.
However, the sludge creature jerked to a stop, and its spike arms flailed ineffectually. Kaleb couldn¡¯t figure out what happened until he glanced downward. His tail was wrapped around the sludge creature¡¯s leg and stopping it from moving. Kaleb grinned and focused his mind on his tail. With a grunt of effort, he tripped his opponent and dragged him away. His tail wasn¡¯t strong enough to throw the thing. But Kaleb could imagine how fun that would be.
The beast roared in anger and jumped to his feet. Kaleb¡¯s tail lost its hold, and he charged the creature as it stood to its full height. Kaleb ignored its wailing and thrust all ten of his sharp tails into the thing¡¯s sludgy chest. His fingers sank deep, and they sizzled as his mana burned into the sludge. A moment of triumph flashed across his mind again. So Kaleb quickly jumped back and waited for the other shoe to drop.
His finger nails came free with little drops of sludge burning away as the creature roared. As Kaleb backed away, the beast charged and swung both its arms toward Kaleb¡¯s torso. Expecting to be jabbed with the creature¡¯s spike arms again, Kaleb was surprised to be grabbed from both sides. The sludge monster had switched his arms back into large hands that gripped him about the middle. His mana still burned away the sludge, but the beast ignored the popping and sizzling of its flesh.
Kaleb wrestled against the thing¡¯s hold and even tried to claw the sludge off. But the beast merely redoubled its hold. He was so focused on getting the sludge off that Kaleb missed the fact the sludge monster was shrinking. It wasn¡¯t until the creature was shorter than Kaleb that he noticed. The sludge monster was sinking into the sludgy ground and it was pulling Kaleb with it.
Kaleb panicked and tried everything. He flared his mana, beat at the arms holding him, and even tried to beat the beast back with his tail. But nothing worked, as the sludge monster had a death grip on his waist. He was dragged into the muck again, feet first. His orange mana flared to life and tried to stop the sludge from corroding him away. But soon a headache formed between Kaleb¡¯s eyes and he sighed heavily. He was dead. His mana was going to give out, and his body was going to be pulled under. Then who knew what the demon would do with him? Maybe the demon would use his body to attack his friends and they would kill him? Would he go to Deathville or respawn at the Cop¡¯s medical tent again?
The sludge was just past his chest when his mana gave out, and his aura disappeared. Kaleb winced against the headache caused by mana exhaustion. He tried to stay cognizant enough to watch what happened next. Merely from morbid curiosity. Then a booming voice echoed throughout the Nexus again, making his headache ten times worse.
¡°SUBMIT!¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes, even as the sludge climbed up his chin. ¡°Like a broken record with this. Get another question, jackass. The answer is still no!¡±
Kaleb¡¯s face was half-submerged as the demon increased its roaring. Kaleb¡¯s eyes watered and he could feel the entire nexus shaking, even as his face was almost completely covered. Then a different voice spoke up. One that made the demon¡¯s own booming baritone seem like the chirping of birds. It rattled Kaleb¡¯s mind, and he felt himself stop sinking into the sludge.
¡°THRICE HAS AN OFFER BEEN MADE AND THRICE HAS IT BEEN DENIED. THE LAWS ARE CLEAR.¡±
The voice seemed mildly disinterested as its voice nearly turned Kaleb¡¯s brain into paste. The competing Demon Lord¡¯s voice was almost a welcome reprieve.
¡°NO! HE¡¯S MINE!¡±
¡°THE LAWS WILL BE OBEYED, DEMON!¡±
Kaleb¡¯s body was lifted from the sludge and he spun lamely in the air. He felt an unseeing eye scan his entire body, and he felt like his entire soul was laid bare. The nexus still shook and Kaleb was starting to grow dizzy from the booming voices and the smell of the place. A bright light was cast from above, and suddenly, a surge of power hit Kaleb. He floated in the center of the spotlight even as the Demon Lord wailed in anger. He didn¡¯t know who the second voice was, but they were clearly higher up the totem pole than some Demon Lord.
Kaleb felt his body be pulled slowly upward, the beam of bright light cascading across his naked body. As he went, he flipped the void the finger and smiled. The nexus shook even more violently, and Kaleb reveled in his own pettiness. His ascension sped up as the world started shaking more violently. He was approaching the source of the beam of light, and Kaleb had a sinking feeling he was going to be flung through the air again.
And he was right. As his face hit the apex of the shining light, he felt a rush of air around his shoulders. Next thing he knew, he was tumbling across the dirt and grass. The stench of the Nexus was gone, though, and Kaleb relished in the scents of the muddy grass and night air. Muffled voices yelled as he went sprawling across the ground. But Kaleb ignored them all as he tried to stop his rolling.
Once he came to a full stop, Kaleb laid there in the muck. His headache was slowly ebbing and his clothes were firmly in place again. That was a good thing. He didn¡¯t want to be flung back into the real world stark naked. His robotic arm was back in place as well, and his tail was gone. Which he found himself saddened by.
Jar-lock¡¯s voice broke into his reverie as footsteps slowly got closer.
¡°Careful. It¡¯s likely he is still possessed.¡±
¡°Fuck you too, Jar. How¡¯s your chest wound?¡±
¡°I healed him.¡± Vivienne called over. ¡°Are you back to yourself?¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s an interesting question. I feel like myself, but how could you tell if I still was myself? I mean, supposedly a demon would know enough about me to fake being me. So you couldn¡¯t really rely on character traits.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his chin as he heard Two Gun snort.
¡°Sure as shit sounds like him.¡±
¡°Yeah, but it would. Which is what he was saying.¡± Abby said.
Kaleb closed his eyes and laid back in the mud. ¡°How about this? We wait here for the cops and other mages. Then we can worry about whose a demon or not. For now, I want to revel in a job well done and a demon foiled.¡±
¡°Well, you say that¡¡± Jar-lock said in a tone that made Kaleb open his eyes.
¡°What?¡±
¡°The nexus orb is gone.¡±
¡°Shit.¡±
Chapter 157 – After-Action
They spent the rest of the night hunting for the damn Nexus orb. Even the cops got involved, as well as the mage divisions from two separate precincts. But it all came to nothing. The orb was gone. It left only an imprint of mana in its wake. Jar-lock and the other mages theorized that whatever entity that ejected Kaleb was also responsible for the orb¡¯s disappearance.
He was questioned multiple times by various mages and technicians about everything that was said and that he¡¯d seen. But none of them could identify the mysterious voice. Kaleb had been engaged with the mysterious up until two a.m. That¡¯s when he started snapping at people. He was cold; he was wet, and his equipment needed to be repaired and cleaned. Most of the others agreed with him, except for Jar-lock. So, with promises to file full reports with three different police districts, Kaleb and his guild mates left.
Now Kaleb sat in the passenger seat of his car while Roy drove. The young Nova had arrived on the street with Kaleb¡¯s car and a stolen carafe of coffee. Kaleb wanted to kiss the kid. But then he got in the vehicle with Abby, Daivor, and Farrah again. Which meant that he and Abby were questioned almost immediately. Daivor zoned out of the conversation when he realized Kaleb hadn¡¯t acquired any demonic weapons or metals. But Farrah and Roy wanted to hear every last detail. First from Abby, then Kaleb¡¯s point of view.
Kaleb was interested in learning what had transpired when the others had gone through the portal home. But it was a pretty standard boss fight affair. They beat the enormous sludgy mass down to size and then went in for the capture. But that was when Kaleb and Typhanysor popped out and upset everything. From there, Kaleb told his own tale about being left behind, the faux-angel, and dealing with Typhanysor.
¡°¡ then you know the rest. Big booming voice, scary black void, and my eventual expulsion.¡± Kaleb finished as he sipped at his cooling coffee.
Abby nodded slowly as Farrah studied his face. The rabbit-woman was clearing looking for signs of something. But Kaleb couldn¡¯t guess what. Abby tiredly rubbed her eyes as she asked.
¡°Do you think there ever was an angel named George in that demonic realm?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°No idea. But I doubt it. Typhanysor was pretty weak. It was my understanding that the Sludge Lord threw him in the dungeon for his many fuck-ups with the Demon Gang.¡±
¡°Hmph. At least we don¡¯t have to deal with those assholes anymore. Most of them were sacrificed during the demon-summoning.¡±
¡°Yes. But nature abhors a vacuum. I¡¯d wager a bet that our little slice of Austin will get more intense in the coming days. New gangs trying to move in and make a name for themselves.¡± Said Farrah, pulling her eyes away from Kaleb.
¡°So long as the cops or HLO don¡¯t handicap us, we¡¯ll be fine.¡± Kaleb sighed.
Farrah almost snorted in derision. ¡°With the good-will we garnered from this little raid, they won¡¯t be able to give us much trouble.¡±
¡°Huh?¡± Both Kaleb and Abby responded.
Farrah looked at the two before sighing. ¡°Y¡¯all just stopped a demonic incursion. A big one. Led by a damn Demon Lord. With the cops from Garfield and Wyldwood as witnesses, all of you will be celebrated as heroes¡ until the next big event happens.¡±
Kaleb drained the last of his coffee and then reached down by his feet for the carafe. Abby snorted as he drained the last of the coffee into his cup.
¡°I can¡¯t believe you stole that.¡± She said.
Roy in the driver''s seat shrugged. ¡°I wanted to be useful and you know how the Doc gets without his coffee.¡±
¡°How about you, kid? Anything interesting happen in the command tent?¡±
Both Farrah and Roy shook their heads. ¡°No. Not really. We learned the reporting and verification procedures the police department use. But those are similar to what Farrah taught us. The exciting stuff only happened when Abby and the others were flung out of the portal. When y¡¯all disappeared, the police mages moved in to investigate the scene. But the judge with the ambient mana in the air, if you were to come back it would be there.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Abby said idly as she sat forward in her seat. Almost hitting the metal grate that separated the front and back. ¡°But what¡¯s really important is how did you make out experience-wise? I gained so many Evo Points for both demons. It¡¯s ridiculous. I can¡¯t even imagine what you¡¯ve gotten.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s eyes glanced over at the glowing exclamation point in the corner of his vision. Its yellow hue made it stand out against the darkness. He was almost afraid to click it. Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face, cause Abby burst out laughing.
¡°You haven¡¯t checked yet? Come on, dude! That¡¯s one of the most fun parts of playing games.¡±
¡°I got the notification sound a lot. So I¡¯m just squeamish about getting all those blue screens in my face at once, okay? It was mildly distracting. Besides, I¡¯m exhausted right now. I really don¡¯t want to go through all that.¡±
¡°All what? Reading? Come on!¡±
Kaleb rubbed a hand down his face as Abby smiled and cajoled him. It probably wasn¡¯t that bad, especially with his Toughness Skill already maxed out. Which meant that all those hits he had taken generated no skill experience. Sighing, he clicked the golden exclamation point and prepared himself as a sea of blue hit his vision.
|
Dodge Skill Level Maxed
|
|
Movement speed while dodging increased 5%
|
|
Endurance Skill Level Up
|
|
Current Stamina increase: 12%
|
|
Hand-To-Hand Combat Skill Level Up
|
|
Hand-to-Hand damage increased by +10
|
|
Sneak Skill Level Up
|
|
Noise reduction while crouched increased by 5%
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
|
|
In-fighter Skill Level Up
|
|
Melee strength increased by 2
Stamina increased by 3%
|
-
-
-
-
-
-
|
Congratulations
|
|
Your study and careful practice with your own mana pool has unlocked the Mana Manipulation Skill. With it, you will be able to better sense and control your own magic¡ finally.
|
-
-
-
-
-
|
Mana Manipulation Skill Beginner Level 2
|
|
You managed to shape and control mana. Bending it to your will in both conventional and unconventional ways. You can now sense the arcane weave around yourself and other. With practice, you may be even to manipulate the mana of others.
|
|
Mana Capacity increased by 200
Mana Regen increased by 2%
|
Kaleb sucked in a breath as his eyes scanned everything. But then he was immediately hit with another blue window.
-
-
-
-
-
|
Notice
|
|
Your Dodge Skill and your Toughness Skill are both at max level. Both are combinable. Do you wish to combine them now and make an even more powerful skill? The player can also level the skills up to the intermediate tier. Leaving a skill at max level means that it will waste all future skill experience. We advised you to either combine or level your skills as soon as you can.
|
Without thinking about it, Kaleb went ahead and combined the two skills. Each time he had, his health or stamina pools had taken severe hits. But overall, it was always a net gain. The windows went away and Kaleb waited as the system combined the two skills and then spat out a result. Once again, he got a blue window.
-
-
-
-
-
|
Congratulations
|
|
You have created the Duck and Weave Skill. Not only can you now dance your way around trouble. But you can also turn aside a blow with simply by controlling your body at the right time. Toughness and Dodge Skills have been reset to level 1.
|
|
Duck and Weave Skill Beginner Lvl 1
|
|
You can dip and weave with the best of them. Able to duck under any blow, slide away from any danger, and dance your way out of combat. But don''t let the name fool ya. You can also take a punch and turn it aside like a champ.
|
|
Dodge Distance increased by 3%
Chance to block or turn aside an attack increased by 1%
|
Kaleb watched his HP drop as his Toughness dropped to level one. It was a hell of a hit. But with the help of the guild and their new training room, Kaleb figured he could get his levels back quickly. Raising the skill level of combined skills was harder. But well worth it. He¡¯d need to test out what the dodge distance actually was in-game and also see how ¡®turning aside an attack¡¯ worked. Would he take a portion of the damage or negate the hit entirely? Maybe it was another way to mitigate damage like the Damage Decrease from Conditioning.
He returned his focus to the car and found the others all sitting in silence. Roy was still on the way toward their hangar. But Abby had sat back and seemed to be in her own menus. She soon came out of it and gave him another smile.
¡°Did you get something awesome?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll have to see. I combined another skill, which means my health took a hit. But I think it was worth it. I¡¯ll have to test it on the streets at the next opportunity.¡±
¡°Well, like your rabbit-girl said, we¡¯ll have plenty of gangs to test new stuff on. Hopefully soon too.¡±
Kaleb glanced at Farrah, seeing the supposed NPC¡¯s eye twitch. She was trying to pretend like she didn¡¯t understand their conversation. Like a normal NPC, but Kaleb could see that Abby¡¯s dig had bothered her. So he steered the conversation back to Abby.
¡°So, what about you? Did you spend all your points yet, or do you have more?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been evolving my Attack Tree. That demon was almost fully resistant to my shadow blades. I was hoping the new Cells from that would give me something new to play with. But other than increasing how many shadows I can control, it wasn¡¯t that helpful. I was thinking of dumping some points into the Utility Tree and seeing if that does anything.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Hey, if push comes to shove, I can always give you a gun, right?¡±
Abby nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah, about that. Do you think you could make sidearms for the team? I know we are always asking, but¡¡±
¡°Abby, that¡¯s literally my job in the Guild. I¡¯m the head mechanic, right? Besides, I got people to help with that. I¡¯ll probably buy a few guns and modify them somehow. This whole incident has hammered home the need for some back-up weapons. I can¡¯t do much with magic, but I can maybe get us some alternatives. That way, D34d-I won¡¯t have to rely on standard ammunition when fighting a damn demon.¡±
The dark-haired woman nodded as she sat back in her seat. ¡°Yeah, energy weapons seem to be the way to go. I just know you have a lot on your plate.¡±
¡°Not really. Marie and Terrance have been a tremendous help. Same with Daivor and Roy. Combine that with the Hunter kids and the Brute clan, and I¡¯ve got a team big enough to handle things. Really, the biggest pain in the ass is space. I want to expand the workshop again and maybe get a few more workbenches. Not to mention schedule regular pick ups at the dump Roy pointed us too.¡±
¡°Sounds like you got it in hand, then. Just remember to play the game.¡±
Kaleb stretched his back and snorted. ¡°Please, I just took down two demons in one night. I think my gaming life is fine. I¡¯ve got plenty of time to build what I want and explore this world of super-heroes and villains.¡±
Abby coughed, which then exploded into a laugh. Curious, Kaleb turned around and stared at the short woman. She was covering her mouth as a smile sparked across her eyes. Kaleb raised his equivalent of an eyebrow.
¡°Did I miss something?¡±
¡°What about your college course, teach?¡±
Kaleb felt his eyes go wide and his mouth went dry. He didn¡¯t know if the community college was capable of finding him or forcing him to teach. But he had committed himself to teaching weekly lessons on chemistry to a bunch of NPC students. He bit his lip and hissed in annoyance as Abby¡¯s laughter echoed in the car. He needed to raise his Chemistry Skill, fast.
Chapter 158 – Layouts And Officers
Kaleb leaned against the wall of his workshop as the others flitted about the place. A few Brute Clan lizards dashed about as Marie shouted orders at them. The young woman had really found a place as the workshop¡¯s organizer. It had only been two days since the demon incident, but since then Kaleb¡¯s workshop had become a well-oiled machine. Terrance and Roy helped build things, with some help from a few hunters and lizards. Daivor assisted Kaleb on special projects, and Marie handled the logistics¡ sometimes with an iron fist.
¡°Your break is over, chief.¡± Marie smirked at Kaleb.
¡°I think since I am the chief, I can set when my break is finished, right?¡± Kaleb sipped at his coffee as he smiled back at the teen.
¡°Yes, but we¡¯ve also just got the latest shipment from the local dump. So we might have those cables you were looking for.¡±
¡°Shit. That¡¯s all you had to say.¡±
Kaleb dragged himself off the wall and started for the shop¡¯s door. As he passed through, he looked down at his robotic hand. It was his first attempt at machining himself a replacement, and it showed. He had wanted to use some of the spare cybernetic arms he had gotten from Under-Town. But he would need a better Robotics skill. Not to mention he was sure he¡¯d need a cybernetic skill of some kind to install a new arm. In that regard, replacing a broken hand was easy.
So instead, Kaleb resigned himself to updating his existing arm. Which meant all new wiring and plating. It also meant that his precious crafting time was used to try to raise his Robotics Skill. Unfortunately, none of the team wanted any cybernetics installed, so he was out of luck in trying to gain that skill. But with the creation of his new hand and some general repairs, his Robotics had been raised to level four.
Kaleb exited the hangar through the eastern door and squinted against the sunlight. A big green garbage truck sat there, the engine still running. Kaleb waved at the two lizards sitting in the cab and Ringo and Rahn got out. The Brute Clan lizards gave him their approximation of a smile as they turned the truck off and threw Kaleb the keys. Originally, the job had been for the lizards to back the truck into the hangar and dump the stuff near Kaleb¡¯s workshop. But one broken weight bench later, Claire demanded that the Brutes not be allowed to make the deliveries anymore. So Kaleb, Roy, or Marie would finish the delivery.
Kaleb hopped in the truck and drove around to the front of the hangar. The shield dome hovered around the outside of the metal building, and Kaleb reminded himself that he needed to do an upgrade on that as well. But his arm came first. He spun the garbage truck around and started backing up as the hangar¡¯s large doors opened. Brute clan lizards and teenage hunters scattered as the doors creaked open. Kaleb spotted the yellow painted dumping area and eased the large dump truck into position. Terrance, Roy, and Daivor came out of the shop just in time to watch Kaleb dump all the precious new materials onto the hangar floor.
Quickly finishing, Kaleb returned the truck to its parking spot and rushed back into the hangar. A crowd was already gathering around the enormous pile of metal and junk. But Marie was quickly sorting things. Soon, the detritus would be sorted and placed in its proper containers. But for now, he joined Terrance and Roy as they looked over the new haul.
¡°I have to say, your use of garbage in your metal working and weapon creation is astounding.¡± Terrance said. ¡°Its real guerrilla-style metal-working. But it works! Which is the most amazing.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Its just the best way to get mats and not pay out the nose. K-Tech and all the other big name companies could probably deliver what we needed. But they¡¯d charge us out the ass for it.¡±
¡°Not to mention their product-delivery service is all on a subscription model. So you have to sign up for a monthly payment. Even if you only use their services a few months out of the year.¡±
¡°With the amount we go through, though, a sub to K-Tech deliveries wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea.¡± Marie interjected from her spot near the junk pile. ¡°We can only go so far with junk.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not paying fifteen hundred credits a month to get K-Tech¡¯s castoffs. We are doing just fine with the metal and junk we get from Roy¡¯s family friend.¡±
Marie shook her head as she went back to pointing out various bits of junk for the Brutes to collect. A team of lizards and teens had formed a chain of workers taking the junk into Kaleb¡¯s workshop. He was about to move in and help, when Two Gun and Claire poked their heads out of the door to the basement. They both glared at him tiredly, but said nothing as they trudged into the hangar. Kaleb waved off Terrance and the others as he walked over to the tired-looking couple.
¡°Did your sound-proofing not work?¡± Kaleb asked as he joined them.
Two Gun Smirked as Claire huffed angrily. ¡°Stupid Super-senses. We¡¯re going to have to double up on the stuff. Or you can do your deliveries outside, y¡¯know?¡±
¡°But this way, everything is sorted and placed quicker. I know it can wake you guys up. But let¡¯s be real. Most times, I¡¯m the only one here. Besides the NPCs, that is.¡±
¡°We know, son. But we crashed in-game after last night¡¯s patrol. Sound-proofing was fine for me, but Claire here¡¡±
Two Gun¡¯s face was a barely concealed a smile as Claire¡¯s green skin grew slightly darker. The prim and proper alien coughed demurely into her hand as she said.
¡°I¡mumble mumble¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±
¡°I punched him off the bed in surprise.¡± Claire said, covering her face.
Two Gun laughed loudly as they approached the small kitchenette area of the hangar. His voice drew a few looks, but most looked away when they realized who it was. Kaleb joined in the laughter as Claire moved over to the fridge. She grabbed some eggs and bacon as Two Gun heated the stove. Kaleb quickly grabbed himself another coffee and got out of the way. The kitchen was too small for three people.
¡°We need to upgrade this room.¡± Two Gun said as he started preparing his breakfast.
¡°Another thing for the list.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°You say that, but didn¡¯t you just expand your Workshop¡ again?¡±
Kaleb took a strategic sip of coffee and looked away. He had argued with D34d-I for a full morning about giving him more space. Kaleb and Farrah were the ones that were in the hangar the most. So they needed bigger working areas. Farrah had practically the entire back wall to herself. Aside from Jar-lock¡¯s small library. Meanwhile, Kaleb was in an awkward position between the eastern and southern wall. But the hangar office made it harder to expand.
Claire and Two Gun weren¡¯t put off by Kaleb¡¯s attempts to avoid the issue, though. They waited as he finished his long coffee sip and stared at him. Eventually, he could only shrug.
¡°We have the funds.¡± Was his only answer. ¡°Besides, aren¡¯t weapons and armor more important?¡±
¡°Then food?!¡±
¡°It¡¯s digital food! You''re being fed by a system of tubes right now.¡±
Two Gun stopped scrambling his eggs and turned to glare at Kaleb. Pointing an egg-covered spatula at Kaleb, he said.
¡°It might all be fake, but a decent breakfast is paramount to clean living.¡±
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
¡°It¡¯s ten in the morning.¡±
¡°So it¡¯s a late breakfast.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his eyes. ¡°Fine. We can expand the kitchen next.¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t we decide that as a group?¡± Claire interrupted. ¡°I mean, I understand the Workshop and the Command Center needing to be upgraded. But now that they are, maybe we should discuss our next areas for growth. Jar-Lock¡¯s library, D34d-I¡¯s office¡ or the workout area.¡±
Kaleb smiled at the quiet way the tall woman mentioned her own area. But she wasn¡¯t wrong. They hadn¡¯t been paid for the Demon Raid yet. But with that infusion of credits, they could probably do something with each of the areas. Two Gun looked like he agreed, but also seemed pensive. As he plated his food, the old cowboy brought up his concerns.
¡°Maybe we should do a whole redesign.¡±
Claire and Kaleb stared at the old man as he sat down at the table and put a fork-full of eggs in his mouth. Once he finished chewing, he explained.
¡°We have expanded employee-wise, but not with the base. Yes, the CC and the Workshop have seen the most growth. But they have started infringing on other areas. Prof, your workshop¡¯s south wall is about to crash into either Farrah¡¯s or D34d-I¡¯s area. We need to do a proper layout for the hangar and make some space for the new hires.¡±
¡°Maybe we should expand the second floor? We¡¯ve got the space. We just need the cash and the muscle, and we can extend ourselves underground.¡± Claire said, flexing her slim arms.
Two Gun smiled at his wife. ¡°That¡¯s an idea. But I was thinking of more of a layout change on the hangar floor. Just to make things easier to move around.¡±
Kaleb stared at his large rectangular room. It stood out like a sore thumb just to the right of the center of the hangar. Four metal walls extending almost the full length of the space, almost blocking the eastern wall completely. Kaleb nodded his head at the wall.
¡°So I could move the workshop against that far wall. Opposite D34d-I¡¯s office. It would free up the middle of the hangar. After that, maybe we can convince Jar to put his library underground? It doesn¡¯t get used enough to be top floor material.¡±
Claire snorted. ¡°And your workshop does?¡±
Kaleb raised an eyebrow and looked at the stream of people walking into and out of his shop. Then he turned to Farrah¡¯s Command Center. More teens and lizard were stomping around over there. In fact, the two places that weren¡¯t being used on the hangar floor were the exercise room and Jar¡¯s Library. Claire coughed awkwardly, but nodded her head in defeat at his unsaid argument.
¡°I think the exercise area can stay up here, right?¡± Two Gun said around a mouthful of eggs.
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Yeah, I hate to say it, but the daily exercises are good for my skill growth. Also, it¡¯s the only time we all get together to discuss things.¡±
¡°Except for Vivienne.¡± Claire said.
¡°She¡¯s at the wizard college half the time.¡± Kaleb shrugged.
Claire squinted her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That just sounds like an excuse to skip our team-building exercises. I never even heard of this college you speak of.¡±
Kaleb smirked at her jovial tone, but then remembered he had his own college to go to soon. A sighed escaped his lips, and he tried to remember the name of the bookstore in their portion of town. He needed to grab an advanced chemistry book and brush up. Something must have shown on his face, cause Two Gun and Claire looked at him worriedly.
¡°I have to play teacher this week, remember?¡±
Two Gun grinned. ¡°It¡¯s one day out of the week. You¡¯ll live.¡±
¡°Besides, don¡¯t you already have a basic understanding of such things? Thanks to the game.¡±
¡°Sure, but like the basics of the basics. I still need to know how to teach.¡±
Two Gun rose and cleaned his plate as he spoke over his shoulder. ¡°Then I¡¯d get to learning, son. You only have a few hours until your patrol this afternoon. Also, the cops have asked that we stop looting the criminals we capture.¡±
Kaleb raised an eye-ridge. ¡°I thought we had the first right of refusal on all found loot.¡±
¡°We do. But now they say that the criminals could be carrying dangerous items we are unfit to dispose of.¡±
¡°Just another way for them to fuck with us.¡±
¡°Professor, normally I would say you¡¯re paranoid. But I have a gut feeling you¡¯re right. It¡¯s taken longer for the police to show up these past two nights. Not to mention our paperwork keeps getting denied the first time. After we resubmit it goes through, but it¡¯s like they are being needlessly petty.¡±
¡°To be fair to them, we did kind of go over their heads with the Demon thing.¡±
¡°To be unfair to them, they had already proven to be a pain in the ass,¡± Kaleb argued.
Two Gun and Claire both shrugged before the linked arms and moved off. Kaleb got up and followed them as they moved to the CC.
¡°We still have to have that discussion about moving out to Garfield and Wyldwood.¡± Claire said as they walked.
¡°Do we know how that would work?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°More contracts and deals.¡± Two Gun said simply.
¡°It would be nice working with a police department that isn¡¯t actively making our job harder.¡±
Two Gun and Kaleb nodded at Claire¡¯s words. But Farrah¡¯s voice stopped them all in their tracks as they entered her domain. Rows of hunters and brutes were actively taking phone calls and collecting data. Farrah stood in front of her bank of monitors, taking it all in. She was shouting orders at the drone flyers as the screens displayed real-time footage. Something big was happening, and Farrah was trying to stay on top of it.
Kaleb moved around the bank of terminal and approached Farrah. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±
Farrah spun him, and her eyes looked wild and angry. ¡°The police department is in a high-speed pursuit through our neighborhood. But they¡¯ve ordered us not to intervene. I¡¯ve got the drones on them, but the fucking cops have even started taking potshots at our hardware.¡±
¡°How the fuck are they getting away with that?¡± Two Gun asked.
¡°Stray bullets.¡± Farrah snorted. ¡°Or so they say. Meanwhile, the yahoos they''re chasing aren¡¯t even firing back. It¡¯s such gross, obvious bullshit. I¡¯m ashamed of ever working in the police force.¡±
¡°What do we do?¡± Claire asked.
¡°There¡¯s not much we can do. The cops have asked us to step off and unless we get a request from the locals, we can¡¯t override them. But all calls from that area are being blocked ¡®somehow.¡¯¡±
Farrah¡¯s sarcasm as she said the word somehow was obvious. It made clear how she felt about the matter and boiled Kaleb¡¯s blood. The police were becoming more of a problem in their contractual area. How were they to do their jobs if the local PD was fighting against them? Kaleb almost wanted to rush to his car and stop the chase anyway. But Farrah¡¯s small smile made him freeze.
She was looking at a small girl at a nearby monitor. The hunter¡¯s long fingers danced across her terminal¡¯s keyboard until she slammed the enter key and nodded at Farrah.
¡°We¡¯re good to go, ma¡¯am.¡±
¡°Thank you, Casey.¡±
Farrah stuck a large headset over her rabbit ears and put on her office voice. Two Gun, Claire and Kaleb, all shared confused looks until they heard what she said.
¡°Patrol Car 934, this is the Lone Star Super Group. We are ready to assist.¡±
A man¡¯s angry voice practically yelled through Casey¡¯s terminal. ¡°Lone Star, this is patrol. We heard you the first three times. I¡¯ll say again, we don¡¯t need any help from a group of Non-HLO Supes.¡±
Farrah scrunched up her eyebrows. ¡°Officer Trask, am I to understand that you don¡¯t accept our rightful contract to this area?¡±
¡°You¡¯re goddamn right, you fucking bitch! You damn mercenaries can get the fuck out of my district for all I care!¡±
¡°And is this view shared by your superiors?¡±
¡°Who gives a fuck!?¡± Officer Trask screamed down the line.
The call went dead after that and Kaleb had to forcefully unclench his hand. He wanted to smack someone. But Farrah was smiling, so was the young hunter, Casey. Kaleb looked at the two as Farrah took off her headset and placed it on a small desk. Farrah nodded at the other young woman.
¡°Send it out.¡±
Casey nodded and rapidly started typing again. Two Gun started laughing as he caught on first. But Kaleb wasn¡¯t far behind.
¡°You were recording him?¡±
¡°Yep. Asshat shouldn¡¯t have yelled at me the first time. We¡¯ll see how the court of public opinion likes his fucking attitude. His little car chase has already caused some damage to the district.¡±
¡°The cops aren¡¯t going to like that,¡± Claire said.
¡°Fuck¡¯em!¡± Farrah and Kaleb said together.
¡°We¡¯ve tried playing nice all morning and they keep stonewalling us. At least this way, the locals will know we¡¯ve been trying.¡±
¡°What kinda of blowback will we see?¡± Two Gun asked.
Farrah shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d wager it will be minimal. If they do something, that will also make them look bad to the public.¡±
¡°But our relationship will now be even more adversarial.¡± Claire complained.
¡°It already was. Now they know we will hit back.¡± Farrah said, as she grabbed a few tablets from another table. ¡°Now, we have some other requests for aid from the rest of the neighborhood. Why don¡¯t you three head out and handle them?¡±
¡°Hey, I¡¯m not on duty for another two hours.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go through this morning¡¯s junk.¡±
¡°Then what are you doing in my Command Center? Get out of here. Also, I¡¯ve got two drones that need patch jobs. So hurry and get to work.¡±
¡°I¡¯m going, ya slave driver. Two Gun, Claire, let¡¯s bring up what we discussed with the others when we see them, okay?¡±
Claire gave him the okay sign as Two Gun buried his nose in the tablets Farrah handed him. Kaleb sighed and turned back to his workshop. The streams of workers were still bringing in junk, and he could tell the next two hours were going to fly by. Which meant he had to hurry. He needed to find the wires he wanted and get them installed asap. Later he had to visit the bookstore and find some college level textbooks on chemistry. His day was filling up, and he hadn¡¯t even done any hero-ing yet.
Kaleb smiled and rushed off toward his workshop. Eager to get a start to things. Ignoring the feeling in his gut that Farrah had started something they were all going to have to finish.
Chapter 159 – Public Opinion
Kaleb sighed as the door closed in front of him.
¡°Yeah, sure. I¡¯m glad you and the little Hellspawn could be reunited. What? Come in for a glass of tea? No, I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m on the job and have other pets to save from fucking trees.¡± He mumbled under his breath as he walked away.
His face and arm hurt from where the scraggly cat had clawed him, and he was sure the cat¡¯s owner had seen the wounds. But all he got was a muttered ¡®thank you¡¯ and a cautious look before the door was closed in his face. No one was being outright hostile, but Kaleb had been dealing with weary stares since he went on patrol.
Farrah had given him a more suburban area of their contract. Which differed greatly from the gang infested stores and drug dealers of the main street. Here, there was nothing more troublesome than a lost pet or a mechanical failure. So far Kaleb had chased down one dog, rescued one cat, and repaired two air condition units.
¡°Super Hero.¡± He sing-song¡¯d sarcastically as he got in his car.
¡°Oh, get over it. The cops don¡¯t want us dealing with gangsters. So you guys get the dregs. That¡¯s how it has to be until the locals figure out what the cops are doing.¡±
Farrah¡¯s voice in his ear was a welcome distraction from the most boring afternoon patrol ever. She had stuck him with a snotty teenage hunter as his handler for the first hour. But the little shit couldn¡¯t handle the boredom. So he passed the buck onto Farrah. Kaleb hoped the rabbit-woman gave the little snot the lowest of grunt work.
He sat back in his seat and sighed as he scanned the identical houses on the identical block. It was a pleasant neighborhood, truly. But Kaleb really wanted to be smashing heads together. Supposedly, the police were running themselves ragged on the main road of their contracted territory. Jewelry store heists, carjackings, new gangs testing the waters. Still, they hadn¡¯t reached out.
¡°So, when will these locals figure shit out? And how can I help things along? I think I¡¯d rather be on a rooftop taking pictures of crooked cops than rescuing fucking cats from trees.¡±
¡°We don¡¯t know if any of them are crooked, Professor. They just don¡¯t want us here.¡±
¡°Yeah, cause their corporate masters told them to get rid of us.¡±
¡°Hearsay. We have no proof that is happening.¡±
Kaleb smacked his steering wheel angrily. ¡°Then let¡¯s go get some, Farrah! You can¡¯t tell me that we are catching all this heat after stopping a fucking demon incursion. Even if they¡¯ve kept things from the population, the cops should still know what we did. But do they care? No. In fact, they are trying even harder to cut us out. Something is up and we need to investigate.¡±
Farrah sighed. ¡°What, exactly, is your plan? Investigate the police and then report them to¡ who? Internal Affairs? City Hall? All that would do is make them start their own investigations. Which would take time and put us even deeper into the precinct¡¯s shit-list.¡±
¡°Then let¡¯s not go the lawful route. Let¡¯s find some dirt and nuke the bastards.¡±
¡°And when the locals find out, they¡¯ll treat you like the rest of the criminals.¡±
¡°Not really different from how they are acting now.¡±
¡°That¡¯s because they don¡¯t know you. The team¡¯s focus has been on gangs, so the store owners and the Hunters love you. But the everyday civvies? They only know that a new Super Group has moved into their area. Now, here you come. A giant six-foot lizard with an attitude problem. How would you take it?¡±
Kaleb snorted and started his car. ¡°Gee, I didn¡¯t know getting clawed up by a cat and then wanting to be thanked was an attitude problem.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t do it to be thanked. You do it because it¡¯s right. People only very rarely thank somebody for doing what¡¯s right. Most times, they¡¯ll hate you for it.¡±
¡°Great.¡± Kaleb said, steering his car out of the neighborhood. ¡°Wonderful pep talk.¡±
¡°Look. These missions¡¡±
¡°Busy work.¡± Kaleb interrupted.
¡°MISSIONS! Are so that the SG gains some reputation with the locals. Like I said, we are great with the shopping district. But the residential area needs some love. So you and the others are all out and doing the work.¡±
¡°Anyone else get mauled by a cat?¡±
¡°No. Although Two Gun did almost shoot a parrot they were supposed to catch.¡±
Kaleb stifled a laugh and was about to ask Farrah for another Good-Will mission when he spotted a car stopped on the side of the road. The hood of the car was up and an irate-looking alien was pacing in front of a steaming engine. Kaleb wrestled with himself for all of two minutes before he pulled his old car over a short distance from the stranded driver. Sure, Good-Will missions were thankless jobs, but Farrah had a point.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
¡°Got a guy on the side of the road with a busted car. Going to see if I can help.¡± Kaleb reported.
¡°Check. Your drone is still on you and watching.¡±
¡°Copy.¡±
Kaleb sighed as he got out of his car and slowly made his way over. The other driver was still angrily pacing in front of his own car and didn¡¯t seem aware of Kaleb¡¯s approach. Not wanting to scare the guy, Kaleb gave a shout.
¡°Hey, need some help there?¡±
The gray-skinned alien man whipped around really fast, almost tumbling to the ground in his haste. Kaleb took a few worried steps closer. But the alien raised a hand, palm-up. Kaleb scanned him for a bit. The guy¡¯s black suit looked rumbled and his shoes were scuffed from kicking the ground. But otherwise, he seemed like a normal businessman. The alien looked terrified for a few seconds before he rallied and went back to angry. Although Kaleb could tell the anger wasn¡¯t really directed at him.
¡°Not unless you¡¯re an M-rated mechanic with a focus on TekNik Motors T-Series engine.¡± The alien snapped.
Kaleb shrugged, mentally reminding himself to look up the Mechanic ratings. ¡°I¡¯ve never been rated, but I¡¯ve built my car and I handle all the equipment for my Super Group.¡±
The alien seemed surprised before he nodded to himself. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re with that one group that just came out here. The Hounds?¡±
¡°The Lone Star Hounds. Or just Lone Star for short. Although, I¡¯m willing to bet you won¡¯t be the only one to call us the hounds.¡±
Kaleb moved closer to the engine as the alien man made room. He was studying Kaleb just as hard as he¡¯d been studying the engine. Kaleb didn¡¯t mind the stares. His lizard-features and rough voice drew a lot of them, anyway. But the man¡¯s next question made it clear he wasn¡¯t concerned about Kaleb¡¯s species or demeanor.
¡°So, what? Y¡¯all couldn¡¯t hack it in Austin, so you came out to the boonies to roam with the Hunters?¡±
Kaleb chuckled as he spotted the problem with the car. Someone had improperly mounted a lot of the tubing, going from the large silver engine to other parts of the car. The thick rubber tubes were shaken loose and were now laying about the engine housing. Thankfully, the housing had automated ventilation, otherwise the smell would¡¯ve been god awful. He set about reattaching the tubing as he explained.
¡°No. I just butted heads with some HLO pencil-pushers. They wanted to slap me with all kinds of fines and kick me out. I told them to stuff it and came out here. Some of my friends came with me and we are making a go of it.¡±
¡°So you know better than a company that¡¯s been around for almost a century?¡±
¡°The company? No. The wang-rods currently steering that company? Maybe. Look, all I know is that I want to help people. The HLO was getting in the way of me helping people. Thankfully, Texas has a way for Supers to still be Super without the HLO. So now, my friends and I are free to help whoever we want, whenever we want.¡±
¡°Without oversight or protections.¡± The alien pointed out.
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I take the good with the bad. But hell, the Hounds just recently stopped a Demonic Incursion. So I like to think we are still doing our best.¡±
¡°Is that right?¡± The alien asked, sounding dubious.
Kaleb just shrugged again and connected the last bit of tubing to the primary engine. He scanned everything again, searching for anything he missed. But everything looked fine. Nodding to himself, he turned back to the driver.
¡°You wanna give it a try? See if I didn¡¯t make things worse?¡±
¡°You doubt your own skills that much?¡±
¡°No. But I¡¯m told I need to be more humble.¡±
The alien grinned, showing off two rows of sharp teeth. They quickly tested the car and waited to see if anything happened. But everything stayed in place and nothing exploded, so Kaleb counted it as a win. The alien smiled at him and reached into his pocket, pulling out a credit stick. Kaleb put up his hands and shook his head.
¡°That¡¯s not necessary. We get paid monthly by the city.¡±
¡°I know. But you are also allowed to take some gratuity, aren¡¯t you?¡±
The alien held the slim sticks out for Kaleb. He was tempted. But with the city¡¯s investigator coming to check their Super Group, it probably wasn¡¯t a good idea. Kaleb shook his head again.
¡°No thanks. I don¡¯t need the HLO saying I¡¯m taking bribes or something like that.¡±
¡°You really think they¡¯d do that?¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t put it past them. They¡¯ve already made some waves out here with us. They¡¯ve pitted the cops against us and even scheduled a visit from some city hall stooge.¡±
¡°Stooge?¡±
¡°Some guy coming to look our Super Group over. We wager the guy is going to be a real pain in the ass.¡±
¡°Well, if they aren¡¯t giving you a hard time, then they ain¡¯t from the government.¡±
The alien pocketed his credit sticks again and Kaleb sighed to himself. He¡¯d done a good thing and he would get paid for it later. Maybe, once the HLO was off their asses, they could take some gratuity. But, for now, Kaleb wanted to be on his best behavior.
He was getting ready to wave goodbye to the alien driver when he realized the man was holding out a slim piece of paper. It was a business card being held out of the driver¡¯s side window. Kaleb sidled up to the window, getting a look into the guy¡¯s back seat. Multiple suitcases and different suits were strung about the back of the car. Kaleb raised an eyebrow, but took the card.
¡°Well, maybe when things calm down, you can give me a ring. We¡¯ll do lunch or something.¡±
Kaleb gave the driver his best customer service smile and palmed the card. He was sure he was not going to meet the guy again. He was clearly on his way out of town with his luggage. The alien rolled up his window and eased the car back onto the road. Kaleb waved as the car left and then looked down at the pure white business card. Farrah hissed in his ear suddenly, anger making her slightly incoherent.
¡°Damn your fucking ridiculous luck.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Do you not know who that was?¡±
Kaleb held up the guy¡¯s card as if showing it to Farrah. ¡°Maxwell Madden, City Alderman.¡±
Farrah sucked in a breath and waited. But Kaleb merely shoved the card in his pocket and started walking back to his car. He was rounding the hood when Farrah screamed in his ear again.
¡°He¡¯s a fucking Alderman now?!¡±
Kaleb got the sense that he was missing something important.
¡°What¡¯s an alderman?¡±
¡°It¡¯s someone that works in the government! Maxwell Madden has been one of the few voices in the city government openly against the HLO. He¡¯s someone that can help us, Professor.¡±
¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s good.¡±
¡°But that¡¯s only IF we can convince him to hear us out!¡±
Kaleb got back into his car and started it up. He was back on the road as Farrah was rattling in his ear about all the ways Mr. Madden could help them with the HLO. Kaleb was skeptic about using the same system that put the HLO in charge to fight it. But Farrah was smarter about this stuff. So he let her brainstorm in his ear while he drove around. The good thing was he didn¡¯t have anymore missions that afternoon. The bad thing was that he had to listen to Farrah plan the perfect lunch with Alderman Madden.
Chapter 160 - Rewards and Affinity
Kaleb sighed as he pulled into the parking lot next to the hangar. His patrol had been constantly interrupted by Farrah¡¯s luncheon planning. Even when he found the occasional person in need of assistance, she¡¯d be yapping away in his ear. Planning, instructing and carefully explaining to Kaleb how he would need to conduct himself with the City Council member. When Kaleb brought up that he was unlikely to do many of Farrah¡¯s requests, she invited herself along. To make sure he didn¡¯t insult the great Mr. Madden. Kaleb almost hated the guy by proxy when he finally finished his patrol and went home.
Even as he was walking into their base, Farrah was still talking away through his ear comm. Kaleb was about ready to fling it into the garbage. But he¡¯d be the one that would have to replace it. So instead, he wrapped around his workshop and toward Farrah¡¯s command center. He twisted around a few leaving teenagers and approached the rabbit woman even as she was still talking in his ear.
¡°And make sure the suit is black or gray. I swear, Professor, if you show up at a lunch meeting in a lab coat¡¡±
She trailed off as Kaleb tapped her shoulder and scowled at her. The sudden smile she gave him was unnerving, and Kaleb almost took a step back. Centering himself, Kaleb said.
¡°Farrah. I will not be doing any of the things you have stated for the past few hours.¡±
Her face fell before quickly shifting to anger. ¡°Why not?!¡±
¡°Well, for one, I have a problem with authority. We all know that. Second, any time you have to get dressed up to meet somebody is a time I don¡¯t want to be associated with.¡±
¡°You need to look professional.¡± Farrah hissed.
¡°No, I don¡¯t. I work for a living. I am a professional. People who get dressed in fancy suits and convince themselves they¡¯re important need to look ¡®professional.¡¯¡±
Kaleb made little air quotes around the second professional. Doing so made his robotic hand whir dangerously, and he spun around. He needed to run a diagnostic on his hand and maybe get a cup of coffee.
With a puff of air and some scattered pieces of paper, Farrah was in front of him. Hands clasped together. A pleading look on her face.
¡°You have to meet with Maxwell Madden. He could relieve some of the pressure from the HLO.¡±
Kaleb sighed. ¡°I am meeting the man. That¡¯s without question. But I¡¯m not dressing to the nines and trying to wine and dine him. I¡¯ll go, tell him the situation, and then leave.¡±
Kaleb tried to circle around his slim friend. But she sped in front of him again, the annoyed look back on her face.
¡°Professor, that¡¯s not how these people operate. He¡¯s a city official. Which means a certain amount of protocol and decorum needs to be adhered to.¡±
¡°I disagree entirely.¡±
¡°Professor!¡±
¡°What?! Farrah, why are you being so weird about this? Yes, the guy could help us. But we are doing just fine in the neighborhood, anyway. Sure, the cops are being a pain in the ass. But we can switch districts, right? The group was going to have a conversation about that, remember?¡±
Farrah sputtered for a second before grabbing Kaleb¡¯s wrist and dragging him to her bank of monitors. A few of the Brute Clan that were now monitoring and controlling the drones watched them. Kaleb ignored the eyes as Farrah looked around pensively before typing away at a holo-screen. Kaleb blinked as he realized Farrah wasn¡¯t typing on the actual screen. She was in her menus and using the holo-screen as a cover. With a wave of her hand, Farrah shared her screen with several of her monitors and turned to Kaleb.
¡°Madden rose to prominence during the game¡¯s beta. He was staunchly against the HLO and surprisingly adept at navigating the political quagmire of the time. Not only has he succeeded in keeping his job, but apparently he has also risen to the position of Alderman. Which means now he can affect genuine change. We need people like this on our side if you and the others are going to continue working here.¡±
¡°But we can still switch¡¡± Kaleb started.
¡°Yes, switching districts may make it harder for the HLO to mess with you guys. But there is no guarantee of that. Besides, having a City Council Member onside will still be a huge win. Not to mention it will look good with the Districts?¡±
Kaleb gave her a confused look, but Farrah merely nodded at her bank of screens. Glancing at them, Kaleb noticed they were displaying an overhead view of the Super Group¡¯s contracted area. Blue Bluff, Decker Lake, The Woodlands, Phoenix Farms, and Imperial Valley. Each area was sectioned off, and some were glowing different colors. Blue Bluff and Decker Lake were blue, with Decker lake being a slightly deeper color than Blue Bluff. Imperial Valley had a yellowish tinge to it, while Woodlands and The Farms didn¡¯t have any color at all.
Kaleb tapped the screen and zoomed in closer to Blue Bluff. The map brought up a sectional view around Blue Bluff. Each area displayed a different neighborhood of the Bluff, each with their own color of blue. He zoomed out the image and turned to Farrah. Seeing his confusion, Farrah sighed.
¡°Those are current Affinity Levels with each district under our contract. Blue is good, no color is neutral, and the yellow is a slight animosity.¡±
¡°What the hell is up with Imperial Valley?¡± Kaleb wondered.
¡°That¡¯s where the police are headquartered. It¡¯s also where I¡¯ve had y¡¯all working all day. Trying to change your image in those areas.¡±
¡°Well shit, Farrah. Why didn¡¯t you tell us this? If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have complained so much.¡±
She slapped his fleshy arm. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be an NPC, remember? I shouldn¡¯t have this screen. Being able to check the area¡¯s Affinity is for players. Or in this case, members of a Super Group.¡±
¡°Shit.¡±
Kaleb quickly looked around, but all he saw were a few Brute Clan members preparing for evening duty. He quickly brought up his Affinity Map and had Farrah close hers. Swiping his map to the screens, Kaleb waited for Farrah to explain more. When she didn¡¯t, he prompted.
¡°So what happens when we have high Affinity with our District?¡±
¡°Loads of good things. Decreased sells prices, more requests for help, better pay, and, if you have high Affinity with your district, the chance to take control of it.¡±
¡°Take control of a district?¡±
¡°Not like a criminal or Villain would. But somewhat similar. You¡¯d be able to request buildings to be built or ask for a certain super to drop by. The people would love you and try to help you do your jobs.¡±
Kaleb slowly nodded as the scope of what he was looking at hit him. Being the neighborhood Super Heroes seemed like a much better idea now. He wondered how this worked with the HLO. But figured, anything done under the HLO¡¯s name was probably only good for the HLO¡¯s reputation. Which is why Player¡¯s had personal Affinity Levels with NPCs and groups. Waving a hand at Decker Lake and Blue Bluff, Kaleb asked another question.
¡°Why are they differently colored? I thought blue was good. So dark blue is better?¡±
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Farrah nodded. ¡°Yeah, helping the tree must have given you a tremendous boost. Meanwhile, the Hunter of Blue Bluff only contractually like you. So it¡¯s not the same as being real allies. But it¡¯s good enough for the system.¡±
Kaleb nodded and wondered how the Magical being that lived in the gigantic tree at Decker Lake had learned about their success. That¡¯s when Jar-Lock¡¯s voice spoke up from behind him. Farrah went still, putting on her placid NPC face.
¡°Good. I see my talk with the Tree Spirit updated the Affinity Map.¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Kaleb said, ignoring his nervousness. No one was supposed to know that Farrah wasn¡¯t an NPC. He didn¡¯t think Jar-Lock had heard them talking, though. ¡°I was just wondering if the two different blues meant the Tree loved us more than the Hunters.¡±
¡°Probably.¡± The big mage said, walking over and staring at Kaleb¡¯s map. ¡°We only have an alliance with the Hunters. They graciously put us on their Hunter Contract. Which differs completely from being thought of as a friend.¡±
¡°Which is apparently how the tree sees us?¡±
¡°Yep. I just finished tapping into a Leyline and telling our dear friend, the tree, how we handled their root infestation. They were a little miffed that we didn¡¯t let them handle the problem. But understood that going to a demonic dimension and fighting a Demon Lord was probably out of their wheelhouse.¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡± Kaleb stood awkwardly, the silence carried on for a few seconds before he switched the subject. ¡°So, you moving your library?¡±
The big mage was confused for a few seconds before he smiled grimly. ¡°Your layout rearranging?¡±
¡°Hey, it¡¯s not just mine. Two Gun and Claire were talking about it, too. I figured one of them asked you.¡±
¡°They did, and while I hate the idea. The reasoning behind it is sound. We need the space up here and the library is underutilized by all you pedestrians.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Hey, I¡¯d rather spend my time in my workshop than in a library, Jar.¡±
¡°Some mage you are.¡±
¡°Hey, I never claimed to be a mage. I¡¯m just an inventor with some magical knowledge and a Gnome familiar.¡±
Jar-Lock raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°You know you make no sense, right?¡±
Kaleb smiled. ¡°Save your complaints for after my first college course, where I¡¯ll teach a bunch of digital aliens and humans entry-level chemistry.¡±
Jar-lock let out a booming laugh and patted Kaleb on the shoulder. ¡°HAHAHA! Seriously, what is your gaming experience?¡±
¡°Want to hear a really good one?¡± Kaleb asked.
Jar-Lock nodded as he continued to chuckle.
¡°I just met a city Alderman while I was out rescuing kittens and glad-handing.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Yeah, Alderman Maxwell Madden was having car trouble somewhere off Colfax. So I helped him out, and he asked me to lunch.¡±
¡°You went out on patrol and met a city Alderman named Maxwell Madden?¡± Jar-lock asked, sounding skeptical.
¡°Yes!¡±
Kaleb turned to Farrah and ordered. ¡°Could you bring up today¡¯s drone footage for Jar-Lock to see?¡±
Farrah snapped out of her Fake-NPC placidity and dug through the saved drone footage. Once she found it, she transferred the footage to the monitors and displayed Kaleb¡¯s interaction with Maxwell. Jar-Lock watched with a stony expression on his face until they got to the part where the alderman drove off. Farrah paused the footage and Kaleb spun around, grinning.
¡°How are you this lucky?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a gift. What can I say?¡±
¡°No. I mean, really? How could you be this lucky? It just doesn¡¯t make sense. Maxwell Madden shouldn''t even be on this side of the city. So what is he doing driving around Imperial Valley?¡±
¡°How do you know where he¡¯s supposed to be?¡±
¡°All those fancy council members live out in Westlake. Everyone knows that.¡±
Kaleb raised an eyebrow and turned to confirm with Farrah. The rabbit woman had a contemplative look on her face and seemed in agreement with Jar-Lock. She nodded a few times and then started barking orders at the Brute Clan lizards. She was demanding all the footage from the drones be sent to her monitors. Kaleb looked at Jar-Lock, but the big mage was pushing his way forward to get a better look.
The three of them crowded around Farrah¡¯s monitors as images scrolled by. Farrah¡¯s hands flew across the keyboard at lightning speeds and Kaleb worried she might break her equipment. But Farrah seemed to have complete control of her super-speed as she checked over the drone footage. Soon she had all of it filed and placed into folders separated by location. She scrolled over to the Imperial Valley file and started scanning through there. Once she found what she was looking for, she opened the video files. Multiple angles of streets, houses and cars appeared on her many monitors as they watched.
¡°Work backwards from the Professor¡¯s footage to find his car.¡± Jar-Lock suggested.
Farrah nodded and began playing Kaleb¡¯s footage again. This time in reverse. They all watched as Maxwell Madden¡¯s car came into view from Kaleb¡¯s attached drone. Unfortunately, the drone hadn¡¯t been following the road, so the first shot of Maxwell¡¯s car was it stuck on the side of the road. But by combing through the footage of the Imperial Valley drones, they tracked the alderman all the way out of their district. But all that showed them was that Maxwell had entered their district from the northwest side, from Las Cimas.
¡°Well, that tells us a whole lot of nothing.¡± Kaleb complained.
¡°No. It tells us a lot,¡± Jar-Lock countered.
To Kaleb¡¯s confused look, Jar-Lock waved at the monitors. ¡°He entered from the north, then wandered around a bit in our territory. He goes through The Woodlands, crosses Phoenix Farms and then stops for a bit at a recharging station. Next thing he does is drive straight for Imperial Valley, where he runs into you.¡±
¡°So he was scoping our district?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°No.¡± Farrah answered. ¡°If he¡¯d been doing that, he would¡¯ve continued to Blue Bluff or the lake. Instead, after meeting you, he leaves our district entirely. Almost as if he wanted to meet one of our people.¡±
Jar-Lock eyed the bunny-woman for a few seconds before he nodded. ¡°I think he was looking for the Professor specifically. Then someone told him where you were. Then he arranges a mechanical failure in his car and waits. Once he meets you, he has a little chat and then gives you his card. Inviting you to lunch.¡±
¡°Why the hell would he go through all that nonsense for me?¡±
¡°Ostensibly, you are the face of this Super-Group, doc. You are the one people are talking about. The one the police blame for sending us ¡®Mercenaries¡¯ out here. The one that pissed off the saintly HLO overlords. So, of course, he would assume you¡¯re the leader.¡±
Kaleb blanched at even the idea of being in a leadership role. ¡°Yeah, no. So what¡¯s the plan? We ignore this joker and go on with our gaming lives? Maybe we could find another demon or Super Villain to beat up?¡±
¡°Nope!¡± Jar-lock and Farrah said together. They shared a look until Jar-Lock shook his head and continued.
¡°He wanted to meet you for a reason, Prof. So we would better served learning what he wants.¡±
¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we should confront him outright. You¡¯ll need to be subtle with this one.¡± Farrah added.
¡°Yeah. Meet with him and play along with what he wants. Once we know his motives, we can plan accordingly.¡±
Kaleb sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. ¡°So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m going to need to dress to the nine, wine and dine him, and basically blow smoke up his ass until we find out enough to see if he¡¯s a threat?¡±
¡°Essentially.¡± Jar-Lock nodded as Farrah looked pleased with herself.
¡°Fine!¡± Kaleb whined. ¡°I¡¯ll call him up a schedule a lunch with him. But afterward, I¡¯m going to my damn workshop and building something. All this nonsense is giving me a headache.¡±
Farrah did a silent cheer and Kaleb remembered that the bunny-woman had invited herself along. That brought a small smile to his face. At least if she was there, he wasn¡¯t liable to blow things out of proportion completely. And if things went to shit, Farrah and her super-speed would make getting out of there a snap.
Kaleb turned to walk off toward his workshop when a noise from Jar-Lock had him turning around. The big mage had his head to the side and his chin was in his hand. He seemed to be studying Kaleb¡¯s clothes. Kaleb glanced down at his body before looking back at Jar-Lock.
¡°What?¡±
¡°That¡¯s not what you¡¯re going to wear to the lunch meeting, is it?¡±
Chapter 161 - Classroom Planning and Burning Warehouses
Kaleb¡¯s luncheon with the good Alderman was scheduled for the weekend. He double-checked with Mr. Madden¡¯s secretary that it was alright to bring along Farrah, and he was assured that it was fine. So this coming Saturday, he and Farrah would dine at one of the fanciest restaurants in downtown. Of course, after that was on the books, the rest of the day dragged on. Kaleb went to work in his workshop while the rest of the Super-Group went about their own business.
Tuesday was much the same. Kaleb got up, worked on some random bits of weapons and armor, then went on patrol. It was better to save the extensive projects for after his patrol. That way, he would be mostly uninterrupted. He kept an eye on the Affinity Map as he went to work and found that their combined effort was slowly changing things. But it would take a while. Imperial Valley was still proving to be a challenge. That would require a sit-down and a long conversation with the Police Department stationed there. And Kaleb was not interested in that.
What he was currently interested in was getting the rest of his Armadillo armor shaped and ready. The chest piece was fine, but he wanted shin and arm guards. Also, a piece for his back. He parked his car and hurried to file his reports with Farrah. Abby and Vivienne were sitting at the tables in the Command Center, filling out their own reports. He waved at them as he sat down and grabbed the patrol form.
¡°Fun day?¡±
Abby snorted. ¡°Oh, it was glorious. Chased down a dog, settled a yard dispute, and got a Supe Player to stop doing fly-bys over some guy¡¯s house.¡±
Kaleb could hear the derision and boredom in the young woman¡¯s voice and he could only nod in sympathy. The good-will stuff was great once in a while, but doing them daily was wearing on the team. Thankfully, the PD had stopped blocking them so much after Farrah¡¯s recording hit the public. Officer Trask was offered up as a sacrificial lamb and fired. Now they received one or two calls from the PD to help with actual criminals. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was a start.
¡°I saved a few lost animals.¡± Vivienne added, looking slightly happier with their current lot.
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Yeah, I helped fix a few things. Fences, environmental regulation units, even had a house with a personal shield. It was over-drawing from the local power grid. Apparently, the guy didn¡¯t get the permits for the shield. So he was trying to keep it on the down-low.¡±
¡°Did you help him?¡± Farrah asked from her spot near her monitors.
¡°Yeah, I made the power draw more efficient. But if he has to use it, it won¡¯t last long.¡±
Kaleb spoke as he filled out the patrol paperwork. It wasn¡¯t too complicated. Just a report on what he did, who he did it for, and the time it took him to do it. So given that his Good-Will Missions were mostly repair jobs, the form was fairly easy to fill out. Feeling someone¡¯s eyes on him, Kaleb glanced up to see Abby smiling weirdly at him. He grinned back, but tilted his head, showing that he was confused. She cackled to herself.
¡°Are you ready for tomorrow?¡±
Kaleb¡¯s confusion mounted until he remembered he had been press-ganged into chemistry class. He growled under his breath as Abby chuckled again. He had picked up some books on basic chemistry and even set down a lesson plan. But he was still not looking forward to teaching a class. He assumed he¡¯d see some Skill gains while there, though. So maybe it would all be worth it. He angrily finished writing his report and stood.
¡°Yes, to answer your question, I am ready. Just not looking forward to it.¡±
¡°Come on, Professor. It could be fun. Besides, your name is literally Professor. You were bound to find yourself teaching at some point.¡± Vivienne smiled.
¡°Nominative determinism aside. I think you¡¯ll do great and it¡¯ll get you out of these USELESS MISSIONS!¡±
Abby screamed the last bit at Farrah¡¯s back, but the rabbit-woman ignored her as she turned to look at Kaleb.
¡°I put your syllabus in your workshop, along with the books you¡¯ll need. Please stop leaving your notes all over the place. That¡¯s why you have a workshop.¡±
¡°Hey, what if a situation happened, and I needed to respond immediately? I¡¯d want to be close to the command center.¡±
¡°Just keep your junk out, Prof.¡± Farrah said before turning back to her screens.
Grumbling to himself, Kaleb handed his paperwork off to one of the hunters for them to upload it and started toward his workshop. Abby got up to join him as Vivienne also turned in her paperwork. The tall blonde then excused herself downstairs. He and Abby walked into the workshop, and Kaleb made a beeline for his workbench. He¡¯d bought another one for Roy and his two helpers. So they would stop messing with his stuff.
As he dug through the mess of his own workbench, Kaleb called over his shoulder. ¡°What are you doing, Abby?¡±
¡°What? I can¡¯t be curious? I want to see how you''re planning on dealing with this brand-new challenge.¡±
¡°Please. The kids will not be the challenge. That sneaky Alderman is.¡±
¡°What? Do you suspect he¡¯s going to try something?¡±
¡°Maybe not. But he clearly has something he wants to say to us. I¡¯m expecting a bribe to leave the city or a warning to not upset the apple cart.¡±
¡°So the carrot or the stick. Which do you think he¡¯ll go with?¡±
¡°Well, this is a game. So I¡¯m expecting the stick. I think the game¡¯s AI would throw that at me just to see if I get mad enough to act.¡±
¡°But you''re not going to, right?¡±
¡°Naw. Honestly, there is nothing the Alderman can say or do that¡¯ll make me run from the HLO.¡±
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
¡°And you''re sure that¡¯s what he¡¯s trying?¡±
¡°Of course not. But I don¡¯t know what else he could want from me.¡±
Kaleb finally found his syllabus and started looking around for his chemistry books. Those were easier to find, as Terrance had organized all the books in the workshop. The boy even went out and bought a bookshelf. Now they had a decent collection of books on metal-working, weapons, and chemistry. Kaleb grabbed what he needed and then turned back to his workbench to find Abby sitting there.
¡°What are you doing, Abby?¡± Kaleb asked again.
The small, dark-haired woman grinned. ¡°Well¡ You remember how I¡¯m currently in college, right?¡±
¡°Yes¡¡±
¡°One of my classes just happens to be Intro to Chemistry.¡±
¡°Oh my lord, you¡¯re kidding me.¡±
¡°Hey, you¡¯re going to be teaching the class, anyway. Just explain the basics to me and we¡¯ll see how effective you are as a teacher. And as a bonus, I just might learn something.¡±
Kaleb smiled and shook his head. ¡°You know that¡¯s not how game knowledge works, right? It¡¯s like learning something in a dream. You might retain a bit of it, but not enough to pass a class.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not trying to use you to pass a class. I¡¯m just looking for some added teaching. So with my own course-load and then some gaming time spent going over things with you, I might just pass chemistry with flying colors. Besides, hypnopedia through the pods has been proven to work¡ sometimes.¡±
¡°Not often enough to be reliable.¡±
¡°Just throw me a bone here, Prof. You were going to go over your syllabus anyway, right? So just go through it out loud with me. It¡¯ll prepare you for class and I¡¯ll get a refresher on my basic chemistry.¡±
Kaleb sighed and cleared a space on his workbench. He opened his book and laid his course syllabus alongside. He dragged his finger down the paper and turned to Abby.
¡°Well, first, I wanted to go over the states of matter and the appropriate way to jot down measurements.¡±
¡°So, solid, liquid, and gas. Then you¡¯ll hit the base SI units. Meter, kilogram, yada yada?¡±
¡°Essentially, yes, but those are the phases of matter. Matter itself is any substance that includes volume and mass. So, along with the phases, students will need to know how we describe and identify the properties of the matter. Extensive or Intensive, and Physical or Chemical.¡±
¡°Okay, and how do you discover those properties?¡± Abby asked.
Kaleb fell into the discussion as Abby continued to ask questions. They discussed the entirety of the first section of his syllabus. Which Kaleb had planned on stretching out for the college course. He imagined the college kids would be less engaged and ask far fewer questions. But Abby seemed to be genuinely listening, and he even caught her taking notes using the game¡¯s note section of their menus. The information came freely to his mind, and the words flowed easily. If Kaleb hadn¡¯t known better, he would¡¯ve thought he was an expert.
The two sat at his workbench, talking about chemistry for a few hours before someone interrupted. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t anyone in the workshop itself. In fact, when Kaleb looked up, Roy, Terrance, and Marie were all standing around his workbench, listening intently. The interruption came from the workshop door as Claire stuck her head in. She saw their little scrum around Kaleb¡¯s workbench and grinned.
¡°I hate to interrupt. But we have a call from the PD. There¡¯s a fire down on the south end of Blue Bluff road. Apparently, a warehouse caught fire somehow.¡±
Kaleb nodded and closed up his book and syllabus. ¡°Where are Jar and Vivienne?¡±
¡°They are rushing out the door now. But your bunny-girl says this would be a good time for the entire team to move out. So those of us logged-in are going. But if you two need some more alone time.¡±
Claire trailed off as Kaleb snorted and grabbed his weapons. Abby scoffed as well, and Kaleb felt her leaving. He searched the workshop for his armor, but he couldn¡¯t find it. Roy was glancing between Abby and Kaleb as Marie said.
¡°Your armor is in the locker by the door. Try to keep your weapons in there too, please. Terrance has been hitching a fit.¡±
¡°This place is a mess! I can only clean it so many times.¡±
¡°And I thank you for keeping it clean. I¡¯ll try to do my part. But you know a little controlled chaos can be a good thing.¡± Kaleb told the tall boy as he equipped his armor.
He turned to Roy to see if his side-kick was coming with them. But the young man shook his head.
¡°I want to test the actuators Daivor and I were building. So I¡¯ll stay here for now.¡±
¡°Alright. Still not going to tell me what you''re building?¡±
Roy smirked. ¡°It¡¯s nowhere near done, Doc. But I know you¡¯ll love it.¡±
Kaleb shrugged and hurried out his workshop door, almost running into Abby as she was waiting. Claire and Two Gun were also right outside and the four of them wordlessly left the hangar. Two Gun jogged to his and Claire¡¯s car, so Kaleb moved to join them. He and Abby got in the backseat as Claire took the passenger side. One quick press of a button and they were on their way. Kaleb reached into his lab coat pocket and grabbed his ear comm.
¡°What¡¯s the word, Farrah?¡±
¡°Comms up?¡± The rabbit-woman asked in Kaleb¡¯s ear.
¡°Check.¡± Two Gun said.
¡°Up.¡± Abby said.
¡°Same.¡±
Jar-lock and Vivienne also checked in over the comms and then Farrah broke down the situation as they drove. Apparently, a cereal company¡¯s warehouse had caught fire somehow. Reports were still vague on how. The evening shift working in the warehouse had mostly evacuated, but some were still inside the burning building. Police were cordoning things off, and it was Lone Star¡¯s responsibility to conduct search and rescue while the fire department worked the fire.
¡°How many people?¡± Jar-lock asked
¡°Five to fifteen?¡±
¡°That¡¯s quite the range.¡± Two Gun said.
¡°Yeah, well, the PD is telling me one thing, while I have a foreman that says otherwise.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the foreman saying?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Fifteen.¡±
¡°Then we¡¯ll search for fifteen.¡±
¡°Why would the cops tell us five?¡±
¡°Cause if we let a few people burn up in a fire, the public will crucify us.¡±
¡°You really think they¡¯d let people die, just to spite us, Prof?¡±
¡°Then you tell me why the counts are off? Meanwhile, I¡¯m going to be hunting for fifteen people¡ or bodies.¡±
¡°Did you bring your scanner?¡± Abby asked.
¡°It¡¯s a thermal scanner, Abs. The thing¡¯s useless here. But that¡¯s a good idea. Do we have a way to track the bodies in the building?¡±
¡°Each employee ID card has a tracker in it. But some of them may be unreliable. There¡¯s a corporate representative on site that will fill you in about those.¡±
¡°Drone coverage?¡± Claire asked, making Kaleb tilt his head in confusion.
¡°I¡¯ve got all but four drones covering the site. The others are monitoring the other districts. We can¡¯t rule out that this is a distraction.¡±
¡°Are we investigating the source of the fire?¡± asked Two Gun.
¡°Priority is the missing workers. But I don¡¯t think anyone will complain if you find the fire-starter.¡±
Kaleb perked up at that. ¡°You think someone started this fire?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see how a cereal company¡¯s warehouse caught fire otherwise. But what do I know? Maybe they kept explosive chemicals on site.¡±
¡°So why don¡¯t we split into teams? Jar-lock and Vivienne can help manage the fire, Abby and Claire can proceed with the rescue, while Two Gun and I try to find the source of the fire.¡±
¡°Civilians first, Professor.¡± Jar-lock said over Farrah. ¡°We can search for the source later. The people come first.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes but agreed. ¡°Fine. But if I burn through my lab coat, you¡¯re paying for a replacement.¡±
Abby¡¯s eyes got enormous. ¡°Oh yeah, we¡¯re diving into an on-fire building. Will our equipment be okay?¡±
¡°Should be. The K-tech armor is some heavy duty stuff. But I¡¯d watch your eyebrows and arm hair.¡± Kaleb grinned.
Laughs echoed over the comms as they continued toward their destination. Off in the distance, Kaleb could see smoke rising over a darkening sky. The sun was setting, but the glow from a raging fire was clear as day. Kaleb even thought he could smell the smoke from inside their car. Teaching chemistry was fun. But doing some actual heroics was going to be a treat. Kaleb smiled to themselves as Two Gun pointed them right toward danger and stepped on the gas.
Chapter 162 - The Fire!
The fire on the horizon grew in size as they drove closer. The beige building billowing smoke came into view just as their car passed a long line of cars heading the opposite direction. One police-manned gate and a quick parking job later and they were standing right outside the burning building. Alongside them were diligently working firefighters and surly looking police. Kaleb shot them his own derisive look, but Claire and Abby steered him away from anyone in charge. Given his track record with authority figures, Kaleb understood.
Jar-lock moved to discuss things with the cops as Vivienne moved to speak to the firefighters. Kaleb drew his quad-gun as people rushed around with fire hoses. The building was thirty feet high and seemed to extend back a long way. Several more like it sat in a row right next to the towering inferno. All of them were emblazoned with a brand for a cereal company Kaleb didn¡¯t recognize. He worried that the flame would spread to the other buildings, but the firefighters were already seeing to that.
Overhead, Farrah¡¯s drones started taking in the scene and started tracking the missing employees. Kaleb wanted to jump right in, but Two Gun flagged him down.
¡°We need to wait, son. We¡¯ve got two other agencies here and we need their go ahead before we rush off.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes, but sat back as he watched the fire eat away at the gigantic building. A roll-up door was wide open and he could see more fire inside. Rows of pallets and wide shelves were slowly collapsing as their slim structures were burned to cinders. Police and firefighting drones were in the air, and Kaleb watched a tubby firefighter drone dump water across the building¡¯s roof. Everything seemed to be well in hand here. All they needed to do was rescue the trapped civvies and they could mark another win down.
Vivienne quickly returned with a harried-looking alien. They seemed both sweaty and annoyed as the tall Vivienne dragged them over. The alien was in a suit and tie, but it was bedraggled and Kaleb could smell smoke coming off of them. Everyone crowded around the alien and Vivienne as she gave introductions.
¡°Mr. Flarink, this is the Lone Star Hounds and we¡¯re here to get your people out. What can you tell us about their ID trackers?¡±
Flarink¡¯s eyes crossed over all of them before he gave a weak sniff. ¡°As I explained, our TekNik brand IDs were supposed to help identify survivors in scenarios such as this. But come to find out, they are slightly unreliable.¡±
¡°How slightly?¡± Two Gun asked.
¡°Some have simply stopped functioning, while others imply our people are miles away. It¡¯s been a fiasco!¡±
¡°So we don¡¯t know where your people are?¡±
Flarink nodded slightly. ¡°Some of the devices do appear to be operating correctly, but the others¡¡±
He trailed off as the fire seemed to flare up before their eyes. Kaleb basked in the feeling of warmth washing over his scales. All around them, firefighters rushed to figure out what had caused the flare up. The alien, Flarink, wiped sweat from his head with a pocket square and looked worriedly at his building.
¡°What exactly are you cooking in there that¡¯s feeding this fire so much?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Why, I don¡¯t know what you are implying, sir. But we are a legitimate cereal company. Trilli-O¡¯s cereal has been in operation for decades.¡±
¡°Okay, but that still doesn¡¯t explain how this all happened.¡±
¡°And that¡¯s not our concern right now.¡± Jar-lock¡¯s voice interrupted any response Flarink was about to give.
The large mage gathered everyone¡¯s attention before he spoke. ¡°We have been authorized to go in and rescue as many people as we can. Fire and Safety will monitor the situation out here while we hunt down the employees. Once all that is completed, our team will stay to help with cleanup and investigation.¡±
Kaleb sighed as he realized the more exciting aspects of this little jaunt were going to be saved for later. Right now, they had to march into a burning building. Sighing to himself, he took off his lab coat and threw it back into Two Gun¡¯s car. He saw the others doing the same with any of their loose clothes. Abby took off her hoodie, Two Gun his hat, and Vivienne rolled up the sleeves of her robe and put her hair in a ponytail. Once they were all ready to go, Jar-lock lead them toward the open roll-up door.
The fire popped and crackled all around them and the air heated up quick. Smoke was everywhere and Kaleb ducked low as they all crossed the threshold. As soon as they were in, Vivienne and Jar-lock activated some spells that surrounded the entire team in protective shields. Kaleb blinked at the white outline that now covered his body. He could feel it, like a skin-tight suit protecting him from the flames.
¡°The spell won¡¯t last long, so don¡¯t stray too far. Viv and I will combat the fire here and create a safe space. The rest of you conduct search and rescue. Start at the front of the warehouse and continue toward the back.¡±
As Jar-lock finished speaking, a long beam from the ceiling crashed into a tall shelf, sending both to the floor, burning. Kaleb gulped as he looked up and saw more joists and beams on fire above them. He twirled his quad-gun to ice and moved away. Two Gun and Claire traveled to the left corner by their entrance as he and Abby took the right. They ran as shelving around them burned and smoke obscured their vision. Thankfully, Viv and Jar-lock¡¯s protection spell made it easy for them to ignore the environment as they searched.
The fire around Kaleb hissed and sputtered out as he waved his gun around. A cloud of ice ate away at the fire as he and Abby moved through the stacks. The shelves wobbled ominously at times, but he and Abby kept an eye on things as they moved. Sometimes a shelf would collapse, sending a wooden crate careening into the cement floor. Burning cereal was everywhere, and Kaleb swore he could smell burning marshmallows. Even through the spell covering his body.
Abby tapped his shoulder as they cleared another row of shelves. ¡°We need to go get our shields reapplied. Jar-lock said they wouldn¡¯t last long.¡±
Kaleb looked down at his body and he could see the white outline fading slowly. He gave the short woman a grunt and a nod before he stopped spraying ice everywhere. He¡¯d created a large area of safety for them with the Quad-gun, but the fire would soon try and eat its way closer again. They ran back to the entrance and quickly found Jar-lock and Vivienne. The pair of them were creating their own area of safety as the fire raged all around. Combined with the firefighters outside, Kaleb was sure they would have everything in hand.
Claire and Two Gun arrived almost at the same time as Kaleb and Abby did. Claire was carrying two limp bodies on her shoulders as Two Gun led the way for the taller woman. Kaleb saw four bodies already laying next to Vivienne and Jar-lock. They had their own shields and seemed to be breathing fine. As Claire sat down her new finds, Vivienne started casting healing magic on them. Kaleb turned to Jar-lock and pointed his Quad-gun at the flames to help.
¡°No one on your side?!¡± Jar-lock shouted over the flames.
Kaleb shook his head as he laid down a sheet of ice. ¡°Not yet.¡±
¡°Claire and Two Gun found an employee lounge of some kind! These people were collapsed in there!¡±
¡°Collapsed?!¡± Kaleb asked in confusion. ¡°Why would they collapse?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. But I¡¯d wager that whatever happened, happened quickly. They didn¡¯t have enough time to get out. So they sheltered in place. But the fire ate up all the oxygen, and they collapsed.¡±
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Kaleb nodded at the theory, but something in his gut felt off. He shoved the feeling away and waved a hand at Jar-lock to get his attention.
¡°We need to re-up our shields. Abby and I are almost to the halfway point on our side. Unless we find more survivors, this next cast should last us.¡±
Jar-lock nodded as he pulled both of his arms back. The frosty air the big mage had been throwing at the fire disappeared and Jar-lock¡¯s fingers traced a sigil in the air. With whispered words, Kaleb saw the white outline around his body solidify again. He turned to Abby to see her checking on the bodies. Her shield had also been recharged, same with Two Gun and Claire. The old cowboy was waving for Kaleb to come over. He waited for Vivienne to take her place at Jar-lock¡¯s side again, before he addressed Two Gun.
¡°What is it?!¡± Kaleb asked as Vivienne and Jar-lock used ice and water spells to keep the fire back. The loud hissing made the noise even worse.
¡°Have you found a source of all this yet?!¡±
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°No! But I thought we weren¡¯t supposed to be looking yet!¡±
¡°Sure, prof, like you haven¡¯t been trying to solve this puzzle!¡± Two Gun grinned.
Kaleb smiled back as he shrugged. ¡°I have some theories, but nothing concrete yet! But I think Jar is right: Whatever happened, it was quick. But I also think it started from inside!¡±
¡°Why?!¡±
¡°All the scorch marks and damage inside are much worse than it is outside! Keep an eye out and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find out what caused this.¡±
Two Gun gave him a thumbs up as Abby and Claire signaled they were ready to continue the search. Kaleb and Abby dove back to their side of the warehouse and started traveling along the wall. Shelves were collapsing everywhere and Abby had to pull Kaleb away from several falling beams. But soon a small structure appeared through the flames. Kaleb made them a path with his Quad-gun, and they soon found themselves outside the skeleton of a small office. The walls were blackened and collapsing. Its windows were shattered and spread out along the floor. Kaleb put as much of the fire out as he could before they got any closer.
The small interior office was an absolute shell of its former self. Through the collapsed windows, Kaleb could see desks and filing cabinets inside. As well as some kind of server farm. But everything was burned. Abby tapped his shoulder as he tried to fight back the fire. Her pale finger pointed inside the office.
¡°Body!¡± she shouted in his ear.
Kaleb grunted against the noise, but nodded his head and walked closer. As he did, he kept up a steady stream of ice. They hopped through a broken window and entered the office as Kaleb continued to firefight. Abby rushed the slumped over body. It was seated at a desk, its head and face black from burns. She checked the person¡¯s vitals, but Kaleb knew it was a lost cause. Abby met his eye and shook her head. Kaleb nodded and started to walk back out, but something flashed green and blue in his peripheral vision. He spun to find the source as Abby sullenly walked over to him.
It took her running into Kaleb to snap her out of her funk. Kaleb was too distracted by the military-grade server embedded into the wall of this supposed cereal company. Fire suppression foam covered half of the server and even seemed to harden around the lower half of the electronics. Someone had chipped away at the foam and had successfully uncovered a lower rack of the server. A drive had been pulled, and Kaleb moved to investigate further. Abby''s slim hand grasped his arm and dragged him back, almost making him trip. Rounding on the smaller woman, Kaleb wanted to ask why she was stopping him. But then the ceiling collapsed in front of them.
The server and several desks were quickly buried under rubble as Kaleb backpedaled. Abby maintained her grip on his arm as they both turned and dove out the office window. Kaleb quickly snapped to his feet after rolling to safety. Nearby, a black cocoon of shadows engulfed Abby, before it quickly spat her back out again. She reappeared on her feet a few steps from him.. Kaleb started spraying things down again as Abby pulled him down. She shouted in his ear again, and Kaleb wanted to roll his eyes.
¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡±
Kaleb gestured with his gun that they should continue. Abby smirked and turned her gaze back to the collapsing office space. The short roof of the in-door office had collapsed and whatever they had found was now buried. Kaleb was sure that in whatever aftermath came from this little outing, they would not be allowed back in there. The company would claim proprietary secrets and the cops would say it was out of their purview. But whatever that server had held, it was enough for someone to try to burn down a building.
He and Abby continued their journey down the right side of the warehouse. They found three more bodies, two of which were breathing. Taking the bodies back to Jar and Vivienne, Kaleb tried to explain what they had found. But was waved off for later. Which Kaleb understood, shouting in a smoke-filled warehouse was getting old.
It took them a few more trips to clear the remaining warehouse. Once Two Gun and Claire joined them at the back of the large space, they teamed up to travel down the middle. At that point, they and the firefighters had put out enough of the flames that it was safer to move around. The warehouse¡¯s support beams were scorched, but they seemed to hold. The building creaked ominously, and it probably smelled terrible. But they didn¡¯t have to shout anymore.
But when Kaleb tried to explain what he found again, Two Gun and Claire both stopped him. Kaleb sullenly stopped trying to bring it up. But when they got back to Jar-lock and Vivienne, he could see why they stopped him. A cop and a firefighter were in a heated discussion with Jar-lock. Kaleb couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying. But from the frustrated look on Jar¡¯s face, he could tell it wasn¡¯t a cheerful conversation.
Not wanting to impose, Two Gun and Claire led Kaleb and Abby out of the warehouse. Once outside, Kaleb was surprised to see that evening was turning into night. The street lamps had come on and police sirens blazed red and blue in front of the warehouse. Again, he tried to bring up what they had found, but Claire coughed aggressively over him. Two Gun practically dragged Kaleb toward their car before he managed to get a word in. Once he did, it was less the complimentary.
¡°What the fuck is with you two?!¡± Kaleb hissed as he looked around.
Firefighters and police were lingering around the smoldering building. But it didn¡¯t look like anyone was trying to overhear. Two Gun waved for him to calm down as Claire gulped down a bottle of water she had procured from their car. Once the big woman was finished, she reached into the front seat and brought out two more bottles. She passed them to Kaleb and Abby before whispering.
¡°It was an inside job.¡±
Kaleb stared blankly at her before he snorted. ¡°No shit. How did you two figure that out?¡±
¡°The bodies in the break room, for one. The way they were slumped over. It looked like someone had put something in their food. The ones we saved were barely alive as it was.¡±
¡°Another clue was I found tracks outside an emergency door along our wall.¡± Claire said. ¡°It looked like a small truck.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°So someone drugged the warehouse workers? Stole something from this ¡®cereal company¡¯ and then set it on fire to cover their tracks.¡±
¡°Yeah, ¡®cept we don¡¯t know what was stolen.¡±
¡°There was a drive missing from a high-grade server rack.¡± Kaleb supplied.
¡°All this for one drive?¡± Claire asked.
¡°People have done dumber things.¡±
¡°And why aren¡¯t we telling the cops this?¡± Abby asked.
¡°The real question is, why didn¡¯t they tell us?¡± Claire argued. ¡°The tracks are obvious and we all know there is nothing inside this warehouse that could¡¯ve started this fire. We couldn¡¯t even find the source of the blaze. Could you?¡±
Kaleb shook his head. ¡°No. The fire was everywhere, but I couldn¡¯t find a point of origin.¡±
¡°Us either.¡±
Kaleb watched Jar-lock and Vivienne stomp their way out of the warehouse. Vivienne was visibly pissed off, but Jar was keeping his cool. But Kaleb could see a large vein pulsing on the mage¡¯s forehead. Whatever conversation the two mages had with the cops and firefighters, it wasn¡¯t a good one. They all became quiet as Jar-lock joined their little circle. The big man took a long, shuddering breath before he blew it out slowly. His obvious anger seemed to calm Vivienne as she watched her boyfriend.
¡°Jar¡?¡± Abby asked.
¡°They won¡¯t be paying us for this little escapade.¡±
Kaleb grunted in annoyance as everyone started shouting angrily. Toward the warehouse¡¯s entrance, he saw a pair of cops watching them with smiles on their faces. Kaleb had to forcefully stop himself from going over and electrocuting the smug assholes.
¡°They say since we didn¡¯t bring the bodies out to be looked over by ¡®trained professionals¡¯, we forego we¡¯ve broken our contract. Our job wasn¡¯t to administer aid, just get them out before the fire was put out. We didn¡¯t accomplish that, so they are saying we failed in our mission,¡± Jar-lock explained.
¡°I¡¯ve already submitted our drone footage, and a written reprimand to city hall.¡± Farrah said in their ears. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll get stuck in red tape. But they can¡¯t penalize us for going above and beyond.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t stop them from trying.¡± Claire hissed.
Kaleb rubbed a hand down his face. His body was hot, and he desperately wanted another water. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. We saved some lives and uncovered some hidden plot. Let¡¯s discuss what we do next back at the hangar.¡±
Everyone around him nodded as a small voice spoke up from behind their huddle. ¡°Umm, excuse me¡ What plot?¡±
They all turned to see Mr. Flarink wringing his hands in frustration. Kaleb grinned as he pushed his way toward the sweaty alien.
¡°That depends, Mr. Flarink.¡±
¡°On what?¡±
¡°How much you want to know what happened to your corporate warehouse? And how badly you want what was taken from you.¡±
Kaleb grinned as the sweaty alien¡¯s eyes bulged in understanding. He looked back over at the cops, who were still patting themselves on the back. Kaleb¡¯s friends pushed closer, blocking Mr. Flarink from the smug cop¡¯s gaze. The alien seemed to wrestle with something internally before he came to a decision.
¡°How much do you charge?¡±
Chapter 163 - Contracts and Tracking
¡°I¡¯m not sure about this,¡± Mr. Flarink said, dabbing at his head with a handkerchief.
¡°Sir, if you want us to do anything, we need a written request. A digital document explaining the request and rewards. Which is exactly what our friend, Farrah, has written up for you. All you have to do is read through it and sign it.¡± Jar-lock calmly explained for the second time.
Kaleb sighed as he leaned against Two Gun¡¯s car. The sweaty warehouse manager was looking shakier the longer this went on. Not to mention they were drawing stares from the cops. Who were probably wondering why they hadn¡¯t left yet? Claire and Jar were using their bodies to block Mr. Flarink from view, but that was only going to work so far.
¡°Of course. You could always leave it to the police.¡± Two Gun added. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be happy to throw it on their pile of work right now.¡±
¡°Not to mention, those truck tracks were pretty fresh. If we hurry, we might be able to find them.¡±
Flarink seemed to sink into himself as he thought about their words. He clearly didn¡¯t have any faith in the police to find the criminals. But he was also uncomfortable about signing a contract. Kaleb groaned, as he was sure the guy was going to wave them off. But instead, Mr. Flarink seemed to gather himself and then thrust his thumb onto the tablet. A few seconds went by before the tablet beeped and Farrah spoke in all their ears.
¡°Okay, everyone. We have just been hired by the Trilli-O¡¯s cereal company to investigate what was stolen from the warehouse and retrieve it.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re sure this is within our remit?¡± Jar-lock asked as everyone silently celebrated.
¡°It¡¯s a grey area. Technically, we do contract work all the time. Only it¡¯s for the city. But there is nothing stopping corporate entities and other interested parties from hiring heroes. Now we have a legally binding contract stating that we are employed by Trilli-O¡¯s to investigate their stolen goods.¡±
¡°From heroes to mercenaries.¡± Abby chuckled.
¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± Kaleb said. ¡°So, where do we start? Those tracks?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll lead you all to them.¡± Claire said, but Jar-lock was shaking his head.
¡°No. Just me. I¡¯ll use magic to enhance your tracking and everyone else will follow with the cars. We don¡¯t want all of us crowding around the side of the warehouse.¡±
¡°Especially since we are supposed to be long gone.¡± Vivienne nodded.
Kaleb was already around the side of the car and opening the passenger side door. Vivienne and Abby took off toward Jar-lock¡¯s car as Claire and Jar went to find the tracks again. As Kaleb got into the vehicle, he saw several cops moving to stop his friends. Two Gun chuckled as the resulting discussion seemed to make the police angrier than hell.
¡°Bastards don¡¯t know who they were screwing with.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he saw a cop wave Mr. Flarink over. Meanwhile, Jar-lock and Claire continued walking on. The sweaty alien manager was defending himself as they drove out of the parking lot and toward a side-street. Two Gun parked them alongside the road and they waited. From his seat Kaleb could see down toward the side of the warehouse where Claire and Jar-lock were staring at mud. Vivienne had pulled up behind them as Jar-lock finished his spell.
The next thing Kaleb saw was Claire squat down and tense her legs as Jar-lock ran for their cars.
¡°Oh, here she goes.¡± Two Gun said excitedly.
Before Kaleb could ask, Claire flung herself upward and forward. With monstrous strength, the alien strong-woman flung herself through the air. She was still falling as Kaleb looked over at Two Gun.
¡°She increased her jumping strength. She¡¯s been excited to try it.¡±
¡°I bet that¡¯s hell on the pavement.¡± Kaleb said as he watched Claire hit the ground way off in the distance.
¡°It is. Which is why she waited for when she was in the dirt. Are we good to follow!?¡±
Two Gun shouted out his window as Jar-lock made it to Vivienne¡¯s car. The big mage nodded and waved a robed arm at the green giantess.
¡°Yep, the spell should hold. You just have to follow your bouncing wife.¡±
¡°Ha!¡±
With a bark of a laugh, Two Gun took off like a shot and hurried after Claire. Kaleb kept an eye on the woman as she leapt across the open fields. Whenever she landed, she would take a few seconds to gather her bearings before she flung herself again. He figured she was keeping track of whatever trail she was following. Which, surprisingly, never seemed to come near the side-road they were on. Whoever had stolen from the cereal company kept their truck off-road.
When Kaleb pointed this out to the others, Jar-lock grunted in grudging respect. ¡°That makes sense. Cops would be watching the roads. Not the fields next to it.¡±
¡°Still, the ground is pretty open. How would they hide a truck?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes. ¡°Farrah? Do you have anything with the drones?¡±
¡°Nope. I¡¯m spreading our net wider and trying to keep ahead of Claire. But we don¡¯t know how much of a lead we¡¯ve got.¡±
¡°Shit!¡± Two Gun swore.
Looking ahead, Kaleb spotted Claire jumping southward. She was heading further off road. Their own narrow bit of road was curving northward. Kaleb reached for his seat belt as the old cowboy swung the wheel and took them into the grass. From the noises in his head, Kaleb was sure Vivienne had just done the same thing.
They traveled half a mile like that before Claire turned eastward again, and Kaleb spotted a large building in the distance.
¡°Hey, is that the¡¡±
¡°Yeah!¡± Two Gun cackled. ¡°That¡¯s the old stadium and raceway!¡±
¡°But that place has been defunct for years!¡± Abby shouted over the comms.
¡°That¡¯s in the real world. Who knows what it¡¯s being used for now?¡±
¡°Maybe they got some alien races out here.¡±
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Kaleb glanced at the oncoming stadium. The bricks were weathered and he could see plant growth slowly encroaching on the place. The race track, slightly alongside it, didn¡¯t look much better. Both places were clearly defunct in-game as well. Off to the side of them, Kaleb could see Claire come to a landing and stop jumping entirely. She waved a hand in their direction and panted through the comms.
¡°Tracks are leading into the stadium.¡±
¡°Any movement?¡± Jar-lock asked.
¡°None that I can see.¡±
¡°For all we know, this is where they switched vehicles.¡±
¡°Still warrants a look. Farrah?¡±
¡°Drone¡¯s are moving in. But our signal strength is declining rapidly.¡±
Kaleb sat up straighter. ¡°What? That shouldn¡¯t happen. The hangar¡¯s signal booster should cover us all the way to San Antonio.¡±
¡°Geez, Prof. Isn¡¯t that overkill?¡±
¡°Better to have the strength and not need it. Then need it and not have it.¡± Kaleb shrugged.
¡°Professor, could some kind of jamming sap our drones signal?¡± Jar-lock asked.
¡°Something on the D-net wavelength. But no one uses that anymore.¡±
¡°Except us.¡± Two Gun added.
¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s cause it¡¯s all I could afford. R-Wave emitters are pricey.¡±
¡°So these guys are either low-rent thugs or tech-savy mercs.¡± Abby guessed.
Kaleb scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m going with low-rent. No way some high-end mercs are going to be hitting up a cereal company.¡±
¡°That depends on what they stole.¡±
¡°Dude, they yanked a drive from the server rack at a cereal company. What the hell could they have stolen? The secret recipe to tiny marshmallows?¡±
¡°Whatever it was, it was worth burning down an entire building.¡±
¡°Besides, prof. Didn¡¯t you say that the server rack was ¡®high grade?¡¯¡±
Two Gun pulled their car to a stop next to a sweaty and panting Claire. Kaleb closed his eyes and remembered the server rack in the warehouse office. It was a high-end server rack. It was even offset from the other servers. Which was suspicious, but he couldn¡¯t even comprehend what the company would need such a thing for.
He was chewing it over in his mind as the other car pulled up. Reaching into the back seat, Kaleb pulled his lab coat out and started putting it on. After starting the game with it and wearing it every day, being without it just felt wrong. Sure, it was a different coat at this point. But it was a part of his look. Abby caught his eye as they all stood waiting for word from Farrah. Kaleb gave her a slight nod.
¡°Sure, the server was odd. But I still don¡¯t think we are hunting anything more than magical cereal recipes.¡±
¡°Is that a thing?¡± Claire asked.
¡°Mana-infused foods have been tried. But it¡¯s a murky area.¡± Vivienne explained. ¡°Magic can react badly when used on various people. But there¡¯s no rhyme or reason to it.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got movement.¡± Farrah said, interrupting their conversation.
¡°What¡¯s it look like?¡±
¡°Well, it seems like our dear professor was wrong. I¡¯ve got dozens of people in tactical gear and some heavy duty weapons. But it looks like they are closing up shop. They are loading a bunch of stuff into hover-cars. But I can''t tell what they¡¯re loading. Prof, do you think you can upgrade the zoom on the drones later?¡±
¡°Put it on the list.¡± Kaleb grumbled as they all stared at the defunct stadium. ¡°So, how do we want to do this? Do we track them to the secondary location or take them here?¡±
¡°We don¡¯t have flying cars, so following them will be much harder. I say we take them now.¡± Claire offered.
The others nodded, and Kaleb got his Cybar and Quad-gun out again. Jar-lock prepped a spell as he issued orders.
¡°Claire and I will circle toward their exit route. The rest of you take the stadium floor by floor. Farrah, are there any lookouts?¡±
¡°Several snipers are on the roofs of both the stadium and the raceway. They haven¡¯t seen our drones yet. But once we move in, they will.¡±
¡°Okay. Abby, can you take care of the shooters? That¡¯ll leave Two Gun, the Prof and Vivienne to charge the stadium. Once y¡¯all are inside, cause as much havoc as you can.¡±
¡°Are we a distraction?¡± Kaleb asked as he twirled his Cybar on his finger.
¡°Yes, and no. Your presence will draw some attention. But they¡¯ll prioritize escaping. So really, you¡¯re just forcing them toward Claire and I.¡±
Two Gun spoke up, looking thoughtful. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t y¡¯all take Miss Vivienne too? The lizard and I can cause a ruckus by ourselves.¡±
¡°Then once I¡¯ve handled the snipers, I can join whichever side needs help.¡± Abby added.
They all agreed on the rush-job of a plan and started toward the large stadium. Kaleb and Two Gun kept low, but rushed through the open parking lot. Meanwhile, Jar, Viv, and Claire swung out wide and charged toward the space between the stadium and the raceway. Kaleb kept his eyes pointed upward as they ran. Farrah had said nothing about ground forces around the stadium. So his chief concern was the snipers. He needn''t have worried, though. The black blob he spotted standing on the stadium¡¯s roof was quickly dispatched, followed by Abby¡¯s smug voice.
¡°That¡¯s one.¡± She said.
Kaleb rolled his eyes as he and Two Gun hit the main door. Kaleb set his quad-gun to lightning and readied his Cybar. Two Gun checked both of his six-shooters before he looked across at Kaleb.
¡°You know, the two of us attacking a fortified position entrenched by highly trained, heavily armed people is probably not the best idea.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like they are entrenched, old man. And Farrah only assumes they are professionals because of the gear they are carrying. Idiots can be well-armed too.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true.¡±
¡°Besides, we also have the element of surprise.¡± Kaleb smiled.
That¡¯s when the front double-doors leading into the stadium exploded into shards of glass and metal.
¡°Shit!¡±
¡°So much for that!¡± Two Gun screamed, peering around the still smoking door frame.
He quickly whipped his head back as green, blue, and red lasers tore through where his face had been. The old cowboy blew out a breath in annoyance and blind fired around the door frame. Kaleb joined in as he looked questioningly at Two Gun. The cowboy held up four fingers and then pointed a thumb back toward the door. Kaleb nodded in acknowledgment and crouched low.
He set his Cybar on the ground by the door and held his Quad-Gun in a two-handed grip. Taking a steadying breath, he waited for the lasers to stop for a few seconds and snapped his head out. He saw little more than a black armored chest before he pulled the trigger and sent a bolt of electricity toward the bastards. Kaleb ducked back into cover and grinned as he heard shouts of alarm and pain. Two Gun added his own blaster shots to the cacophony and Kaleb heard two loud thumps. He picked up his Cybar and held both guns up and ready. Looking at Two Gun, he nodded at the older man before he charged. Kaleb heard the old cowboy swear before footsteps told him Two Gun had joined his charge.
Green and red lasers whizzed by his head, and Kaleb immediately spotted his enemy. Two dark-armored soldiers were crouched behind a ticket kiosk in the open lobby of the stadium. Kaleb returned fire with electric bolts and energy blasts. Bits of the ticket desk exploded as both soldiers used it for cover. Oddly, Kaleb didn¡¯t see any shots from Two Gun as he slid behind an old stone plant pot. It was large enough to cover his whole body if he crouched low enough. So Kaleb made himself as small as possible as the laser fire resumed.
But the lasers were short-lived as two quick shots were followed by grunts of pain. Kaleb glanced around and found Two Gun slightly in front of the stadium doors, on his knees. A single pistol in his hands. The glow from the blue energy blasts of his six-shooter was still vanishing as the old cowboy pulled himself to his feet. He waved a hand at Kaleb, a smug smile on his face.
¡°You distract, I attack. I like it. We should make it a part of our regular attack strategy.¡±
Kaleb wanted to respond with a sarcastic remark. But Farrah interrupted him.
¡°Well, you are going to get a chance. I¡¯ve got multiple hostiles moving within that building. Some are running for their exit. But some are heading your way.¡±
Kaleb swallowed his sarcasm and instead looked left and right. Claire and the others had headed to the right side of the stadium from where they were. But the stadium itself was circular. If they headed in one direction exclusively, they could be boxed in. When he pointed this out to Two Gun the old man laughed.
¡°HAHAHAHAHA! Well, it looks like we¡¯re caught between some criminals and some more criminals.¡±
¡°But if we head right, we could reach our friends quicker.¡± Kaleb pointed out.
¡°Either way¡¯s good with me, son. Just remember to watch your shots with that little pistol of yours. The last thing we need is dead bodies.¡±
Kaleb groaned and holstered his Cybar. He traded it out for his Sun Gun and held it up for Two Gun to see. The cowboy shook his head.
¡°You¡¯re a regular arsenal.¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah. Let¡¯s carry on with our pacification.¡± Kaleb sighed.
With that, they both headed right simultaneously. By unspoken agreement, they both seemed to conclude that joining with the others was more important. They ran for a short distance before they heard loud thumping footsteps coming their way. Finding cover, they waited to ambush the incoming soldiers. Kaleb hid behind another plant pot as Two Gun found a souvenir kiosk. They both clutched their guns and grinned as the steps grew closer. Something told Kaleb running and gunning was going to be the name of this little stadium game.
Chapter 164 - Mercenaries and The HLAssholes
Kaleb ducked behind a counter as laser fire missed him by inches. He blind-fired with his Sun Gun a few times before peeking around his cover. Thankfully, the stadium had pre-built small alcoves for third-party food sellers. Kaleb was currently in an old hot dog and pretzel stand, returning fire on the armored-up mercenaries. Who were a bit more put-together than he had originally thought. They pressed him and Two Gun from both sides in coordinated strikes that had both players ducking for cover.
Thankfully, Two Guns Enhanced Reflexes and speed were making the bastards cautious. The old man was standing in the center of the path leading around the stadium. His arms and body were a blur of movement as his guns fired in fans of blue lasers. But their enemy¡¯s armor seemed annoyingly resistant to energy blasts. Again, Two Gun¡¯s reflexes were making the difference. But only by so much.
Kaleb tossed a taser-egg at a jackass pushing closer to him. He saw the plastic egg pop and heard the familiar snap-hiss, but he couldn¡¯t celebrate. They were still being pushed from both sides, and Two Gun could only dance around gunfire for so long.
¡°Trying something!¡± Kaleb screamed as he drew his Magic Gun.
He pointed it at a space twenty feet behind Two Gun, back the way they had come. Even now, he could see soldiers pushing toward them. Envisioning what he wanted in his mind, Kaleb sent his own mana into his gun and pulled the trigger. He felt the weapon suck the mana required out of him and put his thoughts into action. Slowly at first and then growing in speed, a blue-white ice wall sprung from the tiled floor. Kaleb urged it to go faster as a part of the counter near him exploded in bits of debris.
He cut off the flow of mana before he felt the twinges of a headache. At that point, a large ice wall extended from one wall to another in their wide hallway. It was only about ten feet, about half the height of their hallway. But it stopped them from being attacked from behind.
Once Two Gun realized what was happening, his blurry movements became faster. Soon blue lasers were chasing the fleeing soldiers further down the hall. Shouts came from behind Kaleb¡¯s ice wall, followed by footsteps again. Whoever was in charge had called a general retreat, and even as Kaleb took a few potshots, he was happy about it. They were getting slammed.
Two Gun came to a twitchy stop in the middle of the hallway. His hands still aiming his two pistols at unseen targets. It took the old man a few seconds to get control of himself. Once he did, he grinned at Kaleb.
¡°Well, that was a stupid decision.¡±
Kaleb leapt over the hotdog counter. ¡°Ha! I noticed. We should have found a way to lock down our backs before picking a direction.¡±
Two Gun shrugged, even as his body was racked with small spasms. ¡°Well¡ You game and learn.¡±
¡°Actually, the mercenaries have full control of the stadium¡¯s security system.¡± Farrah said in Kaleb¡¯s ear.
He almost jumped. With all the noise from the gunfight, he hadn¡¯t heard how the others were doing. Before he could ask, Farrah gave him the update.
¡°Claire, Jar-lock, and Vivienne have stalled their retreat. But it isn¡¯t going well. They have several enhanced that are making things tricky for Claire. Also, Jar-Lock is engaged with a villain with Pyrokinesis. Vivienne is dismantling the soldier¡¯s vehicles.¡±
¡°Did they try to make a break for it?¡± Two Gun asked.
¡°Not originally, no. They fought back vehemently and viciously. But I think this fight is taking longer than they expected.¡±
¡°Shit!¡± Kaleb swore as he started jogging down the hall. ¡°They just sounded the retreat. Which means these bastards are heading right for the others!¡±
¡°You don¡¯t think they can handle it?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want to guess wrong. Besides, I ain¡¯t done with these ambushing bastards.¡±
¡°Speaking of ambushes. I¡¯ve taken out the last of the snipers. Where am I going?¡±
Farrah took charge immediately as Two Gun and Kaleb started to run. Echoes of laser fire could be heard in the distance, and Kaleb bit his lip in annoyance.
¡°Eastside of the stadium. There¡¯s an employee parking lot that goes slightly underneath the building. Abby, make your way there. Everyone is converging on that spot.¡±
¡°Whooo! Time to wrap this bitch up!¡± Two Gun hollered.
Kaleb shook his head at the old man¡¯s excitement and kept up as best he could. Two Gun seemed as spry as always. Even after all the enhanced Gun-Fu nonsense he had been performing. Meanwhile, Kaleb¡¯s Sun Gun was next to useless against the mercenary¡¯s armor. He clenched the Sun Gun¡¯s grip in his hand as he ran. Thinking of ways to up the power of the thing. But nothing hit him. Eventually, he switched the older weapon for his Quad-gun. The new gun punched a little harder and had way more versatility.
He spun it to ice as he and Two Gun slid to a stop near an employee exit. The door was wide open and the sounds of fighting and blaster fire loudly resounded within. Two Gun ducked his head in quickly before popping back out and grinning at Kaleb.
¡°Long hallway, then an exit leading up these guy¡¯s asses. Now we get to hit them from behind.¡±
¡°Uh-huh,¡± Kaleb said as he studied the wide-open door.
It was locked in place by a pneumatic armature. He quickly reached up and unlocked it. Waving Two Gun into the hallway, Kaleb closed the door and then laid down a thick sheet of ice on it. He held down the trigger of his Quad-gun until the door was almost frozen solid. Once he was done, he gave Two Gun a thumbs up and the pair raced off toward the exit.
Screams and explosions could be heard from beyond the open door. Kaleb saw flashes of red and waves of heat hit him as they exited the stadium into a dark parking lot. The space was filled with small fires and light streaming in from the outside. Burning cars and bits of debris were everywhere. Bodies in black armor were strewn across the parking lot. Near the lot¡¯s one exit, Kaleb could see Claire and Jar-lock fighting. It didn¡¯t appear to be going well for them.
Not only did they have to dodge or soak up laser fire. Claire had two Supes on her. A speedster who dashed around, pelting her slim legs with punches and a furry beast-man with a bulbous back. She would fight off the beast-man only to get smacked by the speedster over and over. Kaleb could see how annoyed the tall, strong-woman was. But she was not in as much trouble as Jar-lock.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
The mage was fighting an eight-foot tall avatar made of fire. The thing roared and sent flaming fists at Jar-lock¡¯s defensive shields. Jar-lock dodged and sent ice spells at the creature. But all of them missed by a wide margin. Kaleb was confused until he realized Jar-lock wasn¡¯t aiming at the avatar. He was aiming at the short red-head with the manic grin. The pyrokinetic was gleefully hopping around as he waved his hands through the air. Controlling his fiery minion with sick glee.
¡°Helping the wife.¡± Two Gun said tersely as he took off at a dead run.
Kaleb sighed through his nose as the old man broke from cover and took off like a shot. He understood, but now he had a veritable army of assholes between him and helping Jar-lock. Thankfully, none of them had seen him yet. The regular soldiers were taking cover behind cars and cement pillars, shooting at Kaleb¡¯s friends. Switching his Quad-gun to electricity, Kaleb took aim at some of the large cars.
He snapped off a few shots as he ducked behind his own cover. The parking lot had a few Jersey Barriers that Kaleb crawled behind. Every few feet, he¡¯d pop up and fire off an arc of electricity. Laser fire crisscrossed above him, and his cover kept exploding. But so long as Kaleb kept moving, he would be fine. That¡¯s when his Jersey barriers ran out. And judging by the stream of laser fire that cut him off, Kaleb assumed the soldiers had been waiting for him.
His cover was shredded to cinders in a matter of moments, and Kaleb had to roll between a few cars to get away. But when he popped back up, it was right into the barrel of a soldier¡¯s gun. A sharp pew echoed in Kaleb¡¯s ears, and he felt the bolt hit his armor. All air left his body as a swearing white-hot pain ate into his gut. On instinct, Kaleb kicked out with his leg and hit the offending soldier in the shin. A satisfying crack was followed by an ear-splitting cry of pain. Kaleb¡¯s shooter fell forward onto him as Kaleb¡¯s metal fist snapped out to meet him.
The man¡¯s cries of pain were snuffed out as his head snapped back at a harsh angle. He slumped to the side as Kaleb grabbed the man¡¯s gun and staggered to his knees. He scanned the area quickly and found the speedster dead. His body was prone on the ground next to Claire and Abby. They were fighting off the beast-man as Jar-lock and Vivienne dealt with the fire-bastard. The pyrokinetics avatar was shrinking fast and judging by how the red-head was hopping in anger, his power was almost completely spent. Kaleb briefly wondered where Two Gun had gone but laser fire, sparking off the car hood, made him duck back down.
He waited for a lull before peering over the hood and returning fire. This time, he tried to keep everything in his view. Six soldiers were firing at his position, trying to suppress him. Meanwhile, off to his right, two soldiers were crouch-walking toward him. Kaleb ignored the suppressive fire and moved to meet the flanking bastards. Using their own laser weapon, Kaleb opened fire on the barrier the two were using as cover. He clipped one in the shoulder as the other quickly back-pedaled away, leaving his compatriot writhing on the ground.
Kaleb left the injured man where he was and started returning fire. As he did, he noticed bright blue blaster bolts joining his own. He didn¡¯t have to turn to know that Two Gun had joined his assault. Between the two of them, they managed to bait and snipe a few of the soldiers. When only three were left, Two Gun shouted at them to surrender. But their only answer was more laser fire. So Kaleb and Two Gun shot to wound as much as possible. It didn¡¯t end that way, however.
Once the fighting was done, Kaleb moved to handcuff the still living criminals. But they weren¡¯t so living anymore.
¡°Aw, hell!¡± Kaleb shouted, waving over Two Gun.
¡°Professor?¡± Farrah asked.
¡°Suicide pills,¡± Kaleb answered as he knelt down.
The soldier he was examining had a shoulder wound from Two Guns blaster. But was otherwise fine. Except for the slightly blue tinge to his lips and a dead, far-away look in his eyes. He checked another to find the same thing. A blast of heat hit his back and Kaleb turned in time to see the pyrokinetic¡¯s avatar going super-nova. The eight-foot tall creature of fire was glowing red and seemed to pulse.
Without thinking, Kaleb raised his stolen rifle and fired. The red laser caught the mage in the back, near his left shoulder. The guy screamed in pain and went down, his avatar quickly winking out of existence. Jar-lock and Vivienne looked grateful, but Kaleb didn¡¯t waste time with that. Instead, he took off at a run, ignoring the splitting pain in his side. He slid on his knees to the side of the prone pyrokinetic, flipping him onto his back. He had enough time to see the red-head grin before the man¡¯s face seized up in pain. A final breath left the poor pyrokinetic¡¯s body and a dull look came to his eyes.
¡°Fuck!¡± Kaleb shouted as he flung the borrowed gun against a destroyed car.
¡°Prof?¡± Jar-lock asked.
¡°The soldiers nixed themselves,¡± Two Gun said, sounding sad. ¡°Rather than be taken alive.¡±
¡°What?!¡± Claire and Abby said together.
¡°Why on earth would they do that?¡± Vivienne wondered aloud.
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Who knows? But now it looks like we all went on a damn rampage through an abandoned stadium.¡±
¡°Calm down, Professor.¡± Farrah said. ¡°We¡¯ve got drone footage of the fights and we even have a few of the soldiers seizing up and dying.¡±
¡°How the hell do you have that?¡± Abby asked, bewildered.
¡°The snipers you incapacitated. Our drones caught them offing themselves. All of them are dead.¡±
¡°Fantastic. Did we even get the hard drive back for the cereal company?¡± Kaleb asked.
Vivienne held up a pale hand as she reached into her bag. She pulled a black hard drive out and waved it around before putting back in her bag. So at least things weren¡¯t completely screwed.
¡°They had it in one of the armored vehicles. Along with some equipment. I don¡¯t know what they were doing with it. But maybe you could take a look, professor?¡±
Kaleb nodded as Farrah hissed in everyone¡¯s ear. They all winced as the noise sounded harsh through their comms.
¡°Everyone stand down. The assholes are here.¡±
¡°Great. Now we have to explain thirty dead bodies to the cops.¡± Two Gun whined.
¡°No, I said the assholes. The HLO just rolled up with their own security teams and a handful of Supers. Everyone stay quiet and let me work my magic. That goes double for you, professor!¡±
Everyone smirked at Kaleb as he feigned hurt. ¡°What the hell did I do?!¡±
Farrah ignored him as she quickly rifled off orders. ¡°Explain what you were doing here and the contract we have with the cereal company. Nothing more. I¡¯ll have you all out by morning.¡±
¡°Out?¡± Abby asked.
But before she could get an answer, the parking area was flooded with noise. Small black eggs rolled in through the open door before popping and emitting white smoke. White-armored soldiers charged in, followed by some sparkling asshole in tights. They were joined by a speedster, a woman who looked to be half-tiger/half-cyborg, and a slim lady with a clear container where her head should be. Within the container, floating in blue goop, was a brain. Wires wrapped the floating brain before leading down a hole in the container toward the woman¡¯s spine. Kaleb had just enough time to be disgusted before Captain Sparkles announced in a haughty voice.
¡°You are all under arrest.¡±
Chapter 165 - Incarcerated and A New Suit
Kaleb almost bit his cheek raw over the next few hours. He and the rest of the Super Group were handcuffed, disarmed, and shoved in the back of the van. Afterward, they were separated and questioned relentlessly. Kaleb had wanted to argue their innocence against their captors. But he knew it would fall on deaf ears. Also, his questioners seemed more intent on getting a rise out of him. Questioning his capabilities and worthiness to the team. They also trotted out his inventions and scoffed at their usefulness.
It had rapidly become clear to him that someone was trying to pull his non-existent tail. Another odd angle of attack from the HLO. So instead, Kaleb kept quiet. Though it was a massive struggle. Multiple times, Kaleb wanted to leap over the interrogation table and start slapping a few smug NPCs. But he calmed himself down and maintained his silence. Almost completely by his own willpower.
But a big mental help from the constant benign questioning was a forum thread Jar-lock had started. As players, they still had access to the forums while in their holding cells. Jar-lock started a private thread for the SG and posted all the questions he was asked. Soon, Vivienne, Abby, and the others all found the post and started adding their own struggles. Although Kaleb noted that none of them had been questioned about their place in the guild. Mostly, they were asked about their stance in the guild, what they did, what they were planning. How was it any better than the HLO? Through it all, Kaleb and his friends remained silent.
¡°It¡¯s weird, though,¡± Abby posted. ¡°It¡¯s like they are worried you are planning something, Prof.¡±
¡°You got that too?!¡± Two Gun replied.
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like they are worried you¡¯re planning something nefarious out in the hangar.¡± Claire added.
¡°More like hoping he is.¡± Jar-lock sent. ¡°They need the Professor to be a threat so they can justify shutting him down. Meanwhile, they are testing us for weaknesses.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes as he stood in his dark cell. The lone window on the wall above him sent a shaft of light into the sole door in the room. The tiny three-by-four square of cement made him claustrophobic, and his friend¡¯s conversation helped distract him. Although Jar was being a little too melodramatic.
¡°Really, Jar-lock? Weaknesses? Y¡¯all ain¡¯t hardened enemy spies. What could they gain from that?¡±
¡°They are searching for social weaknesses, Doc. Things that upset us about our own social circle. But besides your noisy workshop and moving my damn library out of the sun, I¡¯ve got no complaints. As for what they hope to gain? Maybe an eye into our operation? A way to frame us all for something horrible?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve seen corporate interest trying to protect their investments before. But this shit takes the cake.¡± Two Gun wrote. ¡°I mean, the HLO is a government-accepted body. A way to turn a profit on heroes while keeping the costs of their escapades down. But these fellas are acting like they want to be the only game in town.¡±
¡°Aside from a few other outfits like us, they are.¡± Kaleb typed angrily.
¡°When do you think they¡¯ll let us out? I¡¯m bored.¡± Abby posted.
¡°Can¡¯t be too much longer. They¡¯ve got nothing to hold us on and we have a legitimate contract with that cereal company.¡±
¡°Farrah said she would have us out by morning.¡±
¡°Anyone know the time in-game?¡±
¡°Looks like five in the morning, according to the clock on my wall.¡±
¡°Wait, Claire? You have a clock?¡±
¡°Yes? And a fairly comfortable bed as well.¡±
¡°The beds are comfortable.¡± Abby agreed.
¡°I¡¯ve had better.¡± Two Gun typed.
Kaleb fumed as he momentarily dropped his out-of-game window and took some screenshots. He placed his arms on the walls of his cell to show how small the space was. Once he finished, he quickly loaded them to the forum and sent a string of expletives.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s fucked up.¡± Jar-lock sent along with a sad emoji.
¡°Ha!¡± Abby sent.
¡°Good gracious.¡±
¡°Lord, son. That fucking sucks.¡±
¡°Tell me about it!¡± Kaleb wrote. ¡°Why do the rest of y¡¯all get normal cells and I¡¯m stuck in a damn box!?¡±
¡°Cause you¡¯re the dangerous lizard leader of a non-HLO approved group of heroes. It¡¯s probably scare-tactics.¡±
¡°Or it could be meant to alienate you from the rest of us. I mean, we all get out and talk about our experiences in here and notice the differences. Next thing, the Professor is angry that he was clearly treated worse and lashes out at us and the HLO.¡±
¡°Really, Abby? Isn¡¯t that a little too paranoid?¡±
Kaleb was in the middle of writing an angry response to Vivienne when his cell door was thrown open. A dark object was flung at him and Kaleb caught it on instinct. It was an empty duffel bag and Kaleb looked at it in confusion. But the guards at the door merely glowered at him. With a wave of their batons, Kaleb was instructed to exit his cell and follow the armored goons.
He was led down a dark hallway to a four-way intersection. A guard placed his baton on Kaleb¡¯s shoulder and glared at him. The message was obvious: move and be smacked. Kaleb grit his teeth but remained still. While that was happening, another guard was operating something on the wall. It was a series of blinking lights and Kaleb saw them blink out in order before the four-way spun quickly. Nearly bowling him over.
Once the four-way they were standing in stopped spinning, Kaleb was forced to march down a second hallway. From his position, he could see another group of guards moving just ahead of them. They joined that group at the next intersection, and Kaleb grinned as he saw Claire waiting patiently with her own guards. He gave her a nod, and she waved in return while their guards operated the weird controls again. The intersection spun a few times and he and Claire were hurried off.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
Another four intersections and Kaleb was back with his friends again. Their crowd of guards nearly packing the hallways tight. But no one said a word. Instead, they were quietly and hurriedly marched out of the weird system of hallways and brought to a large foyer. The contrast between the dark hallways and the bright foyer was jarring, and Kaleb turned around to look back into the dark hallways. But they were gone. Instead, he found himself in a large tiled room, with a large bay of windows making up one wall. Just below the windows were two large double doors with guards posted at either end.
Kaleb turned back and noticed a large front desk, and several harried and put upon workers. Their guards were quickly dispersing about the room, but keeping an eye on all of them. The room was decked out like the lobby of a hotel, and Kaleb almost went and sat on a comfy-looking seat when a familiar voice shouted at him.
¡°Professor?!¡±
Kaleb looked for the voice and found a familiar rabbit-woman with a severe look standing in front of the wall-to-wall front desk. His friends were approaching Farrah as she gave them all a nod in hello. A squat grey alien was seated behind the desk and he didn¡¯t look happy to be there. As Kaleb joined everyone, he heard the alien muttering angrily.
¡°It¡¯s not my fault the paperwork got lost. It took us forever to find them. But they are here now and you¡¯re all free to go.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care who¡¯s at fault! Something this simple shouldn¡¯t have taken this long. We had the contract, the videos, and the proof that what was taken from Trilli-O¡¯s was not a simple recipe. But for some reason, my people were taken to a secret bunker and interrogated like common criminals. I had to file a report with city hall to even find them!¡±
Farrah¡¯s tirade made the alien fold into himself. Kaleb bet the guy wished he were anywhere else right now. Instead, he had to bear the Farrah¡¯s glare as they all crowded the front desk. Kaleb could feel the guards still watching them. But thankfully, they weren¡¯t breathing down all of their necks.
Beyond the front desk, Kaleb could see a group of clerks busily working away and not looking at them. It took the grey alien a few more minutes to collect himself, but once he did, he waved a stubby hand over his shoulder. A few more clerks hurried over, carrying various objects. As they placed the stuff on the front desk, Kaleb and his friends gasped. It was their gear, and it was in much worse shape than when they had taken it off. Farrah noticed some of the damage as Kaleb¡¯s group collected their things.
¡°What the hell happened there?!¡±
¡°Some of... um, our scientists were a little¡ Um, overzealous in their inspections.¡±
¡°Overzealous?¡± Kaleb questioned as he stared at the large rend in Claire¡¯s leather chest piece.
¡°Well, the items were rated as dangerous, so we¡¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± Farrah shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll be filing another complaint as soon as we are back at our headquarters.¡±
She punctuated her sentence with a heavy glare down upon the seated clerk. The alien had the good sense to remain quiet as Kaleb and his friends studied their scuffed up gear. As he was strapping on his holsters and feeling the weight of his lab coat again, Kaleb heard Two Gun hiss in anger.
¡°Where are my guns?¡±
Everyone froze, and Kaleb looked over at the remaining items on the counter. His taser-eggs, their launcher, and his Quad-gun were all there. And he spotted his Magic Gun placed with Jar-lock¡¯s stuff. But his Cybar was missing. He glared up at the flinching alien sitting behind his desk. Two Gun had both his hands on the wooden desk and looked ready to wring the pudgy alien¡¯s neck. But the whirring sounds of the guard¡¯s weapons stopped everyone.
¡°Items have been known to go missing sometimes while being put into storage. It happens.¡± Said the gray alien.
Kaleb bit his cheek so hard he was sure he had drawn blood. He was about to leap over the counter and search for his weapon himself when Farrah¡¯s voice spoke up, loud and clear.
¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to report a theft. I¡¯m at the HLO holding building off Grant street. It seems that someone broke into¡ª¡±
¡°Ai ai ai!¡± the grey clerk screamed over Farrah as he flung himself to his feet and grabbed her cell phone.
The squat little alien tried to wrench it free from the bunny woman. But Farrah merely smirked as she ripped her hand out of his grasp. She glared at him as a feminine voice on her phone was asking if she was in trouble. The man¡¯s grey skin went extra pale as he quivered in his seat. From behind him, a raspy voice spoke up.
¡°Wait, we¡¯ve found them here.¡±
A green lizard in a lab coat and a scowl on his face walked out of a backroom behind the desk. In his scaly hands were Two Gun¡¯s and Kaleb¡¯s pistols. Unlike the rest of their gear, the weapons appeared to be in excellent condition. Kaleb caught the bipedal lizard staring at him and he realized it was another Basilinoid. He looked almost identical to Kaleb, from the coloration right down to the dirty lab coat. Although Kalebs had the telltale shine of self-repairing cloth.
His doppelganger¡¯s eyes crawled over Kaleb¡¯s face and down to his robotic arm. The lizard scoffed harshly and then spun around in obvious dismissal. He put his Cybar away as Two Gun did the same, all the while Kaleb kept his eyes pinned to the retreating Basilinoid. Particularly on the other lizard¡¯s slim tail. It was beating a rhythmic beat against the floor, and something about it tickled Kaleb¡¯s brain. But he set it aside as the desk clerk waved at Farrah.
¡°See, the items were found. There¡¯s no need to get the cops involved.¡±
Farrah glared at the alien before apologizing to the police and hanging up her phone. She snorted at the now sweating clerk and spun on her heel. Kaleb and his friends all looked at each other before hurrying after the rabbit woman. No one stopped them as they marched out of the building and into the sunlight. Kaleb stretched in the early morning sun and sighed loudly.
¡°Don¡¯t relax just yet, Professor. Not till we get home and even then I want to go over our equipment with a fine-tooth comb. Matter of fact¡¡±
Jar-lock trailed off as a pulse of blue energy exploded off of him. The wave hit Kaleb and the others and small sparks went off across their equipment. Kaleb even saw a tiny trail of smoke raising from his hip holster. The others all grimaced as Kaleb swore under his breath. Of course, the bastards had bugged their stuff. He was going to have to scan everything once he got back to his workshop. He groaned and followed Claire and Two Gun to the impound. It was right next door and clearly where Farrah was headed.
The rabbit woman slowed to walk next to Kaleb as the others pulled ahead slightly. She glanced over at him as the others approached the walled in parking lot.
¡°You have an appointment right after this.¡±
Kaleb raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh yeah? With who?¡±
¡°Alderman Madden. Somehow, he was aware the team was captured and even offered to help get y¡¯all out. We didn¡¯t need the help, of course, but he did request to meet you as soon as possible.¡±
Kaleb looked down at his scuffed up gear and bugged equipment. ¡°As fun as that sounds, I can¡¯t go in my combat gear. This shit is clearly bugged and probably screaming my location to anyone looking.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got it covered. I just thought you should know.¡±
¡°Great. I can¡¯t wait.¡± Kaleb groaned as he joined the others at the small guard shack of the impound. He got their attention with a wave and explained. ¡°Apparently the good Alderman has summoned me. So I have to head out.¡±
Jar-lock paused in his conversation with the impound guard. Two Gun snorted as Claire and Abby nodded knowingly. Vivienne looked puzzled as Jar-lock glanced at Farrah.
¡°Was he made aware of what happened?¡±
Kaleb glanced at Farrah. ¡°He knew before he contacted us.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fishy, Doc. That¡¯s as fishy as a surf and turf restaurant at an aquarium. Can any of us go with you?¡±
Farrah shook her head. ¡°I only brought along a new set of clothes for the professor. The rest of your gear is compromised.¡±
¡°How did you know to prepare that?¡±
¡°How did you know his size?¡±
Claire and Abby asked at the same time. Farrah looked at both of them before answering Claire. ¡°I didn¡¯t. He contacted me this morning when I was on my way here. I had just enough time to grab the Professor a new set of clothes. I figured if he was going to meet the alderman, he should at least look official.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Jar-lock nodded, lost in thought. ¡°Just¡ professor, be careful. We don¡¯t know what that man wants.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Kaleb said as he nodded at the others.
They all waved him off as Farrah pointed further up the street. ¡°I¡¯m parked up ahead.¡±
They took off at a jog, and Farrah hit the fob for her car. It beeped twice and Farrah opened the backseat for Kaleb. He grinned at being treated so cordially, but then noticed the suit hanging off a hook above the opposite backseat door. He pulled his head from the backseat and glared at a smirking Farrah.
¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±
Chapter 166 - A Lovely Breakfast
¡°I look ridiculous,¡± Kaleb said, pulling on his collar.
The suit felt tight around his chest and shoulders. He could feel the smooth cloth bulging over his robotic shoulder. Farrah had opted to try to cover his large cybernetic arm with an over-sized sleeve. The suit was clearly custom made and tailored to fit him, but the obviously bulging arm suddenly made Kaleb feel off-kilter. He pulled at the material of his left arm¡¯s cuff and Farrah slapped his hand.
¡°Quit it! You look fine. Besides, the alternative is cutting off the sleeve and letting that blocky monstrosity hang loose. You can not do that with where we are going. That shit is fine for your lab coats, but this is a tailored suit.¡±
¡°A little too tailored. How long have you had this and how often do you see me using it? Also, please don¡¯t tell me you spent SG funds on this blue monkey suit.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not blue! It¡¯s Navy. And of course I did. I¡¯m not spending my own credits on something for you. I checked with D34d-I and he agreed. He even gave me the okay to purchase some evening wear for the others as well. Part of being a hero is wining and dining clients. Or it used to be before the HLO moved in.¡±
Kaleb pulled on his collar again as Farrah parked her car on the side of the road. They were in the middle of downtown Austin. Flying cars and the regular kind were moving at a steady pace all around them. The sidewalks were packed with workers and civilians going about their day. Smoke and fire rose in the distance. The sign that some super was already going to work in the early morning. Kaleb¡¯s fingers itched toward his waist, but Farrah caught that gesture, too.
¡°No weapons!¡±
Kaleb turned awkwardly in his seat and glared at Farrah. ¡°The last time I went into a ¡®special meeting¡¯ with an NPC, there was a drive-by. At the very least, I am taking my Cybar.¡±
He turned to grab from his gear in the backseat, and Farrah stopped him. He sent another glare at her and she sighed loudly.
¡°Grab the Quad-Gun instead. That one is at least science-y enough to be a gimmick. The Cybar makes you look like every other low-rent Mundane bounty hunter.¡±
Kaleb ignored the insult and did as she asked. He squeezed the large weapon into its custom holster at his hip and tried to use his suit jacket to cover it. The attempt was unsuccessful and Kaleb had to let his gun hang out for all to see. But he was a Super, so it was probably okay. With that taken care of, Kaleb exited the parked car and looked around.
They were surrounded on all sides by towering buildings. The early morning sun reflected off some of the glass windows and made Kaleb squint his eyes. So he turned his gaze to the road. It was full of traffic and the odd parking car. Across the street, Kaleb spotted their destination. It was a large and rather fancy restaurant built into the lobby of another office building. He spotted several well-dressed aliens and humans puttering inside the place from the front windows. He even spotted a snooty-looking Ma?tre d, past the front doors. Letting out a sigh, Kaleb turned to Farrah but found the rabbit woman wasn¡¯t on her side of the car.
A subtle shaking told him she was still inside, and he bent down to peek through his window. As he did, he heard the driver side door open and Farrah get out. A flash of electricity followed Farrah from the car, and Kaleb grimaced as he scanned for threats. But he stopped when he spotted his companion.
Farrah was adjusting the straps of a form-fitting black dress she was suddenly wearing. She ran her hands down the sides of the garment before bending over and putting on her shoes. Her long rabbit ears bounced as she got used to the heels and she checked herself in the car¡¯s mirror. Farrah caught Kaleb staring and turned to grin at him.
¡°I told you I was coming with you.¡±
¡°And you just happened to have that little number with you for such an occasion?¡±
¡°It¡¯s from a police ball during the Beta. A situation like this calls for my best, and it has been ready since you first told me about your meeting with Mr. Madden.¡±
Kaleb snorted and walked around the car, taking in her entire ensemble. The slim black dress hugged Farrah¡¯s body from her shoulders down to just above her ankles. It was modest, yet elegant, and Kaleb gave it a nod of appreciation. But not wanting to be accused of staring¡ again, Kaleb coughed and looked back toward the restaurant. A noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort came from Farrah¡¯s direction. But Kaleb ignored it.
¡°So, I assume we have a reservation under Maxwell¡¯s name?¡±
A slim hand wrapped around Kaleb¡¯s robotic left arm and Farrah answered him. ¡°Yes. And it is Mr. Madden from here on out, okay? We need to show the proper respect. He¡¯s a city council member.¡±
Kaleb took a step toward the restaurant, taking Farrah along with him. ¡°Pfft! Everyone deserves respect. Just cause he¡¯s a council member doesn¡¯t mean he gets more.¡±
¡°So why did you call him Maxwell?¡±
¡°Because he engineered our first encounter. Which means he is willing to trick and lie to get what he wants. Which is fine, that¡¯s the world of business and politics. But it should also dictate how we treat him from now on.¡±
¡°What about everyone deserving respect?¡± Farrah asked as they reached the door.
Kaleb turned to her with a grin as he reached out to open it for her. ¡°Everyone deserves respect until they prove that they don¡¯t. Maxwell is starting this talk on the back foot with me because he wasn¡¯t up front about what he wanted.¡±
Farrah gave him a nod of thanks and entered the restaurant¡¯s foyer. Kaleb quickly joined her and the pair linked arms again before approaching the host. The snooty-looking alien glanced over both of them before looking down at something behind his desk. Kaleb waited to be addressed as Farrah rested casually against his side. He was beginning to think the whole reason she had bought a suit with a large sleeve was so she wouldn¡¯t have to rest her head on his robot arm.
¡°Sir. Madam. Your host is waiting for you in a private room. Please, follow me.¡± The bored alien¡¯s tone dripped condescension and Kaleb had to bite his cheek again.
¡°Thank you.¡± Farrah said, practically dragging Kaleb behind the Ma?tre D.
¡°Behave.¡± she whispered.
¡°I am.¡± Kaleb responded. ¡°Smug asshat still has all his teeth.¡±
Farrah gave him a warning look, but said nothing as they were led past the main dining area. They drew looks from more than a few people, and Kaleb returned a few stares. Well-to-do aliens and humans were made up in their best and having extravagant breakfasts. Jewels, cash, and fine accouterments were on display for all to see. Kaleb had to roll his eyes. These people were just begging to be robbed. Who went out to breakfast in pearls?
They were led past the dining area to a small hallway off the kitchen. Kaleb¡¯s teeth rattled in his head as he felt them pass a magic barrier. But he had no time to inspect it as Farrah dragged him down the hall. Their Ma?tre D took them to the last doorway in the hall and opened the door. The alien stood by the door as Kaleb and Farrah looked inside. The doorway was a hazy portal of some kind that Kaleb couldn¡¯t see through. He turned to the guide to ask a question, but the alien was standing there with a hand out. Kaleb raised an eyebrow as Farrah pulled at his robot arm in warning.
Seeing Kaleb¡¯s confusion, the Ma?tre D rolled his large bulbous eyes. ¡°A gratuity is¡ expected, sir.¡±
¡°So were manners,¡± Kaleb responded over Farrah¡¯s not-so-quiet hissing. ¡°Looks like we are both destined to be disappointed.¡±
Savoring the shocked look on the alien¡¯s face, Kaleb took a step into the hazy portal around the door. A cold sensation went through his body as the magic washed over them. Farrah was pinching his side as Kaleb took in their new surroundings. They were in a large, well-lit room with a bay of windows opposite them. They had clearly been teleported somewhere else as the windows were looking down on a city. Kaleb moved to get a better look when a furry chest interposed itself into his view.
Looking up, Kaleb saw the angry face of an alien he had never seen before. The blotchy face scowled down at Kaleb as he took a step back, taking Farrah with him. The alien¡¯s chest was bare and a light layer of fur covered a well-muscled torso. Custom pants hugged well-muscled legs and thighs, which led down to human-like hands for feet. Kaleb almost assumed the alien was a hybrid, but the physiognomy hung together too well. Mutant hybrids, like the Phreaks, were more a patchwork of put-together animals. The alien was clearly born this way.
¡°Weapons?¡± The big, bare-chested alien rumbled.
Kaleb scowled as he realized he was dealing with a bodyguard. ¡°No thanks, I brought my own.¡±
He went to side-step the giant and felt a large hand slam down onto his shoulder. Farrah released her grip on his arm and took a large step back. Clearly gaining space to do something. Kaleb¡¯s hand dropped to his hip as the big alien spun him around. He had his quad-gun free of his holster and pointing at the big bastard¡¯s chin when a calm voice came from the only table in the room.
¡°Lawrence. It¡¯s fine.¡±
The massive pressure on Kaleb¡¯s arm let go, and a burst of warm air hit him in the face as the bodyguard snorted. Kaleb grimaced and waved his Quad-gun through the stench of the guard¡¯s breath. Farrah passed him on his right side as he continued to stare down Lawrence.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°Apologies, Mr. Madden. My associate has just been released from HLO custody and is a bit on the prickly side.¡±
Kaleb spun away from his stare down with the alien guard, ready to defend himself. But the large breakfast spread on the table took the words away. The smell of eggs and bacon hit his nose just as he spotted trays of pancakes and scones. Pitchers of orange juice and water were spread around the table as Kaleb hurried forward. As he did, the heavenly scent of coffee hit him in the face, and Kaleb scanned the entire table for the source. Finding it, he grabbed a nearby mug and rushed over to fill it. The other occupants of the room were long forgotten.
¡°That¡¯s quite alright, Ms. Kyneklos. I was well aware of the Professor¡¯s proclivities when I first made contact.¡± A voice said from behind Kaleb¡¯s coffee mug.
He was currently downing a full mug of steaming coffee, barely aware of who was speaking. He turned his head to get a better look and spotted the same alien from a few days ago. Maxwell¡¯s grey skin and suit were in much better shape than the last time Kaleb had seen him though. He looked less harried and less angry. A little bemused smile pulled at the alderman¡¯s lips as Kaleb studied him while downing his coffee.
His mug ran dry, and Kaleb pulled the thing from his mouth as he looked for the carafe again. He spotted it near Farrah and finally saw her expression. She was livid, or at least her eyes were. Her lips were pulled back in the merest illusion of a smile. But Kaleb wasn¡¯t fooled. With a grimace, he sat his mug down and took a seat opposite Maxwell. Farrah started his way, but stopped as Kaleb spoke.
¡°Yeah, about that little ¡®meeting,¡¯¡± He made air quotes around the word as Farrah sped up her walk to his side of the table. ¡°Care to explain that?¡±
Farrah practically jogged the last few steps to his side and threw herself into a seat beside him. A pulse of electricity hit Kaleb in the side and he momentarily went rigid. An involuntary yelp escaped his lips, which Farrah covered with a triumph laugh as she took her seat. As if she had just won a race. Kaleb glared at Farrah as she glared back at him. A low chuckle came from the opposite side of the table and they both turned to look at the alderman.
¡°There¡¯s no need for forced decorum, Ms. Kyneklos. Like I said, I am well-aware of whom I¡¯m dealing with. There¡¯s a reason I didn¡¯t arrange a meeting with Jar-lock or, lord help me, Two Gun. Those two know the art of saying nothing while trying to get everything. Jar-lock, like a trained investigator and Two Gun like a Savy businessman.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his stomach where Farrah had zapped him. ¡°See? People come to me when they don¡¯t want smoke blown up their ass.¡±
¡°Or when they want to put one over on you.¡± Farrah growled back at him, trying to be quiet.
¡°Haha! Yes, exactly. The Professor attacks a problem honestly and from the front. A much needed escape from my normal dealings.¡±
Farrah snorted, and Kaleb tried to get out of his chair. She pulled him down and Kaleb grunted. He raised his mug to show that he was merely getting a cup of coffee, and she finally released him. Kaleb got back up and walked around the table toward Mr. Madden. His ape-like bodyguard was standing behind the alien, scowling. But Kaleb ignored it as he got his prize.
¡°So then, you went through all that trouble. What do you want?¡±
¡°Honestly professor¡¡± Farrah sighed loudly.
Mr. Madden ignored her as he smiled at Kaleb. ¡°What I want is to ascertain whether your little group aligns with my own goals for Austin.¡±
¡°Which are?¡± Kaleb asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee on his way back to his seat.
Madden stayed silent until Kaleb was seated again. But when he was, the alien caught eyes with Kaleb and asked seriously.
¡°What do you think of the HLO?¡±
¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea with a little too much power.¡±
¡°Explain.¡±
¡°Powered people wanting to get out there and help is a great thing. But they need oversight. Someone to dot the T¡¯s and cross the I¡¯s. Someone to make things easier with the average citizens.¡±
¡°All things the HLO does.¡±
¡°Yes, but they¡¯ve also extended their reach to other areas. They¡¯ve pushed out the other contenders in their field and hold a monopoly in Austin. All the other guilds are gone, aren¡¯t they?¡±
Maxwell nodded. ¡°Yes. But to be fair, they didn¡¯t have the resources the HLO does. The HLO has negotiated contracts with K-Tech and the DAD. They¡¯ve placed Supers by rank into the areas that need them. My reports even indicate that they have people placed in Under-Town. A feat even the police have been slow to replicate. All of that, and still you chose to break away. Why?¡±
Kaleb smirked. ¡°I didn¡¯t really choose to do anything. I was forced out by the management. Apparently Mundanes can¡¯t be heroes.¡±
¡°Ahh, that old argument again. Sorry to say, I almost agree with the HLO on that one. Although there have been a slew of Mundane heroes that have gone on to save the world. The risk factor for a hero is just so much greater than a police officer. You¡¯ll note that none of the police with you on the Demon Incursion actually went into a portal, right?¡±
Kaleb nodded and sipped his coffee.
¡°You, however, flung yourself into it and even managed to get stuck there for a time. A feat the HLO would call an unconscionable risk. Letting a Mundane like you fight a Demon?! The very idea! Yet, here you are.¡±
¡°What are you up to?¡± Kaleb couldn¡¯t help but ask as the Alderman smiled at him.
Farrah smacked him on his shoulder even as she angrily bit into a croissant. Kaleb ignored the blow as Maxwell studied him. For some reason, Kaleb couldn¡¯t get a read on the guy. The things he was saying were clearly pro-HLO, but the guy had a glint in his eyes. The kind of glint a person got before they threw themselves into something much bigger than themselves. Their friendly alderman was about to take on something massive, and for some reason, he was here talking to Kaleb about it.
¡°I want to fund an Austin-based business mirroring the HLO efforts.¡±
¡°You want to build a competing Hero Office?¡± Farrah asked.
¡°Yes. Your group isn¡¯t the only one to break away from them. In the past few weeks, we¡¯ve had multiple groups breaking away and applying for contracts. This latest batch of heroes seemed more willful and head-strong then any before it.¡±
¡°And your response is to bring them back into the fold?¡± Kaleb raised an eyebrow. ¡°I can¡¯t speak for the others, but I¡¯ve got a great big chip on my shoulder where the HLO is concerned. Joining another agency doesn¡¯t seem like the right move.¡±
¡°Not even one you help build?¡± Maxwell asked. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not talking about an international business here. Unlike the HLO, this new agency will be one-hundred percent Austin oriented. Austin-based heroes, fighting for Austin¡¯s interest. We can sign deals with local tech companies, get local disposal groups on-board. Make this new agency one built for Texans by Texans.¡±
Kaleb mulled it over in his head as he grabbed a pancake. He wrapped the pancake around a banana and smeared the thing with butter and syrup before taking a bite. Chewing slowly, Kaleb shook his head in confusion.
¡°Why?¡± He said around a mouthful of food.
There was a loud thump as Farrah kicked him hard. Kaleb involuntarily swallowed his food and choked. He shot his partner a dirty look as he reached for a glass of water. Thankfully, Maxwell waited for him to collect himself before he answered.
¡°The HLO is under investigation. It¡¯s not well known yet, but their dealings have brought in outside scrutiny. Now everyone at city hall is scrambling trying to hide their dirty little secrets. I don¡¯t know what the investigation will find or even if it¡¯s legitimate, but I know something is up. So while the HLO is dealing with that, I figured why not create some opportunities for hard-working Texans? The HLO has stepped on a lot of toes.¡±
¡°And you figure it would be a good look for you too,¡± Farrah said.
Maxwell shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s never too early to start thinking about a run for mayor. And helping create a brand new hero agency around the HLO would be a huge win for anyone.¡±
¡°What about the HLO, though? They aren¡¯t just going to let another business hone in on their racket. They¡¯ve got a tight grip on Austin. Just look at the Hunter¡¯s Association or the Bounty Post. Both of these guilds or whatever are gone.¡±
¡°Not gone, just pushed to the side. The HLO¡¯s deals have their competitors boxed in and their allies in City Hall are intent on keeping it that way. But with your little Demon job, we can wield some clout. You have public sentiment on your side in our district. You just need to keep it up. I¡¯ll handle the nitty-gritty and when I find another SG to bring in, you come with me to the meeting. You and Farrah.¡±
Kaleb stared at Maxwell for a long time. It felt like the alien was being upfront about everything. But Kaleb only had his gut to go on there. He turned to Farrah to find her chewing her lip in thought. Catching his eyes, she asked her own questions.
¡°What about the business-side of things? Setting up another association is going to take a lot of paperwork.¡±
¡°And you¡¯ll need a minimum number of contracts in your district. As well as a good deal of heroes on your payroll. But don¡¯t worry about the paperwork. I¡¯ll handle all of that.¡±
¡°I¡¯d still like to see it. We need to know what our role in the company is as well as how you fit into everything. Are you going to be the CEO or just a silent partner infusing the business with cash?¡±
A flash of something came over Maxwell¡¯s eyes, but Kaleb missed it. Farrah didn¡¯t though as the look seemed to make her tense up slightly. Kaleb¡¯s hand went down to his weapon as Maxwell put on a well-practiced smile.
¡°I can see to it that you get CC¡¯d on all business paperwork. But I can assure you, it¡¯s all pretty standard. I get several new supers to sign onto a greater contract for Austin, and then we declare a merger of those contracts. Each one of the new SGs is considered an LLC with special rules dictated by City Hall. By the time the HLO figures out what we¡¯re doing, we¡¯ll be too big to ignore.¡±
Farrah still seemed pretty tense, and Kaleb didn¡¯t like the way things were going. So he decided to give them an out.
¡°It¡¯s sounds great to me,¡± Kaleb said, drawing the stink-eye from Farrah again. ¡°But the Lone Star Hounds are a democracy. I¡¯ll have to bring your idea to my compatriots. Also, I imagine you have others you want to bring this deal to? So why don¡¯t you do that and then contact us again?¡±
Kaleb got to his feet after pouring himself another cup of coffee. He carried the steaming mug over to Farrah and offered her his arm. She stood from her chair and nodded at the alderman, still lost in her own thoughts. Maxwell watched them walk to the door and even gave them a wave goodbye. But Kaleb saw a flash of anger cover the alien¡¯s eyes.
Kaleb kept his cool as they exited the room, appearing back in the restaurant¡¯s hallway. He and Farrah remained quiet as they walked down the hallway, back out to the dining area and over to the front door. Kaleb placed his now empty cup on the Ma?tre D¡¯s desk and hurriedly ushered Farrah out of the building. Neither of them said a word until they were safely seated in her car and even then, only once it was moving.
¡°I¡¡± Kaleb started to say, but Farrah raised a hand to stop him.
She pressed a few buttons on her car¡¯s console and the smell of ozone filled the car. A loud pop-hiss echoed in Kaleb¡¯s ear along with a bright flash of light. When he blinked the spots away, Kaleb looked around, confused. Farrah hit a few more buttons and their car took off into the sky, the feeling of weightlessness hitting Kaleb¡¯s stomach.
¡°Okay, we should be good.¡±
¡°What the fuck was that?¡±
¡°Automated bug sweeper. It¡¯s been hooked into the car. I don¡¯t think it found anything. But better safe than sorry.¡±
Kaleb glanced out the window as they joined the early morning traffic in the sky around Austin. He watched as Farrah turned on the auto-drive and sighed as she sat back in her chair.
¡°Thoughts?¡±
¡°He¡¯s planning something.¡±
¡°I figured. But what about the rest of it?¡±
¡°Honestly?¡± Farrah brushed a strand of hair from her face and grinned at him. ¡°It sounds good. But maybe a little too good?¡±
¡°Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. I don¡¯t know what his actual plan is, but we might just get to stick a finger in the HLO¡¯s greedy eye.¡±
¡°But you weren¡¯t wrong. We need to get back and discuss things with the others.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he settled back into his seat and looked out the window. Below them, the hustle and bustle of Downtown Austin scrambled in every direction. Supers burst through the air and ran through the streets as HLO and police drones zoomed across the sky. Other players rushed around to stop various crimes as Kaleb floated above them, thinking about overthrowing the largest corporate entity in Austin.
Chapter 167 - Plans and The Docket
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°No chance.¡±
Abby and Two Gun stared at each other across the table. Kaleb had spent a great deal of time explaining Madden¡¯s offer. Afterward, the two had very different responses, and Kaleb was surprised at the division. He would¡¯ve suspected that Two Gun would¡¯ve been all for it and Abby against. But the short black-haired woman was apparently all for the Alderman¡¯s plans.
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°If you think we have a target on our backs now, just watch what happens if we accept that man¡¯s offer. Shit, we are already dealing with a hostile police force, paperwork delays, and increased scrutiny.¡±
¡°Exactly! So why hold back? What else can they do to us?¡±
¡°Corporate espionage is no joke, Abby.¡± Jar-lock said over steepled fingers as he sat back in his chair.
Claire snorted. ¡°Espionage? Like what? Are they going to send a hit squad after us for attempting to create another Hero Organization?¡±
¡°Of course! Why do you think no one has done it? Not only would they have to wrestle contracts out of the HLO¡¯s pockets. But they would also have to deal with whatever spy shit the HLO sent at them. Believe me, right now they are only pissed at the Professor. But if we accept Madden¡¯s offer, we will all be considered competition. And that¡¯s not what we want to be right now.¡± Two Gun argued.
Kaleb waggled his head, non-committal. ¡°Also, let¡¯s not forget about Madden¡¯s true goals. Whatever they are.¡±
¡°Worrying about something we can¡¯t plan for isn¡¯t productive.¡±
¡°Neither is letting the unknown jump up and bite you on the ass, Jar.¡±
Jar-lock raised an eyebrow, but nodded his head in concession as Kaleb took a sip of his coffee. The hangar¡¯s coffee pot was nothing compared to the restaurant''s high-end brew. But Kaleb was doing fine with it. He glanced at the other silent members of their Super Group. D34d-I was rapidly tapping away on his datapad, taking notes and looking up information. Vivienne was biting her lip and looking concerned as she watched the rest of them have their heated discussion. Kaleb¡¯s stare caught her eye, and she smiled at him.
¡°I kind of agree with Abby.¡±
The small woman in question raised a fist in triumph and practically crowed.
¡°I just mean that we are already dealing with a lot with the HLO. If we are careful with how we proceed and we extract the proper rewards from Madden, we should be able to manage. The hangar is pretty secure with all the Hunters and Brutes. Not to mention the Professor¡¯s protections.¡±
Two Gun grunted, but seemed to be coming around. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®rewards from Madden?¡¯¡±
Vivienne sat up straighter as she explained. ¡°Well, we would technically work for him, correct? So he would have to supply us with something. I mean, does he just want us to trade on his name and hope for the best? No, he¡¯d do everything in his power to help us¡ so long as it helped him in the long run.¡±
Kaleb pointed a scaly finger at Vivienne in agreement. But D34d-I spoke up before he could voice anything.
*Quack*
¡°But that all comes down to how much power the man wields. Which, by my estimates, isn¡¯t much. He is a young, but well-liked, Alderman with more grass-roots support than political allies. But he does have several outspoken enemies. His opponents claim he doesn¡¯t look at the broader picture and is more concerned with Austin rather than how Austin fits in Texas politically.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that his job as Alderman of AUSTIN?¡± Kaleb asked, confused.
*Quack*
¡°Yes, and no. He needs to be able to navigate the greater Texas political structure while also supporting Austin¡¯s needs. It¡¯s a balancing act. One Maxwell Madden doesn¡¯t seem to have down yet. If we get into bed with him, we¡¯ll be starting on the ground floor.¡±
¡°Sturdy buildings are built on solid foundations.¡± Claire intoned.
¡°Yeah, but they can also be broken much easier.¡± Jar-lock answered.
The table sat in silence as they mulled over everything. Kaleb sipped away at his coffee as his mind whirred. Around them, the hangar was alive with movement. Hunter teens and brutes were rushing everywhere and moving in supplies. Farrah was over in her command center, monitoring the streets of their district. Police chatter had been especially quiet since their little cereal caper. But the Trilli-O¡¯s parent company had forked over a decent sum for the contract. Kaleb tapped a robotic finger on the table as a thought hit him.
¡°What about taking more corporate contracts?¡±
¡°Professor, please stay on topic.¡± Abby whined.
¡°Apologies.¡± Kaleb rolled his eyes. ¡°I just figured we all need time to digest Madden¡¯s offer. So in the meantime, I move that we table it till the next meeting and go ahead to new topics. Anyone else?¡±
¡°Seconded.¡± Claire said quickly.
Jar-lock rubbed the knuckles of his hands as he sat forward in his chair. ¡°The motion has been seconded. All in favor?¡±
¡°Aye.¡±
¡°Aye.¡±
¡°Aye.¡±
*Quack*
¡°All opposed?¡±
Two Gun, Abby, and Jar-lock all raised their hands. Equal looks of annoyance spread across their faces. Clearly, all three of them wanted to have this out as quickly as possible. But Kaleb was fed up with political nonsense for one day. In his mind, if they accepted Madden¡¯s offer, he¡¯d be stuck updating their defenses for the next week. He planned on doing that anyway, but he¡¯d rather not have the pressure.
¡°Mass abstains as usual, and this meeting does not include our NPC members. So the motion passes.¡± Jar-lock said sadly and Vivienne reached over and patted his arm. The big mage gave his girlfriend a warm smile before centering himself and addressing the table.
¡°So then on to new business. The Professor has brought up something. But I believe we should go over the finances before we hit on it. Just to put things in perspective. Dead.¡±
The alien duck stood on his chair as he was addressed and held up his datapad.
*Quack*
¡°The payment for the Trilli-O¡¯s contract came through and they were generous. They got their equipment back safe and sound.¡±
¡°Whatever it was.¡± Two Gun muttered.
*Quack*
¡°However, they did dock us a few thousand credits because they had to deal with the HLO¡¯s nonsense to get their tech back. But overall it was a successful contract.¡±
¡°How much are we looking at?¡± Kaleb asked.
*Quack*
¡°After deductions and fees? Eight to ten thousand credits. Taxable. And most of it is ear-marked for repairs and Hangar upgrades.¡±
Abby sighed. ¡°Spent before we even see it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s how our cash flow works.¡± Jar-lock shrugged. ¡°Almost everything goes to the SG. But in return, the SG provides a lot for us.¡±
¡°Not a complaint. Just an observation.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the next upgrade we¡¯re looking at?¡± Kaleb asked.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
A lot of the Hangar upgrades had come from rooms. Kaleb himself had built the defenses, so he was curious. D34d-I checked his datapad and swiped a hand across its surface. He met eyes with Kaleb as he looked back up.
*Quack*
¡°We have several options for floor-plan upgrades and magical defenses. You and Jar-lock did a great job warding the place. But now we can cement that protection with system-granted bonuses. We just need to purchase the correct items and the system will do the rest.¡±
¡°Like the exercise ¡®room.¡¯¡± Claire stated.
*Quack*
¡°Correct.¡±
¡°I also want to direct more power to the shield.¡± Kaleb stated. ¡°If what we discussed with Madden gets out, we may have some overeager lookie-loos come out our way.¡±
¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Two Gun said. ¡°I always forget that thing is there.¡±
¡°Forget to wear your SG badge and the shield will remind you it¡¯s there. But I want to strengthen it a bit and maybe make the energy use more efficient.¡±
¡°How long will that take?¡± Abby asked.
Kaleb could only shrug as he waved a hand at the hangar they called home. ¡°This place uses a lot of juice. But we are also outputting a hell of a lot of energy thanks to our patented generators. We could be doing a lot more energy-wise. Which is why I want to take a portion and devote that power to defense.¡±
¡°Could we also use a portion to power some social areas below?¡± Claire asked.
¡°Social?¡±
¡°Yeah, like a common area or break room from the Hunters and Brutes. Most of them spend their free time loitering in the hangar bay. Why not give them a place to crash between shifts?¡±
¡°I like it,¡± Abby said as the others nodded their heads.
¡°I do too.¡± Jar-lock admitted. ¡°It also dove-tails nicely into our next subject: getting more personnel. We have a good number of hands thanks to the Doc and the Hunters. But we need to do more. We should recruit NPCs from the surrounding neighborhoods.¡±
¡°To what purpose?¡± Vivienne asked.
The big mage shrugged. ¡°Garner goodwill, create jobs, maybe find specialized NPCs to help like the Professor has.¡±
Kaleb arched an eyebrow and looked around the table. He was trying to think of any specialized NPCs he had. But other than Daivor, he couldn¡¯t think of any. His friends rolled their eyes at his obvious cluelessness and Abby spoke up, exasperated.
¡°Professor, you have two NPCs in your workshop designed to help you out in the forge. You¡¯ve got another running our Command Center. Not to mention you found an army of lizard people genetically designed to be bodyguards.¡±
¡°And that¡¯s not including the Legacy Superhero and the Gnome Master Builder. Face it, Doc. You¡¯re an NPC magnet as well as a trouble magnet.¡±
Kaleb could say nothing in his defense, so he kept his lips shut as the others discussed finding the types of NPCs they wanted. No mention was made of expanding the SG¡¯s player numbers yet. By silent agreement, they all decided to wait until the current crisis with the HLO was over, or at least not a major issue.
Instead, they fell into a lengthy discussion of finding and recruiting civilian staff to their respective areas. Abby wanted a legion of spies and information-gathers, Jar and Vivienne wanted more mages to help build their sanctums. Claire and Two Gun wanted to train up the guards and see to the welfare of the Hunters. And D34d-I wanted help in the office. The little business manager was doing great on his own, but he wanted a staff to handle the grunt work.
Kaleb stayed out of the conversation. Mostly because he¡¯s section was full of talented workers and friends. Even now, Daivor and Roy were cooking something up, while Terrance and Marie were managing the day-to-day stuff. They had a steady stream of weapons out-flowing to the Brute Clan while they took deliveries from junkyards all the time. All in all, the Mechanic¡¯s bay was doing great personnel-wise.
¡°Which leads us to the most important bit of new business and the one the Professor stated earlier.¡± Jar-lock said, bringing Kaleb back into the conversation.
¡°Corporate jobs?¡± Two Gun asked.
*Quack*
¡°Our mild success with the Trilli-O¡¯s company has opened some¡ rather interesting doors. Since your release, you¡¯ve received several requests from other companies in the Austin area. Although one even came all the way from Hornsby. They all want to contract us to do some work for them.¡±
¡°What kind of work?¡± Abby asked, sounding cautious.
*Quack*
¡°Nothing untoward. In fact, they¡¯d be hard-pressed to try something like that. Corporate contracts are heavily scrutinized by the government. Most are like the one we did for the cereal company, asset retrieval. If a villainous group or corporate rival gets a hold of something they shouldn¡¯t, Supes can be requested to retrieve said items.¡±
¡°So why weren¡¯t we already doing this?¡± Claire asked.
*Quack*
¡°We weren¡¯t on the corporate radar, so to speak. Also, frankly, we couldn¡¯t take the time to do them. Most of them are out of our district and we needed the community to see us out and working. Farrah and I had been discussing alternate ways to supplement our income. Especially with the way the police have been acting.¡±
¡°Careful, Doc. The duck¡¯s moving in on your digital girlfriend.¡± Abby smirked at Kaleb.
Kaleb simply rolled his eyes and ignored the petite shadow-wielder. Instead, he looked to the other to gauge their interests. In truth, he was pretty sketchy on taking corporate contracts to fill their time. But with the HLO stone-walling efforts in their district, they had to get creative. Everyone seemed cautiously optimistic about the idea. Aside from Abby, who was still smirking at him.
¡°We¡¯d have to manage public sentiment while also going on the corporate contracts.¡± Jar-lock said. ¡°Which would mean our goodwill missions will increase. But also we¡¯d get a massive influx of credits, right?¡±
D34d-I nodded at the question.
*Quack*
¡°Correct. Corporate contracts pay out as they are completed. Which is good because we aren¡¯t going to be making money taking down criminals anymore. Not with the way things are going. Thankfully, we hit our quota for the month with the Demon incursion, though. So we don¡¯t have to worry about our charter being pulled.¡±
¡°So some of us will go on goodwill missions and the others will tackle the corporate contracts.¡± Kaleb said happily. ¡°I bet I could make specialized equipment for tracking things down.¡±
¡°Easy, Professor. We¡¯ll take the jobs that come our way and that we all agree on. And teams will be determined by the skills needed for the job.¡± Two Gun chuckled.
¡°Just make sure I¡¯m off the roster for tomorrow.¡± Kaleb said as his first chemistry class started in the morning.
¡°Oh yeah! Our Professor is going to be a professor.¡± Claire laughed. ¡°Are you ready for that?¡±
Kaleb rolled his shoulders and bobbed his head. ¡°Surprisingly, yeah. Abby and the others going over stuff with me helped cement how I want to do things. Now it¡¯s just fitting it into my schedule. Like I said, I have a lot of stuff I want to accomplish in the hangar. Not the least of which is getting our shit repaired.¡±
Everyone¡¯s face turned angry as they all thought about how the HLO had handled their gear. Obvious attempts had been made to break their equipment. Kaleb was sure the bastards had even cataloged and thought up ways to counteract all their toys. The other Basilinoid at the HLO holding cells came to Kaleb¡¯s mind and he scowled. If the lizard thought like him, then he wouldn¡¯t give up on examining Two Gun and his pistols.
He wasn¡¯t an idiot. Kaleb knew what the lab-lizard was trying to figure out. Daivor and Roy¡¯s alien battery had been used as the power source for all three weapons. Proprietary energy sources weren¡¯t new, but Kaleb was aware of how energy efficient his stuff was. Not to mention powerful.
¡°Are we sure we checked the stuff for bugs?¡±
Jar-lock rolled his eyes. ¡°Yes, doc. The gear is free of magical or technological means of detection. Calm down.¡±
¡°Jar, if it were me, I wouldn¡¯t give up so easy. Not with the power source we have in our weapons. I¡¯d do everything I could to claim the design as my own and sell it to the highest bidder.¡±
*Quack*
¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that. All your tech is patented. Remember? You had Farrah ask me to fill out the paperwork, so all SG equipment was licensed as proprietary technology. Even if they get a hold of it. If they are caught replicating it without paying you, they¡¯d go to jail for a long time.¡±
¡°Wait, I did what now?¡±
Kaleb stared in confusion at the small duck alien. He was sure he had never asked Farrah to do something like that. Which meant the rabbit-woman had done it herself. Something a NPC would never do unprompted. Kaleb felt his eyes go wide.
¡°Oh shit! I did, didn¡¯t I? Man, how could I forget something like that? Wait, that means we could make some profit from my inventions, correct?¡±
¡°Like what? You going to sell your taser eggs and enhanced blaster pistols?¡±
Kaleb shook his head as D34d-I opened his mouth to speak. But Kaleb cut the duck off.
¡°No, the battery would be too difficult to replicate. It uses the sludge Doctor Kersait invented and I still don¡¯t know what the hell that is. But things like my armor or my defensive shield could be put on the market in our district, right?¡±
*Quack*
¡°We¡¯d have to contract out the work to make mass-produced versions. But I don¡¯t think anyone would work with us on that scale. Stick to making things, Professor. If the opportunity arises to make money from your creations, I will let you know.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his hands together evilly. A slew of new ideas crashed into his brain as he thought about things. But Jar-lock cut off his musings abruptly.
¡°I think that is all for this council meeting, correct? First item of business for the next one will be our decision regarding Maxwell Madden¡¯s offer. So everyone make sure to think seriously about what you want to do about that. Meanwhile, D34d-I send the best corporate contracts to Farrah and we¡¯ll go through those at a later date.¡±
Everyone nodded as D34d-I made a note on his datapad. Afterward, everyone explained what they would do for the remainder of their day. Claire and Two Gun were going to go off on patrols, while Abby was going to hunt the neighborhood for spies. Jar-lock and Vivienne were going to get their magical defenses firmed up. But by the way they were looking at each other, Kaleb doubted how much work they would really get done. For his part, Kaleb was going to be repairing and altering the group¡¯s gear. The HLO had done some damage, but nothing he couldn¡¯t fix.
The meeting was adjourned, and immediately the others spread out to accomplish their task. Kaleb looked down at his empty mug and sighed. He walked toward his workshop as big lizards and teens milled about the place. Their conference had gone mostly ignored, but now that the meeting was over, they were all drawing stares. Kaleb ignored the looks and ducked into his Workshop. The smell of melting metal and the sound of machines whirring calming his heart.
He grinned as he looked around at Roy and Daivor off in their own world, building something. Terrance was at the forge, pulling the slag off an ingot. Marie was working at her own bench, head buried in a book. Kaleb made a beeline for his own bench. It was piled high with the group¡¯s gear. Claire¡¯s breastplate perched on top. Kaleb moved everything to the floor and took a seat. Without looking, he grabbed the first item and brought it up to his table. As his hands worked, his mind wandered to tomorrow.
He would have his first class as a professor of chemistry. He didn¡¯t expect it to go super well, but he was at least confident he could teach the class now. The skill made his knowledge on the subject easier to recall, and he had a stack of notes ready and prepared. He wondered about the class and the people he¡¯d meet. What bonuses or adventures would he find there? He was sure the game would throw a few bones his way, right? He wasn¡¯t just going to be a teacher teaching a bunch of twenty-somethings chemistry¡ right?
Chapter 168– First Day of School
Kaleb parked his car in the parking lot of the college and turned it off. Sitting in his seat, he took a few quick breaths as he stared at the building. He was surprisingly nervous, even as he stared out at the half-empty community college parking lot. Apparently Wednesdays weren¡¯t a big day for classes. Humans and aliens were milling about in front of the college building and the parking lot itself. Some were smoking, others were talking, and most were holding books or bags.
Kaleb took a few steadying breaths and then grabbed his mug of coffee. With a grunt, he opened his door and stood out of his car. His bright white lab coat and robotic arm drew some stares. But he noticed he wasn¡¯t the only cyborg on the street. A few of the students also had their own prosthetics. He quickly crossed the street and climbed the short stairs into the building. Crossing the threshold, a cool breeze hit Kaleb in the face and he shivered. The warm Texas air was always welcome, but apparently someone preferred the college to be freezing.
Ignoring the odd looks he was still getting, Kaleb walked over to the receptionist desk and waited in line. Three students were in front of him, all talking to a harried alien woman at the same time. The discussion was loud and seemed to be going nowhere before the receptionist finally slammed her hand down on her counter. Making the students fall silent.
¡°Listen! I don¡¯t care if you were just notified, the schedule has changed. Today¡¯s class will be chemistry taught by a certified Super. Those of you here for advanced robotics will just have to wait until we find a replacement teacher.¡±
¡°There was supposed to be a robotics class today?¡± Kaleb asked before he could stop himself.
Four heads pivoted toward him like tank turrets. Kaleb watched as all of their eyes took in his clothing, his robotic arm, and his armor in that order. The alien receptionist scowled at his attire, but collected herself quickly.
¡°Yes and sir, normally we ask students not to attend school in full combat gear.¡±
Kaleb almost cursed his mouth as words once again flew from his lips. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay. I¡¯m the chemistry teacher.¡±
A brief silence met his announcement as some students took a step back from him in surprise. The receptionist¡¯s eyes grew wide, and she immediately started typing something on an unseen keyboard. Her eyes were angled down, making Kaleb think the screen she was looking at was below the top of her desk. Kaleb pushed himself to the front of the line as he nodded thanks to the students who cleared the way for him.
The receptionist finished whatever she was doing and turned her alien eyes up at him. She seemed confused as she sputtered.
¡°Professor¡Pack¡ Rat?¡±
¡°Wow, it¡¯s been so long since I heard the whole thing that I¡¯d almost forgotten. Most people just call me Professor. But that¡¯s me. Is there anything I should see before I start my class? I understand that I¡¯m teaching basic chemistry.¡±
¡°Now, wait just a moment! You can¡¯t just teach a class. What are your qualifications? Do you have any references? How are you already in our systems?!¡±
The alien woman started hyperventilating as she asked her questions, and Kaleb took a step back. All of these had been questions he had asked the previous receptionist the last time he was here. But she had told him that everything would be taken care of. All he needed to do was show up. Now here he was and a different receptionist didn¡¯t even know he was coming? Strange. Kaleb almost felt sad that he would not get to teach anyone. But then another female voice spoke up from behind the desk.
¡°He¡¯s fine, Barb. That¡¯s the substitute I was talking about. His info is in the system.¡±
The alien woman, Barb, spun in her chair to address the voice. ¡°I can see that, Clarice. But you can¡¯t just fudge official documentation to get your friends a job.¡±
Kaleb recognized Clarice as the woman that had press-ganged him into being a teacher. She was stepping out of the back office beyond the front desk and scowling. She humphed angrily as she stomped over to Barb and took over her unseen terminal.
¡°Look here. He¡¯s a Mundane Super of the Basilinoid Science Caste. Known for deploying unorthodox equipment and gear when subduing criminals. He¡¯s exactly what we need.¡±
¡°Bu-¡±
¡°Barb! Our teachers are leaving in droves. If we want the school to stay open, we need to take action.¡±
The alien woman made an annoyed squeal as she waved her mauve-colored arms at her screen. ¡°But Clarice! You can see he¡¯s got a Class-13 note on him from the HLO, right? What if he is a suspected criminal?!¡±
¡°Then I suppose we will all die in a fireball of death from a mad scientist''s lab,¡± Clarice scoffed.
Kaleb was busy trying to look over the counter at the terminal to see Barb¡¯s response. But the sound of wheels on carpet and stomping made him think the woman had left. The countertop groaned in protest as he spotted the top portion of a holo-screen. But a firm smack to the top of his head made him stand up straight. Clarice was standing there, a clipboard in her hands. She was scowling at him.
¡°Professor, your class is in thirty minutes. Please familiarize yourself with your attendance sheet and the supplies we have provided. Any extra supplies will have to be bought by you. Also, your classroom has been moved to room 302. SOMEbody started a fire in the old chemistry lab, so we are getting it renovated.¡±
Kaleb coughed awkwardly as he took the clipboard from Clarice. It wasn¡¯t a fire, really. More of a fight with a small portion of a demon lord. But Kaleb wasn¡¯t going to correct her. Instead, he read the names of his fifteen students and nodded his head. It wasn¡¯t a huge class and most of the kids were coming straight out of high school. But Kaleb was back to being equal parts nervous and excited.
¡°What about us?¡± A student from behind Kaleb asked. ¡°Robotics 101 was supposed to start today. Now I hear we¡¯ve lost that professor as well? What are all of us supposed to do?¡±
Kaleb studied the corner of his clipboard as he tried to step out of the situation. He knew about as much about Robotics as he did chemistry. There was no sense in him getting roped into teaching both classes. No matter what they paid him. Thankfully, Clarice was already on top of things.
¡°I have a friend coming in to teach Robotics. But she won¡¯t be here for a few hours. So all of you can go home and the school will notify you later today.¡±
The three students grumbled aloud but moved toward the front door as a group. Kaleb sighed in relief as he set the clipboard on the desk and took a sip from his mug. He felt Clarice''s eyes on him, though. He looked up to see the human woman glaring at him and he shrugged his shoulders in confusion.
¡°What?¡±
Clarice grunted. ¡°Can you not read unless you¡¯re standing? Move on to your classroom, professor. You have a string of students that will arrive shortly.¡±
¡°Oh, I was wondering if you needed me for anything else.¡±
¡°No. We¡¯ll handle your payment information after class. Now git.¡±
Kaleb softly chuckled as he stepped away from the front desk and turned down the hall. It wasn¡¯t that long ago that he, Jar-lock and Vivienne had been here. Studying a portion of the Sludge Lord¡¯s body. Of course, that brief episode resorted in Vivienne getting possessed and them setting the school on fire. Well¡ Vivienne set the fire¡ while the demon possessed her. It was a time.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Kaleb walked through the halls, studying the building as he walked. It was clearly old and in disrepair in places. Even before he got to the portion of the hallway that was under construction. Small bits of trash dotted the floor, and the walls were marked up. It wasn¡¯t completely run down, but it certainly wasn¡¯t the wealthiest of schools. He found his room after zigzagging his way through the halls. The building was only one story, but it went back a decent way.
His room was nestled firmly halfway down a hall on the eastern side of the building. An Old wooden door swung open creakily at his touch and Kaleb stepped in. Light from the hall streamed in and dust particles floated in the air before Kaleb turned on the light. What met his gaze was a tiny classroom with a green board hanging on the north wall. Aside from the old chalkboard, Kaleb had a desk in the northeastern corner and several uncomfortable-looking desks. He grit his teeth at the state of things.
Clearly, he had not been given the best room. In fact, Kaleb suspected he was given the worst room the college had. He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he walked around. The walls were bare; the floor was filthy, and the desks were shoved toward the back of the room. There was one closet with its door half-open. When Kaleb went to close it, he found that the wooden door was warped so much that it wouldn¡¯t shut properly. He left it open as he explored the small closet, his temper flaring.
The small space smelled of old books and possibly mold as he looked around. When he tried to turn on the closet light, Kaleb found that the bulb was out. He grabbed a few books and pulled them into the light. Their pages were yellowed and their covers cracked. Two of the three he grabbed were marred with doodles and writing. Kaleb spent the next few minutes emptying the closet, looking for suitable books.
Once he was done there, he ventured back out into the hall and found a janitor¡¯s closet. Grabbing what he needed, Kaleb spent his time cleaning his new classroom. He swept the floor, dusted the chalkboard, found some chalk, and wiped off the desks. He was in the middle of moving the now-cleaned desks into position when he heard voices at his door.
¡°It¡¯s fine. They always put the best classes at the back of the school. Everyone knows that.¡±
¡°That sounds like bullshit, Brick.¡±
¡°Naw, I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s so the Professors won¡¯t meet too many people. The really smart ones are pretty eccentric.¡±
A young man and woman walked into his classroom. The big man was about Kaleb¡¯s height, but extra thick in the shoulders. His skin was blueish gray and had loose white hair hanging about his face. His companion was a human woman. She was slightly shorter with tan skin and blonde hair. They both looked around the room until they spotted Kaleb carrying a desk in his arms.
¡°See, only one here is the Janitor. I told you we¡¯d even beat the teacher here.¡± The man proclaimed, raising his massive arm into the air for a high-five.
Kaleb scowled, and the woman gasped.
¡°Brick, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the janitor.¡±
¡°What? Of course he is. He¡¯s cleaning the room, arranging the desk, dressed in¡ armor?¡±
Brick slowly stopped talking as Kaleb moved the desk into position and turned around to grab another. As he did, he caught the human girl¡¯s eye.
¡°I see you¡¯re the brains of the outfit. Chemistry is going to have to wait for a bit. They left me a room in pretty terrible shape.¡±
The other student smiled awkwardly as Brick seemed to still be trying to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. His two students stayed near the door as Kaleb kept arranging chairs. Neither offered to help, which gave them both a failing grade for the day in Kaleb¡¯s book. He had the first row done when the next student arrived. A male Rapidian with yellow skin and a twitchy nature. The alien zoomed into the classroom and looked around before zooming back out. He was quickly back again and standing in front of the class, staring at Kaleb.
¡°Nooo.¡± The Rapidian said in stunned disbelief.
¡°Yep. Professor Pack Rat, chemistry teacher. Any changes to your schedule can be made at the front desk.¡±
¡°I already changed it to get rid of that asshole Neridad that slept through his own class.¡± The alien replied.
Kaleb simply shrugged his shoulders and went back to moving desks. Brick¡¯s brain restarted, and he asked the new arrival.
¡°What¡¯s a-matter with the professor?¡±
¡°He¡¯s a mundane, ya clod. Basilinoids aren¡¯t known for their super-powers. Unless you count the ability to regenerate limbs.¡±
¡°How is that not a superpower?¡± Brick¡¯s female friend asked.
¡°It¡¯s a biological response to danger.¡± Kaleb answered. ¡°Sort of like a lizard cutting off its tail to avoid predators. However, unlike a normal super-power, I can¡¯t train it like a muscle or strengthen it in any way. My ability to regenerate is merely something that happens, not something I can control.¡±
The yellow-skinned alien stared at Kaleb in respect for a few seconds before he blurred away. He reappeared in a chair in the front row of the class. He spun in his seat as he addressed Kaleb again.
¡°At least you seem knowledgeable enough. How¡¯s your chemistry?¡±
¡°Good enough to teach you the basics.¡± Kaleb said, marking the Rapidian down a grade for not helping, either.
Brick and his friend also took seats toward the front, and Kaleb hissed under his breath. The desks weren¡¯t heavy, but the work was tedious. The Rapidian watched him for a bit before asking another question.
¡°The front desk said that you were a certified hero. Is that true?¡±
¡°Yes, it is. I work with the Lone Star Hounds and we do contract work around Blue Bluff.¡±
¡°Ahh, a contract hero. Gotcha.¡± The Rapidian scoffed.
Brick¡¯s friend was confused as she turned in her seat to join the conversation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±
¡°Nothing.¡± Kaleb interrupted before the Rapidian could reply. ¡°It¡¯s just some people are so used to the HLO that they can¡¯t imagine how a super can work without them.¡±
¡°Please, Mundane, you¡¯re not a super. You¡¯re a guy with too much time and a bunch of toys,¡± the Rapidian said angrily.
Kaleb arched an eyebrow. ¡°You want to test that theory?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a theory. It¡¯s a fact. Take away your toys and you¡¯re just a lizard with a prosthetic.¡±
¡°Then get up and prove it.¡± Kaleb said, putting down his desk.
He crossed his arms and sat his butt on the edge of the desk as he stared at the young alien. The guy¡¯s yellow skin seemed to glow brighter before he stood to his feet. Kaleb could only guess that the young alien was pissed. But he didn¡¯t have time to wonder as the Rapidian blurred again. Brick leapt from his chair, trying to do something. His friend screamed, and Kaleb felt something slam into his chest. His armor took the blow easily, and the Rapidian rebounded off Kaleb. He slammed into a few desks and went down to the floor as Kaleb crossed his arms and smirked.
A Demon Lord and advanced weaponry had a hard time getting through Kaleb¡¯s armor. A young-adult alien with more balls than sense was much easier. His assailant groaned from the floor and Kaleb grabbed the skinny man¡¯s arm. He lifted his student to his feet and gave him a quick once over. The alien was cradling his arm, but otherwise seemed fine. Fine enough to take another swing at Kaleb, at least. The Rapidian¡¯s arm blurred through the air and Kaleb instinctually took a step back. The kid over-extended the punch and almost went back down to the floor. But Kaleb caught him and shook him slightly.
¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough of that. You take another shot and I¡¯ll put you down hard.¡±
The alien sniffed indignantly but didn¡¯t break his hold. Kaleb cautiously let the boy go and looked around the room. Even more students were at the front of the class now, watching. Kaleb gave them an awkward wave with his robotic hand and patted the Rapidian with the other. His class looked a little dumbstruck at his actions, but Kaleb merely shrugged. He shoved the Rapidian toward the door, careful not to use too much force.
¡°Go see the nurse about that arm. You¡¯re free to try again next time. But I¡¯d suggest you avoid the armor.¡±
The surly alien muttered something as he stomped out of the room and Kaleb went back to moving chairs. Brick was introducing himself to the new arrivals as Kaleb got things squared away. Still, no one helped him, though. Although, at this point, Kaleb understood. Soon, the desks were in order and Kaleb walked to the front of the class. As he did, his students gave him a wide berth and rushed to their chairs. The Rapidian¡¯s seat was still empty and there were a few minutes left on the clock. So Kaleb took off his lab coat and got comfortable.
A yellow blur spun into the room with a little more force than was necessary, and his Rapidian friend appeared again. This time, the alien took his seat and pointedly looked away from Kaleb. The bell rung shortly afterwards and Kaleb stood to address the class. As he did, he waved a hand at Brick.
¡°Could you and your friend come up here and pass out the books, please?¡±
Brick nodded happily as his friend scowled. She rose from her seat and glanced at Kaleb before muttering.
¡°My name¡¯s Valerie.¡±
¡°Apologies, Valerie. Would you mind helping Brick?¡±
¡°No, sir.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
The pair of students went about handing books as Kaleb watched the room. All fifteen chairs were occupied and a tense air filled the room. He saw several eyes shoot toward his weapons, and Kaleb briefly lamented leaving his Magic Gun behind. He wasn¡¯t fully kitted out and probably seemed lopsided with only three guns on him.
¡°Then again, that¡¯s probably not what they are thinking about,¡± Kaleb told himself.
Brick and Valerie finished handing out the books, and Kaleb coughed to get everyone¡¯s attention. Multiple eyes shot up from his various weapons and Kaleb spread his arms wide. A big fake smile appeared on his face.
¡°Welcome, students. My name is Professor Pack Rat, and I¡¯ll be teaching you chemistry 101.¡±
Chapter 169 - Professional Review
BRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGG
¡°That¡¯s it for today, everyone! Make sure to read the next few chapters in your books for next week.¡± Kaleb said as his students gathered their things.
He got a few thanks and nods from the mass of students. With one scowl from a certain yellow Rapidian. But Kaleb knew the kid wasn¡¯t going to cause too much trouble. He was just angry at being cowed by a Mundane. Kaleb waved at the yellow alien and continued to collect his own things. Somehow, in the course of an hour, he had already made a mess of his desk. It was full of notes he had taken while speaking to the class. Which students were engaged, and which weren¡¯t? Ideas on how to reach difficult students.
One way was for him to dumb down the terms he was using. He had seen more than a few faces go slack-jawed as he was talking. He needed a way to keep them engaged, even when talking about highly technical things. Making the lessons more practical was his first idea, but that would require him to purchase more equipment. Kaleb found himself making plans and trying to budget out his credits for the foreseeable future.
He put on his lab coat and waved to Brick and Valerie as the pair left his class last. Following right after the pair, Kaleb spun and locked his classroom door as the noise from the hallway picked up. Apparently, more students were coming into the college. Probably for the robotics class that was about to start. He followed the mass of students toward the front of the school, but paused when he got to an open door. The class was closer to the front of the school and was clearly a nicer room overall. Sticking his head through the door, Kaleb glanced around.
It was a much larger, auditorium-style lecture hall. With comfortable-looking seats, and an electronic white-board sectioned into thirds. A slim person in a professional suit was behind the desk, swiping a slim finger through a tablet. From his position at the door, Kaleb could see the teacher and a decent-sized group of students already seated. Also, the teacher was an alien of some kind. Their hands and legs were human-esque, but their body was covered in small brown feathers. The feathers moved slightly as the teacher breathed. Kaleb was about to hurry on his way out of the college when a clipped voice snapped at him.
¡°Please, do not linger at the threshold of my class. If you are hesitant to take Advanced Robotics, then you are probably not a right fit for the field.¡±
The woman¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t condescending, but it clearly displayed a no-nonsense attitude and a degree of professionalism. Kaleb smirked as he thought about needling his fellow professor. He stood up straight near the door, but was careful to keep his robotic left arm hidden. Pretending to lean up against the door, Kaleb waved a hand into the classroom.
¡°Apologies, professor. I was just looking in on a colleague. It was my understanding that you were just starting today as well.¡±
¡°Hmph!¡± the professor snorted as she turned to regard him.
Her face was full of feathers going from dark to light brown, and she had a small curved beak for a mouth. Two large blue eyes stared at him as they took in his bright lab coat and armor. He saw her eyes linger a moment on his weapons, but they continued their journey up to his face. Kaleb grinned at the bird-woman, showing his sharp teeth. His fellow professor looked unamused as she clacked her beak.
¡°As I understood it, you are a professor of chemistry, correct?¡±
¡°That is one of my fields of study, yes.¡±
¡°Ahhh. A generalist. How quaint. Suffice it to say, Professor, we are not colleagues. In fact, I daresay my expertise would make me your superior.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Kaleb asked, no longer smiling.
He stepped from around her door, fully displaying his own cybernetic arm. The bird-woman¡¯s eyes went wide and Kaleb thought she was impressed. But then he saw her feathers ruffle in waves as her eyes squinted at him. The robotics teacher lurched from her spot behind her desk toward Kaleb. Kaleb raised his arms up defensively but waited to see what she would do.
¡°What have you done!? This is a travesty!¡± The professor squawked.
Kaleb tried to explain himself as he was dragged back toward her desk. A murmur went up from the students, and Kaleb could hear a few of them chuckling. He grimaced in embarrassment as he focused on the slim bird woman examining his arm and muttering to herself.
¡°The form-factor is nonexistent, the bio-mechanics are shit, and the robotics are childish. This is what happens when you don¡¯t specialize, Professor!¡±
She nearly shouted the last sentence in his face. But Kaleb was more focused on her other critiques. Sure, the upgrades he made were more interior based, but he didn¡¯t think it was that bad. It was a little blocky and bulged in places, but that was so it could house Shocky and the Spike Launcher. He was about to explain that to the bird-professor when she came upon Shocky¡¯s housing.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡± She demanded, holding up Kaleb¡¯s heavy left arm to his face.
Kaleb sighed and trigger the shield with a thought. The class¡¯s murmuring grew louder as the professor cooed in wonder. Kaleb was feeling good about having impressed the NPC when she glared back at him.
¡°If you have mastered this level of miniaturized tech, then why are there so many design flaws in your arm?! This is hodge-podge of parts stuck together with differing degrees of skill! Which is most inefficient!¡±
She spat the last word out like a curse, and Kaleb used that moment to gently retrieve his arm from her grasp. Her human-like feathered hands clawed the air where his arm was as she searched his face for a response.
Kaleb sighed. ¡°I¡¯m still using the base arm I built for myself after my accident. I¡¯ve upgraded it a few times and added some features since. But nothing too extreme.¡±
The bird-woman stepped back like she¡¯d been struck and she even put a hand to her forehead. ¡°Why would you do such a thing? You know they make perfectly normal cybernetics for prosthetic replacement, right? I mean, the corporation I work for, TekNik, has dozens of models available for all species.¡±
¡°Sure, so I can have an arm loaded with bloatware and random technical glitches that are ¡®features¡¯, not bugs? No thanks. I¡¯d prefer an arm I could trust.¡±
¡°How dare you! TekNik is a reliable company, and all added software is meant to keep the arm in optimal condition. As well as defend against malware and viruses. I could implant a virus in this prehistoric prosthesis of yours that would alter the grip strength! Have you breaking things all over whatever hovel you call a lab!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
¡°Now, how would you accomplish that without a direct hookup?¡± Kaleb asked smugly.
The bird-woman looked confused as she grabbed Kaleb¡¯s arm again. ¡°Well, I would just¡¡±
She trialed off as she examined Kaleb¡¯s arm for a few more seconds. Not finding what she was looking for, she glanced up at him, horrified.
¡°Why is there no Net-Access hookup on your arm!? That¡¯s just barbaric! How do you issue firmware updates or diagnostics?¡±
Kaleb sighed again and tried to take his arm back. But the bird-woman held tight to it until Kaleb raised a hand in a calming gesture. She scowled at him at being treated like a wild animal, but released his arm. Kaleb reached his right hand around to his left shoulder. It took a few moments, but he mentally released his cybernetic arm from its housing at the same time he hit the correct switches on his shoulder. There was a sharp hiss, and Kaleb sighed as his arm popped off. He quickly moved it to the other professor¡¯s desk as she gaped in awe at him.
Placing the arm down on the desk, Kaleb took a moment to look up and see a sea of student faces staring with interest at what they were doing. He grinned to himself as he waved his good hand at the arm. But the bird-woman was now studying the socket housing in his shoulder. He could see both wonder and curiosity in her large blue eyes.
¡°You really did this yourself, didn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°What makes you say that?¡± Kaleb wondered.
¡°This housing is¡ old¡ and crude. No offense, but it¡¯s clearly the work of an amateur and one with only a cursory knowledge of robotics.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°No offense taken. I was young and stupid when I made it.¡±
¡°But why? Not only are Basilinoids know for your regenerating limbs, but your people have the science to build you a much better arm than this one here.¡±
Kaleb tried to recall his backstory. The AI had constantly been questioning him about things he hadn''t considered. He remembered coming up with something at some point. But he couldn¡¯t recall the details. So instead he tried to bluff, using as much as he could remember.
¡°The wound was so horrific it wouldn¡¯t regenerate. And Basilinoids aren¡¯t really into making cybernetics. Especially for a young lizard that wants to be a Supe.¡±
The feathery ridge around the woman¡¯s right eye rose and face scrunched up in an approximation of a smile. Kaleb thought she was smirking at him as she took in his whole attire again. But the beak made it hard to tell.
¡°That explains the weapons and the armor. Tell me, which illustrious hero do I have the honor of addressing?¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes at her pompous tone, but stuck his hand out. ¡°Professor Pack Rat, contract hero and inventor.¡±
¡°You put ¡®professor¡¯ in your name? That¡¯s presumptuous, even for a Basilinoid.¡±
¡°Hey, I¡¯ve studied Electrical Engineering, Microbiology, Robotics, Chemistry, Metalworking, Mechanical Engineering, and Genetics. I¡¯d say I more than warrant the title.¡±
¡°Generalist.¡± The bird-woman said again, shaking her head good-naturedly. ¡°And did you say metalworking? So am I to assume you build your own armor as well?¡±
Kaleb held his arm out wide and took a step back. ¡°Everything on me has been designed, tested, and built by me.¡±
Her sharp blue eyes flitted over Kaleb¡¯s body, taking in all his weapons and even his lab coat this time. He grinned as he saw her nod in appreciation before she turned her eyes back down to his arm. She nodded down at it as she crouched low to get a better look.
¡°You were saying about this arm.¡±
¡°Ah! Right, well, as you can see, it has no net access or online functionality at all. So all firmware updates and such go straight through me. Basically, it¡¯s a closed system that I control and it does not call out to other systems.¡±
¡°I doubt it would matter if it did. If you were the one that coded this arm, then it probably won¡¯t speak well with others.¡±
¡°Just as well, because I don¡¯t want it to.¡±
¡°Have you at least looked at other arms to get a better sense of aesthetics?¡±
¡°Seriously? You are still worried about how it looks?¡±
¡°Form and function need to be developed side-by-side, professor. An efficient product should look good, last a long time, and function to perfection.¡±
¡°Two out of three ain¡¯t bad,¡± Kaleb smirked. ¡°It¡¯s lasted a while, and it still works. So I¡¯m happy with it.¡±
The bird woman rolled her eyes up at him. ¡°But think of how good it could be. You would need to do a complete overhaul and maybe look at some other models. Just to get ideas! This is a fine starter set, but you need something¡ special.¡±
Kaleb smirked as he thought about plans for a new arm. Looking over at the alien NPC, he could tell she was thinking the same thing. But before either of them could voice their ideas, Clarice¡¯s voice yelled out from the door.
¡°Excuse me Professor? I¡¯ll thank you not to bother our other teachers before their classes. Clara, if he¡¯s bothering you, just tell him to get out of here.¡±
Kaleb glared out at the receptionist standing in the doorway. Behind her were several more students looking to get into the class. Clara, the bird-professor, cooed under her breath before looking from Kaleb to Clarice.
¡°No, Clarice, it is quiet alright. I¡¯m just discussing robotics with a colleague. We were brainstorming ideas for an arm upgrade.¡±
Clarice scowled at the pair of them but moved out of the way of the door. Kaleb smiled as students stared, dumbstruck, at his one-armed state. He waved at them and then directed their attention down at his arm. Clara noticed the class¡¯s interest and turned her back to Kaleb, fully addressing Clarice now.
¡°Clarice, would it be possible for Professor... Rat to join me? I think he brings a unique view of robotics and his guerrilla science style could be an interesting juxtaposition to my own.¡±
¡°I feel I was just insulted,¡± Kaleb muttered loudly enough for the classroom to hear. A few of them chuckled as Clarice stared daggers at him.
Her eyes went to the bird-woman, Clara, and then back to Kaleb, before she sighed. ¡°So long as the Professor is fine with it. I see no reason to be against it. But Professor Rat, you will only be paid for the chemistry class. If this becomes a regular thing, then we can talk about bumping up your pay.¡±
Kaleb wanted to argue, but Clarice quickly left the doorway of the class. Clara turned toward him, her feathers ruffling animatedly. He smiled at her as her eyes were still on his arm.
¡°Suddenly you don¡¯t want to be rid of me?¡±
Clara waved him off. ¡°Please, you are a fascinating study and I meant what I said about your guerrilla science approach. I bet there are tons of things you could think of that wouldn¡¯t occur to your more educated counter-parts.¡±
¡°That time I know I was insulted.¡±
¡°It was merely an explanation of the facts, Professor. Now I think we should plan for the class ahead. I assume you are okay with your arm being used as a prop?¡±
Kaleb squinted his eyes at the bird-woman. ¡°I¡¯m not getting it back otherwise, am I?¡±
¡°You were the one who took it off.¡±
He sighed deeply to himself as he heard more of the class chuckle at their by-play. More and more students were coming in, and the auditorium was filling quickly. Kaleb checked the clock on the wall and found that it was still early. And who knew what he could learn from Professor Clara? She was a teacher of Robotics. Which meant that he was bound to learn something.
The bell rang, and the last student made their way to their seat. Clara pressed a button on her desk and her classroom door closed and loudly locked itself. Kaleb raised an eyebrow as Clara smirked at him. She held the eye contact for a few seconds before she turned to address the class. Kaleb settled into a nearby seat at the desk, ready to learn.
Chapter 170 - The Floodgates Open
|
Robotics Skill Level Maxed
|
|
Your knowledge and skill with robotics has increased.
|
-
-
-
-
-
|
Notice
|
|
Robotics is at Max Beginner Level
Upgrade to Intermediate Level 1?
|
|
[Yes/No]
|
|
Robotics Skill Raised to Intermediate
|
|
Your ability and knowledge of Robotics has risen considerably
Chance to create a random robotics blueprint while crafting: 5%
|
Kaleb sat in his car, trying to settle his mind as a wave of information assaulted him. Professor Clara¡¯s class had been a tremendous boon for his robotics skill. So much so that Kaleb had tried to find another class to see what they were teaching. But he had no luck. The school only had two classes on Wednesdays.
His Robotics skill had gone up halfway through the professor¡¯s class. He had held off on checking the notification during the class. But after a quick conversation with Ms. Clara and a promise to team up again next week, Kaleb had rushed to his car. His robotics skill had just soared out of the beginner stages and was now in the Intermediate. He could almost feel his brain pulse with information. New ideas and concepts came into his mind. He brushed his real hand over his robotic arm.
He and Ms. Clara had spent a good deal of time after class talking about his arm. Kaleb hadn¡¯t mentioned his store of stolen K-Tech arms, but he did mention that he had some synth-muscle stored away. Clara didn¡¯t pry into what he had, but she brought up that the muscle would strengthen his arm and make it faster. Now, with his new level of skill, he knew why, and he couldn¡¯t wait to get started.
Once his brain stopped feeling like it was going to pop, Kaleb turned his car on and reached into its cup holder. He grabbed the small ear mic he¡¯d placed in there before entering the school building and tucked it into his ear. The line was clear and Kaleb suspected Farrah had placed him on his own frequency when he went to school. Clearing his throat, he checked in.
¡°This is the Professor, back on comms.¡±
There was a brief pause before he heard a small, electric click before Farrah¡¯s voice filled his head.
¡°Copy, Professor. This is control. Had a good time at school, did you?¡±
Kaleb smirked. ¡°An opportunity presented itself and I took advantage of it.¡±
¡°Oh lord, what did you stumble on now?¡± Two Gun¡¯s voice echoed over the comm from Farrah¡¯s end.
¡°Nothing. I just met a nice Robotics professor and managed to rise my skill.¡±
Abby¡¯s voice came on the line next, clearly from the same room as Farrah and Two Gun. ¡°Seriously? You wasted your game time to raise one skill level? We could¡¯ve been out on patrol already!¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s up to Intermediate now, Abs. After one class! That¡¯s insane, even for a Mundane.¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah. Hurry back, we¡¯ve got issues.¡± Abby grumbled.
Kaleb pulled his car out of the college parking lot and onto the road. As he did, he questioned the others.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°Well, the police have stopped cock-blocking our contracted area.¡± Two Gun quipped.
¡°But that¡¯s because they damn near pulled out of our neighborhood entirely. They are only responding to the worse calls and leaving everything else to us.¡±
¡°They are taking the high-profile murders or robberies and leaving the rest for us.¡±
¡°So instead of trying to starve us out, they have switched to drowning us?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Essentially.¡± Farrah agreed. ¡°But that means we aren¡¯t going to be able to take any corporate contracts right now.¡±
¡°So we miss out on the high-paying jobs, but still look good to the neighborhood? I don¡¯t see the downside here.¡±
¡°The downside is we look bad when we only seem to respond to the easy calls. Before when the cops were responding to everything, we could say the cops were in our way. Now, the cops are showing up first to the most gruesome crimes and we are nowhere in sight.¡±
Kaleb chew on his lower lip as he turned his car to leave downtown Austin. ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s the game plan?¡±
¡°Full-court press, son. We need all hands on deck and out there responding.¡± Said Two Gun.
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a first come, first to look good world out there right now. If we get to a crime before the cops do, it¡¯s ours. Or vice versa.¡±
¡°Then what are Abby and the old man doing at base, Farrah?¡±
¡°We¡¯ve got a special call, professor. Someone wants to meet Abby in half an hour¡¡±
¡°I told her I¡¯d be fine on my own!¡± Abby interrupted.
¡°BUT! We can¡¯t afford to lose anyone right now. So I tapped Two Gun and you to go with her.¡±
Two Gun chuckled. ¡°Of course, that was before your little date with your fellow professor. Now we won¡¯t have time for you to suit up.¡±
¡°I¡¯m already geared up and ready. I¡¯ll meet you there. What¡¯s the address?¡±
¡°You taught a class while fully geared up?¡±
¡°Yes. Why does that surprise everyone? I¡¯m a working Super.¡±
¡°Whatever, Professor.¡± Farrah said, and Kaleb could hear the exasperation in her tone. ¡°The meeting is at a bar on Imperial and Catherine. Two Gun and Abby will meet you there.¡±
Kaleb nodded his head automatically and stepped on the gas a little. Supes didn¡¯t have carte blanche to overrun the law, but he was technically now on duty. So a little speed was warranted. He tore through the streets as they became less crowded. Overhead, flying cars zipped around and broke off to the suburbs of Austin. Traffic grew lighter as he made his way further and further east. Soon, the familiar signs of their contracted area came into view, and Kaleb slowed down. He was sure the cops around here wouldn¡¯t hesitate to pull him over.
It took him another couple of minutes to find the cross-street he was looking for. But once he did, Kaleb pulled his car over and exited. He swept his eyes over the street. The few cars in the road hurried along their way. The only other car on the street was further south down the road, but it wasn¡¯t Two Guns. Kaleb scanned the streets again and found Abby waving at him from the north. She and Two Gun were standing outside a bar. He saw Two Gun raise a hand to his ear and his own comm came to life.
¡°Channels connected.¡± Farrah said, just as Abby¡¯s voice came into his ears.
¡°¡ parked so far away.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know the bar was further up the street.¡± Two Gun argued back.
¡°Yeah,¡± Kaleb added. ¡°Knowing where the bar was on the street would¡¯ve helped.¡±
¡°Blegh! Y¡¯all both found the place. Hurry, professor, I¡¯m almost late.¡±
Kaleb jogged as he kept an eye out. Since the Demons had been taken out, other gangs had started to move in. Kaleb hadn¡¯t dealt with any directly, but the others had told him tales. The way Farrah and the others told it, he expected the streets to be on fire with warring gangs. But the quiet street was empty save for a few pedestrians. Most of whom avoided him.
He reached the others quickly enough and Abby gave him a once over with her gaze before she chuckled to herself. Two Gun also shook his head at his attire. Kaleb sighed internally and turned to look at the bar. It was tucked away down a dark set of stairs. To its left was some clothing store and to its right was an open parking lot. The lot was practically empty. Probably due to it being the middle of the day. But evening was fast approaching.
¡°So you two wait out here and I¡¯ll go see what¡¯s up.¡± Abby said as she started down the steps.
But Two Gun placed a firm hand on the young woman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s not happening, Abs. We are supposed to be your backup.¡±
Kaleb nodded even as Abby rolled her eyes. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
¡°I don¡¯t want to spook them. Whoever they are.¡±
¡°I¡¯d prefer them spooked over you getting jumped.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a helpless damsel, Professor.¡±
¡°Never said you were. But walking into what could be a trap without backup is stupid and you know it.¡± Kaleb argued.
Two Gun raised his hands placatingly. ¡°Look, why don¡¯t you two head in? It¡¯ll look more natural than an old man like me escorting a young woman to a bar. I¡¯ll guard out here.¡±
Abby and Kaleb shared a look before they both nodded. Kaleb pointed out the bar¡¯s parking lot to Two Gun. ¡°There might be a side door over there.¡±
¡°There is.¡± Abby muttered before heading down the steps.
Kaleb rubbed the bridge of his nose as Two Gun patted his shoulder in sympathy. He followed Abby down into the bar as Two Gun walked over to the corner of the building. When they reached the base of the stairs, Abby knocked on the door three times, hard. Kaleb gave her a questioning look, but she ignored him as a viewing hatch on the door was opened. A pair of red eyes glared out at them, taking in Kaleb¡¯s weapons. The eyes shot to Abby, who merely sighed and raised a blue card from out of her pocket. She showed it to the red eyes and then quickly pocketed the card again. A low growl came from the door, before the viewing hatch shut and the large metal door swung open.
¡°~Someone¡¯s keeping secrets~¡± Kaleb sang as they both entered the bar.
Abby swung an elbow into his armored stomach and hissed angrily. ¡°Shut it.¡±
The smell of smoke and incense mixed with body order hit Kaleb in the face. He scrunched up his nose at the smell as Abby waved for him to take a position at the bar. He did reluctantly, only to see her walking further into the place. The bar ran the entire length of the right wall, while tables and chairs filled the left side. Toward the back were the restrooms and several booth seats sitting on a raised platform. One table was occupied by a large-looking figure in a black cloak. Abby was making a bee-line for that person as Kaleb took in the bar¡¯s other occupants.
Aside from a few drunken humans and aliens, the bar was mostly empty. Those that were there seemed to be half-asleep. Kaleb could see their eyes flutter and their hands weakly reach out in search of drinks that were long gone. Otherwise, the bar¡¯s bouncer was standing by the door, shooting Kaleb the evil eye. They were a large alien with smoky-looking grey skin that wavered and coiled into clouds of muscle. Their large red eyes stabbed into Kaleb and by the squint of them, Kaleb could tell he wasn¡¯t welcome. His response was to shoot the angry cloud-alien a grin and look away.
There was no bartender behind the bar, but Kaleb could see movement from behind a door built into the right wall. He suspected the bartender was in the back getting more drinks or something. Abby shared a few quiet words with the cloaked figure at the back and then took a seat. The cloaked figure¡¯s frame looked absolutely massive next to Abby¡¯s small size. But Kaleb could tell that the cloaked figure was pushing away from Abby, like they were scared.
That puzzled him, and he wondered at their relationship until something flickered past his vision. He turned to see what it was, but all he saw was a still empty bar. Kaleb squinted his eyes and turned back toward the bar, ready to shout for service, when the sound of a scraping chair came from his right. He spun toward the noise, but all that was there was another empty table. He huffed angrily and placed his back on the bar, keeping an eye on the whole place as best he could. Kaleb scrutinized everything as the non-existent hairs on the back of his neck stood on their ends. Something didn¡¯t smell right in the bar and when he spotted a chair easing itself back away from a table. Kaleb knew it wasn¡¯t just his mind playing tricks.
He surreptitiously leaned away from the moving chair, placing his right arm closer to the bar. As he did, he bent his forearm up and glanced down at the wrist-computer mounted there. He had repurposed an old K-Tech wrist computer into a Thermal Imager. Chances to use it were few and far between. But Kaleb figured either the bar had ghosts, or they were about to get jumped. He scanned the screen of his imager, counting eight heat signatures in the bar besides the ones he could see.
¡°Abby!¡± Kaleb called, drawing his Cybar.
The room exploded into motion as Kaleb¡¯s gun cleared its holster. Multiple cloaked figures shimmered into view and the cloudy alien bouncer roared in confusion. A few drunken patrons jumped to their feet in surprise, but were immediately thrown to the floor by the people in cloaks. Kaleb was trying to move closer to Abby when one of the cloaked figures lunged at him. He stepped back and caught the charging person¡¯s cloak with his robotic hand. Using the figure¡¯s momentum, Kaleb flung the unknown assailant across the bar and into a stack of glass bottles. He blind-fired a few shots into the crowd of black cloaks as he rushed toward Abby¡¯s booth. But when he looked up, he found the booth was gone entirely. In its place was a blank wooden wall.
¡°Shit!¡± Kaleb swore. ¡°Two Gun, we need you inside. It¡¯s gone to shit.¡±
The tumult and confusion in the bar made any response hard to hear. Kaleb moved toward the end of the bar and took cover as he kept firing. The cloud bouncer was fighting off several of the cloaked figures at the front of the bar. His grey, lumpy-looking arms extended and wrapped around the figures like smoke. Nearby, a few of the cloaked figures were pacifying the bar¡¯s patrons. Kaleb sent multiple energy blasts into the few that tried to rush his way. The blue balls of energy lit up the cloaked figures and Kaleb could see multiple different species under the cloaks. Some were human, but a few were aliens. Surprisingly, his shots were dispersed along the black cloaks like they were being deflected.
Kaleb was about to switch to his quad-gun when the wall near the booths exploded outward. The large cloaked figure Abby had been talking to flew out of the wall like a rocket. Following him through the hole in the wall was Abby and she looked pissed.
¡°GORT!¡± she screamed as her shadowy arms pulsed and shifted into long blades.
The small woman dashed into the melee as Kaleb kept firing. More cloaked figures tried to tackle Abby, but she bashed them to the side with her shadowy blade-arms. Kaleb winced at the use of the sharp shadow blades. But the cloaks seemed to also protect from cutting attacks. But Abby didn¡¯t care. She rushed into the fight, swinging her arms like scythes. Kaleb growled as he saw two cloaked figures moving to attack Abby from behind. His gun was useless, and he didn¡¯t have time to draw anything else. So instead, he grabbed a bottle from the bar and threw it as he charged them.
The glass bottle caught one figure on the back of the head and shattered. They dropped like a sack and Kaleb tackled the other to the ground. The black cloak flailed around them, but Kaleb felt for something squishy and then dropped his metal fist onto it. The body beneath him grunted in pain before going still.
¡°Bludgeoning!¡± Kaleb shouted as he flipped his Cybar around to use it as a club.
A cloaked figure rushed him, reaching out a purple arm to grab him. Kaleb let the figure grab him and focused on slamming punches into the cloaked figure¡¯s body. They were tough, as Kaleb hit them in the chest and stomach several times before receiving his own punch in the face. Kaleb felt his body rock backwards, and he almost tripped on one of the fallen assailant¡¯s cloaks. But he caught himself. Using his robotic arm again, Kaleb wrenched his attacker off of their feet and dropped them onto his knee. They let out a loud groan, and Kaleb aimed a kick at their end before unleashing it. His attacker went limp and Kaleb turned to check the rest of the fight.
Abby had traded her two arm blades for one massive cudgel that she was swinging around like a wrecking ball. Just ahead of her, the cloudy bouncer was doing the same. Knocking down cloaked figures like bowling pins. Seeing that they had the fight handled, Kaleb tried to contact Two Gun again.
¡°Two Gun! You there!?¡±
Sounds of gunfire came over the ear comm, and Kaleb heard the old man swear.
¡°Fuck! Yeah, I¡¯m here. Two black sedans pulled up to the other side of the street. Some heavy-looking customers in black sheets wanted to charge the bar. I got in their way. I think that was a mistake.¡±
Kaleb scanned the bar again. The cloudy alien and Abby were blocking the front door, but he spotted the side door by the bar.
¡°I¡¯m going to help Two Gun!¡± Kaleb shouted over the fighting.
Abby¡¯s only response was another angry shout, but he figured she got the message. He tore through the side door, coming to a flight of stairs. He took them two at a time before he reached the exit and shouldered through. Outside, the blazing sun made him blink, and the sounds of laser fire assaulted him. Peppered in amongst the sounds of Two Gun¡¯s pistols were the conventional sounds of guns.
Two Gun was crouched behind a car on the sidewalk as he fired on unseen enemies. Kaleb ran to join him and slid into cover beside the old man. He got a nod from Two Gun, but didn¡¯t get to say much else as bullets and lasers soared over his head.
¡°Six of them by their sedans. I don¡¯t know what they are wearing, but it¡¯s a pain in the ass. It takes three shots to crack those cloaks of theirs. But once they are down, they stay that way.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve noticed. My Cybar¡¯s dispersal pattern makes it take five shots from me. But they don¡¯t hang around long enough for me to take advantage.¡±
¡°Same.¡±
Kaleb looked up and down the sidewalk for a plan before one hit him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you flank and I¡¯ll keep their fire¡ shit!¡±
Kaleb hit the deck mid-sentence as his own plan was used against them. While they were talking, a pair of cloaked thugs had crossed the street to their right. Bullets sailed over his head as Two Gun swore. The old cowboy returned fire as Kaleb rose to suppress the cloaked figures on the other side of the street. The two sides exchanged fire for a short amount of time until a crashing sound came from the bar again.
A cloaked figure was running full speed out of the bar right into Two Gun¡¯s field of fire. The old man put three shots into the running target before they fell into the street. The figure was followed by Abby, who also immediately took fire from the opposing side. Kaleb saw a bullet ping off the woman¡¯s cheek before she swung around and brought her shadow-flail down upon her attacker. As the shooter went down, Two Gun shouted in alarm.
¡°They¡¯re retreating!¡±
The cloaked figures across the street had piled back into their cars and were escaping. The remaining shooter on their side of the street tried to run. But Abby snapped out a shadow tendril and caught them by the waist. A few intimate moments with the sidewalk and the last attacker was out cold. Kaleb and Two Gun stood, panting, as the smell of lasers and gun smoke filled the street.
¡°What¡ The fuck was that about?!¡± Two Gun shouted as he took a big gulp of air.
¡°The professor was right.¡± Abby growled. ¡°It was a setup. And from you, of all people, Gort?¡±
She addressed the last sentence at the figure laying stock-still on the ground. She kicked over the large cloaked figure and they groaned loudly. A deep rumbling voice started to say something from the ground, but Abby hit them hard in the face. The figure stopped speaking and moving, and Kaleb winced sympathetically. He holstered his weapons as he took in the scene. He was sure the bar owner was going to complain. But they had contained things nicely.
¡°Care to explain, Abby?¡± Two Gun asked heatedly.
¡°It¡¯s a long story. Let¡¯s go check on Nimbus and the owner of the bar first.¡±
Kaleb blinked as he realized ¡®Nimbus¡¯ was probably the name of the cloudy bouncer. Shaking his head, he picked up one of the other cloaked figures. Abby used her shadows to drag Gort back down the stairs as Two Gun carried the final bad guy. They arrived back in the bar in time to hear a high-pitched voice apologize to Abby.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Abby. They threatened the boss.¡±
¡°I get it, Nimbus. It¡¯s fine. Can we question Gort in here?¡±
¡°Go right ahead. I¡¯m going to check on Horace.¡±
Kaleb spotted the big cloud alien rushing off toward a back room and gave Abby a look. But she waved him off as she deposited Gort among a pile of his compatriots. Kaleb and Two Gun did the same as Abby dragged a chair over. She removed the cloak from around Gort¡¯s head and glared at the alien underneath. The scaly looking alien with lumpy flesh glared back at Abby with watery eyes. He was cradling a bloody nose as he looked around.
¡°You¡¯ve really fucked up now, Abs. They are gonna- HURK!¡±
Abby slammed a fist back into Gort¡¯s face. ¡°Not the time for threats, Gort. Fucking explain!¡±
¡°It was just business, Abs. You have your masters, I have mine. It didn¡¯t mean nothing.¡±
Abby raised a finger, and a long shadowy tendril rose from the fingertip. It solidified into a sharp-looking blade and Abby waved it at Gort. She plastered a smile on her face as she asked again.
¡°Explain!¡±
Gort looked increasingly worried and tried to plead with his eyes at Kaleb and Two Gun. But Two Gun was reporting the incident to Farrah and Kaleb merely crossed his arms. Seeing he would not get any help, Gort slumped onto the floor.
¡°It was the cops, Abs. They are pressuring all the small-timers to make things worse for ya¡¯ll. They got the names and associates of all your contacts, and they offered a hefty reward for anyone who attacked you.¡±
Kaleb bit his cheek as Abby hissed in annoyance. Gort threw up his hands in defeat as he seemed to slump further into the pile of cloaked figures. Behind them, Two Gun finished his conversation and walked back over. Sensing the tension in the air, he looked at Kaleb and Abby. The question was clear in his eyes.
¡°The cops are trying to turn our informants against us,¡± Abby growled.
¡°Trying? They just fucking did.¡± Kaleb countered.
¡°Well¡ Shit.¡± Two Gun said. ¡°Farrah just notified the local PD of this little dust up.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his eyes as he looked at the wrecked bar. He caught eyes with Abby and they both nodded angrily before they turned back to Two Gun.
¡°You talk to them.¡± They both said at the same time.
Chapter 171 - Stemming The Tide
Kaleb and Abby stayed with Gort as Two Gun left to deal with the police. Already Kaleb could hear the sounds of the sirens in the distance. Abby was still glaring daggers at Gort, and Kaleb had to drag her gaze away from the alien to hold a conversation.
¡°So who are these people, Abs?¡±
The short woman sighed as she finally looked away from Gort. ¡°Small time gangers who call themselves The Shadows.¡±
¡°That explains the hoods and capes. But does their equipment normally deter high-grade laser fire?¡±
Abby¡¯s eyes grew wide before she glared back at Gort. The alien was still collapsed into a pile of unconscious gangsters. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else than where he was. Especially with Abby looming over him with her arms shifting into long blades. Kaleb held the shorter woman back as he addressed Gort.
¡°Where did your crew get the capes?¡±
¡°Hey! Fuck you, lizard. I don¡¯t- HURK,¡±
Abby slammed a fist into Gort¡¯s face again and raised it back for another go. But Gort quickly raised his covered arms and protected his head.
¡°We got a new supplier!¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes at the obviousness of that answer and spun his finger in a circle. Trying to get the alien to go on.
¡°I don¡¯t know who he is! Some guy just showed up with a load of tech to pass around for reasonable prices. Shit¡¯s quality too.¡±
¡°And you ain¡¯t got a name or nothing?¡± Abby asked, skeptical.
¡°No! He shows up in his van, sells you the shit, and then drives off again.¡±
¡°What¡¯s he look like?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. He wears a mask and one of the capes. All we ever hear is his voice when he¡¯s selling you stuff. Honest!¡±
Abby had raised her fist to smack the idiot around some more, but Kaleb intervened. The sirens were right on top of them now. The last thing they needed was for the cops to see them beating a prisoner. Instead, Kaleb moved her away from the pile of bodies and toward the side door. As soon as they heard the front entrance open and Two Gun leading the cops downstairs, they took positions by the side door and waited. The idea was to make the police think they were guarding the door.
What followed was a bureaucratic nightmare that Kaleb thought would never end. Their jurisdiction was checked and then re-checked, their contracts were brought up, their equipment questioned, the property damage was inspected. Even with the cloudy bouncer not wanting to charge them for the chaos, the cops were making the whole endeavor difficult. At least Kaleb thought so.
As they waited, Abby seemed to become more calm. She continued to glare at the unconscious members of the Shadows as they were dragged out of the building. The cops carefully documented the injuries of each gangster, pointedly asking if any of them wanted to press charges. Kaleb seethed as a few of the smug cops grinned at him. But he kept his cool as the cops went about their business.
Thankfully, Two Gun kept up a running commentary on what had happened and why they were there. Gort corroborated the story and was soon stashed in the back of a police car and whisked away. The tedium finally ended when the cops finally left the place. Leaving dire warnings to the bar¡¯s owner of what happens to places not protected by the HLO. Kaleb almost lost it at that point, but Abby was calm enough now to cut him off. She and Two Gun saw the police blowhards out before they came back and sat down at a table.
Kaleb joined the pair and finally asked. ¡°What¡¯s the play?¡±
¡°The police have it now. It¡¯s no longer up to us.¡± Two Gun said simply.
¡°What about the mystery arms seller?¡±
¡°I want to go back and check with Farrah about that.¡± Abby said. ¡°She runs the drones, and she is bound to have seen something.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll get started on combing through the footage.¡± Farrah¡¯s voice echoed in their ears. ¡°You three need to head a few blocks over. Some knuckleheads are trying to run away with an ATM.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes. ¡°Great super-strong idiots with too much time on their hands.¡±
¡°Nope.¡± Farrah explained. ¡°Dumb bastards are using a truck and a winch to lift the thing out of the wall.¡±
Kaleb shook his head as he and the others left the bar. Abby shared a few quick words with Nimbus before they left. Kaleb jogged back down the road to his own car as Abby and Two Gun rushed to theirs. Kaleb heard the telltale signs of drones in the air as he started his car.
¡°I almost forgot y¡¯all came in two cars.¡± Farrah said over their comms. ¡°In that case, Professor, you can handle a break in up the street at a bodega. Two Gun and Abby can take the ATM theft.¡±
¡°Oh, come on! I could handle the theft.¡±
¡°Never said you couldn¡¯t, but the ATM team is bigger, so it needs more people. The bodega was robbed by two aliens. I have them on the drones now.¡±
Kaleb grunted as he threw his car into gear and headed northward on the street. He was still connected to Two Gun and Abby, so he could hear the two planning to take the ATM crew.
¡°I¡¯ll disable the truck and winch, and then we take the team.¡± Two Gun was saying.
¡°Can you drive and shoot that accurately?¡± Abby asked.
¡°Also, when you take the winch, that ATM is going to go flying. I¡¯d stop the truck first and deal with the thugs. Then once everything is stopped, detach the winch.¡± Kaleb said.
¡°Not a bad idea, Professor. Any idea how to slow the car down without too much collateral damage?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
¡°Pit maneuver?¡±
¡°A sedan versus a tow truck with a heavy winch? Not likely.¡±
¡°If it¡¯s a rear-wheel truck, he can blast out the back tires. The thing will fish-tail, but it¡¯ll get them to stop.¡±
¡°And if they flip?¡± Abby asked.
Kaleb shrugged and wanted to say that they were criminals anyway, but he spotted his targets. A yellow alien with a bulbous head and tentacles for arms was running down the sidewalk. Right beside them was their partner, a red-skinned alien with enormous arms and spindly little legs. They were both carrying plastic bags full of credits that were spilling on the sidewalk as they ran. Kaleb sighed as he watched the two amateurs make their way down the street.
¡°One second, Abs.¡± Kaleb said before rolling down his window and slowing his car down.
¡°Attention, the two nimrods that robbed the bodega. Halt immediately and put your hands in the air. Please don¡¯t make me-¡±
Kaleb was cut off as a blob of yellow slime slammed into the front of his car. The two thieves then ran even harder as Kaleb got control of his car. The red alien¡¯s spindly little legs separated into multiple, needle-thin legs that skittered up a nearby wall. Meanwhile, their partner bounced down the sidewalk like a ball. They were both still heading the same direction, though, so once Kaleb had control of his car, he stepped on the gas to get ahead of them.
Coming to the next intersection, Kaleb stopped his car and drew his Sun Gun. He fired a blast into the air to keep the pedestrians away. But there weren¡¯t that many on the street. The few rubberneckers he had were keeping back, though. Kaleb approached the sidewalk and pointed his weapon at the bouncy yellow alien. Their partner was still running along the rooftops with their many legs.
¡°Freeze!¡± Kaleb shouted, but the blob was still bouncing away, getting closer.
With a sigh, Kaleb opened fire and sent several yellow orbs of energy toward the alien. The yellow energy hit the alien and sent him careening into the pavement. A high-pitched cry of alarm drew Kaleb¡¯s eyes to the roofs in time to see the red alien jump off the roof at him. They spread out their many legs and aimed them like spears at Kaleb¡¯s face. He fired at his attackers twice, but only hit once before the needle-like legs of the alien got too close. Unbidden, Kaleb¡¯s robotic arm jerked up and Shocky deployed itself. Several long red legs scrambled against his metal shield and a few scratched at his lab coat. But nothing broke through. The red alien¡¯s assault ended abruptly as they hit Kaleb¡¯s shield and fell to the street. Kaleb sent two blasts of energy into the alien and watched them seize up before passing out.
Kaleb bent over and picked up the red alien as he called it in to Farrah.
¡°Bodega thieves have been taken care of. What¡¯s next?¡±
¡°Next is you wait for the police to do a pickup.¡± Farrah said sternly.
¡°Or I could go help Two Gun and Abby.¡±
¡°They¡¯re fine, Professor. Protocol dictates that you wait with the perpetrators until the appropriate agency arrives. The PD has been notified and they are sending a car.¡±
¡°Meanwhile, how many other crimes are happening right now?¡±
¡°Not enough to warrant a disregard of protocol. Especially with the HLO still pulling shit. Stay with the punks, Professor.¡±
Kaleb grunted angrily and tossed the red alien down on top of their compatriot. The credits had skidded out across the sidewalk and Kaleb spent the next few minutes collecting the loose money. It wasn¡¯t much, but Kaleb was sure the owner of the bodega would prefer to have it back. Farrah¡¯s drones were constantly watching him and recording everything he was doing, so Kaleb ignored the urge to pocket a few credits. Loot was loot, but they needed to be squeaky clean.
It was a full thirty minutes before the police arrive. In that time, Two Gun and Abby had stopped the theft of the ATM and were also waiting for their own police intervention. Kaleb was just complaining about the slow-ass cops when they pulled up to the curb Kaleb was sitting on and got out of the car. Both officers were human, and they glared smugly at Kaleb as they got out, steaming coffee mugs in hand.
¡°Working hard there, Supe?¡±
Kaleb stood and stretched his arms as he returned their combined glare. ¡°A team is only as fast as their slowest member.¡±
¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± asked the other cop as they both approached the criminals.
¡°It means you don¡¯t get to stop for coffee and donuts and then blame me for being slow.¡± Kaleb almost growled.
Both cops stopped next to the prone thieves and continued to glare at him. Kaleb could tell that they both wanted to say something. But they didn¡¯t. Instead, the lead officer merely spit on the sidewalk and growled back at Kaleb.
¡°Why don¡¯t you get out of here, Super. We¡¯ve got it from here.¡±
¡°Sure thing, Cop.¡±
With that, Kaleb spun on his heel and walked over to his car. He had moved it closer while waiting it was barely a few feet away. As he got in, he used the mirrors to watch the two cops collect the thieves and the bags of credits. Supposedly, the pair would return the stolen credits to their owner. But Kaleb doubted it.
¡°Could you put a drone on them, Farrah?¡±
¡°We really don¡¯t have time to engage in useless vendettas, professor. Especially ones that won¡¯t pan out.¡±
¡°Alright, but if those credits don¡¯t make it back to their owner¡¡±
¡°Then we have evidence that shows you didn¡¯t touch them. That¡¯s all we can do. Now there¡¯s a magical ward that is pushing people away from an alleyway. Jar-lock is in-route and you need to move to assist.¡±
Kaleb sighed and started his car. The day had started so well, with some skill advancements and a lovely conversation about robotics. Now he was out and chasing criminals for an ungrateful police department. He pulled his car away from the curb and had Farrah guide him to his next assignment.
When he arrived, Jar-lock was already handcuffing a teenager in red robes. Kaleb exited his car and asked some onlookers to step back. A few wanted to argue, but Kaleb¡¯s armor and weapon made them think twice. As he approached, Jar-lock smiled up at him. The big mage removed his knee from the teenager¡¯s back and lifted him bodily to his feet.
¡°Evening, Professor. The situation has been handled. Clarence here was just learning that if you want to commit murder, you shouldn¡¯t cast a Keep-Out ward around the crime scene.¡±
¡°Is the victim okay?¡±
¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a little shaken up. But she seems fine. I¡¯ll request that the police have someone talk to her.¡±
¡°Good luck with that.¡± Kaleb muttered.
Jar-lock¡¯s eyes squinted. ¡°Always civil, Professor. Remember.¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah. I got it. You gonna wait for the cops?¡±
¡°Yeah, go on. It¡¯s going to be a busy evening.¡±
Kaleb sighed and got back into his car. Calling into Farrah, he requested.
¡°Please give me something to punch.¡±
¡°There¡¯s a turf war on Colfax and Halloway. Enhanced have been spotted in the fight, so Claire will meet you there.¡±
¡°Thank you!¡±
Kaleb peeled out of the street in a rush and hurried on to his next adventure of the evening.
Chapter 172 – Thugbusters
Claire was already fighting in the street when Kaleb arrived. He quickly parked his car on the side of the road and moved in to assist. Normally, the tall woman would toss people aside with each arm swing, but her assailants were surprisingly vertical, even after she hit them. Multiple gunshots filled the streets as a trio of thugs fired pistols at Claire''s tall form. The alien woman¡¯s skin was tough, but Kaleb thought it best to handle the shooters first.
He charged across the street and reached into a pocket while drawing his Cybar with his other hand. Taking out a yellow plastic egg, Kaleb chucked it at the closest shooter. The taser egg hit its mark with uncanny accuracy, and the thug went down in a jittery mess. Unfortunately, that meant his friends were alerted to Kaleb¡¯s presence. Both shooters turned on Kaleb simultaneously and he dove toward the nearest cover he could find. He dove across the sidewalk and into an alley, using the building as cover.
Bullets broke away bits of the masonry as Kaleb got back to his feet and approached the corner. Waiting for his moment, Kaleb listened for the shooters to run out of ammo. But they stopped firing when he didn¡¯t stick up his head. Taking a chance, he peeked around the corner and fired a shot. His energy blast sailed toward the two men, but he didn¡¯t have time to see if it hit. More bullets showered his position and Kaleb had to duck back down. It was a few more shots until Kaleb heard the loud clicking of an empty gun. Taking another chance, he rushed around the corner and raised his weapon.
One shooter was already down thanks to his earlier shot, but the other was halfway done loading. Kaleb opened fire again, keeping his shots low and, hopefully, non-fatal. Use of force was tricky at the best of times, but with the cops out for blood, he wanted to at least try. He would¡¯ve used the Sun Gun, but the presence of Enhanced individuals made the stun weapon a crap-shoot.
Kaleb¡¯s shots took the thug in the thigh and he went down screaming. Quickly securing the weapons on the sidewalk, Kaleb made sure the pistols were moved far away from the thugs. He was about to turn to help Claire when he heard the strong woman shout.
¡°Professor, look out!¡±
Kaleb managed to turn halfway before a powerful blow caught him in the side. He felt his feet leave the ground and was thrown back into the side of another building. The rough brick of the buildings tore into Kaleb¡¯s back as he bounced off the wall and hit the sidewalk on his side. The sound of footsteps growing closer made Kaleb grit his teeth against the pain and roll away. A blast of air hit his shoulders as a kick missed him by inches. Looking up, Kaleb spotted an angry-looking alien with yellow eyes drawing back his failed kick.
Quickly raising his Cybar, Kaleb fired multiple shots into the thug¡¯s thighs and shins. Blue balls of energy sizzled as they hit the alien¡¯s clothes and burned through. But the alien seemed fine as it roared and reached down toward Kaleb. Rolling into the street to avoid the thug¡¯s grasp, Kaleb scurried to his feet and tried to keep up a steady stream of fire. While his gun did a great job of burning off the goon¡¯s clothes, it wasn¡¯t slowing the bastard down.
Again, the thug threw himself forward, aiming a giant swing at Kaleb¡¯s head. Ducking away, Kaleb reached into his lab coat and brought out his Quad-gun. Setting it to ice, Kaleb raised the weapon and fired a steady stream of frost and ice into the thug. He had to dance around a bit more when the angry-looking thug kept throwing haymakers, but the ice was doing its job. Soon, the alien was stumbling after Kaleb, visibly shivering. But for some reason, the gangster was still trying to catch him.
¡°What the fuck is wrong with this guy?¡± Kaleb called over his shoulder. He could still hear Claire fighting behind him in the street.
¡°They¡¯re on something, I think. I broke one of their arms and they are still coming at me.¡±
Kaleb risked a glance and, indeed, spotted an alien with a floppy arm, trying to batter Claire to death. She was easily avoiding the blows as she jabbed another super-strong alien in the face. A pneumatic hiss drew Kaleb¡¯s eyes back to his own target in time to see the shivering alien inject himself with something. The thug had a white auto-injector in his hands and had obviously just taken something. He didn¡¯t have enough time to figure out what it was though, as the thug¡¯s muscles budged and he threw himself at Kaleb again.
The auto-injector hit the pavement and Kaleb tried to backpedal away from the screaming alien. The thug¡¯s muscles bulged and his yellow eyes seemed to bulge grotesquely. His speed had increased again and Kaleb had to rely on Shocky several times to save him. The poor little shield took a beating as its stun function seemed to have no effect on the drugged up gangster. Even Kaleb¡¯s quad-gun wasn¡¯t slowing the guy down enough. A thin blue sheet of ice had formed over the alien¡¯s grayish skin, but it kept breaking apart as his muscles bulged and contorted. Kaleb was about to switch to fire when the alien he was fighting seized up. His yellow eyes rolled back into his head and foam appeared around the corners of his mouth.
The alien dropped suddenly and harshly to the street, and Kaleb blinked in confusion. He rushed over to help the seizing alien, but by the time he got there, the alien had stopped moving entirely. Kaleb checked the alien over and searched for a pulse. Finding none, he quickly got to his feet to help Claire, but the strong woman was already done. She had broken the legs of her attackers, which wasn¡¯t a practice exactly smiled upon. But Kaleb doubted anyone would complain. Especially with the way the gangsters were acting.
Claire kicked over a thug and started zip tying their hands. She used multiple ties on the strong bastards and then looked at Kaleb.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°What are they on, Professor?¡±
¡°I have no idea. But apparently, two doses will kill you,¡± Kaleb said, pointing to his dead assailant.
Claire¡¯s words reminded Kaleb of the auto-injector the thug had dropped and he left to go find it. Overhead, drones buzzed away as Farrah and her team got footage of the scene. Kaleb was sure that Farrah had recorded the entire fight, and he was interested in what they¡¯d seen. Meanwhile, Claire walked over to the unconscious shooters and shot another question at him.
¡°Why aren¡¯t these guys cuffed? Do you not have ties or manacles?¡±
¡°I was at school this morning!¡±
¡°And you took your armor and weapons but not cuffs?¡±
Kaleb sighed. ¡°Claire, at this point, I think we¡¯ve already established I am forgetful. Let¡¯s stop pointing it out each time it happens?¡±
Claire grinned. ¡°The hope is that if we point it out enough, you¡¯ll stop doing it. It¡¯s all out of love, dear.¡±
¡°Sure.¡± Kaleb smirked as he found the auto-injector lying on the street.
Carefully, he picked it up and inspected it. It was little more than a handle and a long needle. A seat stuck out at the top where you inserted your dose of whatever you wanted. The glass bottle seated in the injector was practically empty. Although Kaleb spotted a few flecks of orange liquid. He quickly detached the vial and pocketed the injector. He was turning back to Claire when a loud siren echoed through the street.
Looking up, Kaleb saw a squad car stopping in the middle of the street. He sneered at the cops and started walking toward the sidewalk, but the loudspeaker attached to the cop car blared to life. Halting him in his tracks.
¡°Attention, you are taking evidence from an active crime scene. Return it immediately or be detained!¡±
Kaleb spun and glared at the cop car in equal part anger and disbelief. They couldn¡¯t be serious. The two cops in the car were glaring at him from behind their front window. Kaleb couldn¡¯t stop himself, even as he felt Claire approach to either stop him or say something. He raised a middle finger to the cops and then pointed to the drones above. Making it clear that whatever they tried would be recorded. The scowls on both cops¡¯ faces deepened, and Kaleb saw the driver bring a small hand mic to his lips.
¡°We are aware of Looting Rights of contracted heroes. However, we feel that what you possess should be studied in a lab and handled by the police.¡±
Kaleb growled to himself. ¡°Since you are not great with sign language, allow me to make it easier for you! FUCK OFF! My lab is more than sufficient to handle this, and you cops have proven about as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle!¡±
¡°Professor¡¡± Claire said placatingly from behind him.
He took a few steadying breaths and closed his eyes. The buzz of the drones was a calming white noise as Kaleb calmed himself down. When he opened his eyes again, he looked away from the cops and walked over to the curb. He took a seat and then spoke over his comm to Farrah.
¡°Farrah?¡±
¡°I¡¯m already on it. We have rights to investigate in our contracted territory. So everything should be fine. Just don¡¯t escalate things anymore.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t¡¡± Kaleb began, but cut himself off.
He knew she was right. But the cops¡¯ attitudes were getting on his nerves. Sure, they were just following orders. But even a blind man could see that they were there to help. Hell, the night hadn¡¯t even fully started and already he¡¯d done so much. Not to mention the others.
Claire stood just in front of him as he sat on the curb. Her eyes locked on the cop car. She didn¡¯t look like she was happy about their request, either. But she was keeping a professional air about her. For a long time, the two sides sat there and glared at each other, neither moving. Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure what conversations Farrah was having, but he hoped whoever was on the other side was cooperating.
It was another few minutes of sitting there before the cop car blared its siren again and then drove down the street. Both men in the front glared at Kaleb as they drove by, and he got a better look at them. Something about them seemed off, but Kaleb put it up to his heighten state of annoyance. At least until Claire mentioned it.
¡°How much do you want to bet that those two were robots?¡± She asked.
¡°Did they seem odd to you, too?¡±
¡°Professor, they were either twins or the same person.¡±
Kaleb blinked as he recalled the two cops he had just seen. Without the haze of anger blocking distorting his view, Kaleb realized she was right. Both men were human, with short buzz-cut hairdos, and pale complexions. In fact, Kaleb didn¡¯t even recall them wearing uniforms.
¡°Were they in uniform?¡± he asked Claire.
The tall woman shook her head, her long hair swishing about her back. ¡°No. At least it didn¡¯t look like it.¡±
¡°Say Farrah¡¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m on it. The local PD claimed to not have a car out this way already. I figured they were just bullshitting me. But maybe they weren¡¯t lying.¡±
¡°Wait a minute. What about not having enough drones to follow everyone?¡±
Farrah sighed over the comms. ¡°That was for useless vendettas. But for a people masquerading as cops on our turf? You better believe we have the drones. Also, another asset presented themselves to me earlier and I¡¯ve been kicking myself at forgetting about them.¡±
¡°What asset?¡± Kaleb asked curiously.
¡°Your sidekick.¡± Farrah said simply.
¡°Farrah, you can¡¯t be serious, Roy?!¡±
¡°Yes, Roy. He has been working on his own armor and weapons. He said they are ready for a field-test so he took them out.¡±
¡°Alone!¡±
¡°YES! He can handle it, Professor. Besides, as a sidekick, he is required to undertake several missions alone or supervised. Preferably supervised. But since this is just general reconnaissance, I figured he could handle it.¡±
¡°Farrah, his grandpa will kill me if something happens to him.¡±
¡°Frankly, I¡¯d be more afraid of his mother.¡± Claire quipped, drawing a glare from Kaleb.
¡°Professor, I have drones watching him and he knows enough to stay back. He¡¯ll be fine. Now I need you two at the north end of Blue Bluff. We have more reports of assault coming from the hunters.¡±
Kaleb wanted to argue further, but he knew it was useless. Keeping Roy in the workshop was never going to be a long-term thing. Especially now with so many helpers. He just wished he was with the boy for his first sidekick outing. He made a mental note to take the boy out on his next mission and started toward his car. Claire fell in step beside him and he glanced up at the woman.
¡°What? You weren¡¯t going to make this old woman walk, were you?¡±
Kaleb chuckled. ¡°Absolutely not, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m just surprised you didn¡¯t take your own car.¡±
¡°Naw, I¡¯ve been Super-Jumping and running around the neighborhood. It¡¯s good for the skill growth and experience.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re not doing it now because?¡±
Claire looked offended as they reached his car. ¡°Sir! I am an old woman. I can¡¯t just be gallivanting around everywhere all the time!¡±
¡°You¡¯re tired, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Extremely. Now shut up and drive the car. Grandma needs a nap.¡±
Chapter 173 – Paperwork and Examinations
The next few in-game hours were some of the most hectic Kaleb had experienced. If they weren¡¯t stomping out figurative fires, then it was literal ones. The calls came from all over, and Kaleb answered over a dozen of them. Not all of them were exciting as gang fights and shoot-outs, but they still were legitimate calls from the citizens. So one of them was assigned to take on the job.
It was around eight at night before the police started to respond to calls again. At that point, Kaleb and the rest of the SG were called back to the base for debriefings and paperwork. All the loot they collected needed to be declared, and various events had to be tagged for further consideration. Thankfully, when Kaleb and Vivienne pulled into the Hangar¡¯s parking lot, it looked like the others were already there. Kaleb¡¯s last job was a search and rescue with Vivienne in a collapsed building. Some Villain Supe had blasted their way through the building. So while Claire and the others chased down the Supe, he set about rescuing people.
He was still dusty and scraped up from the evening¡¯s escapades. But Kaleb felt a sense of satisfaction at how much they had gotten done. Vivienne was equally dusty and tired-looking as she opened the door for him and they both stepped into the hangar. The low hum of people working filled their ears, and they moved around the office and Kaleb¡¯s workshop area. He grasped at the vial still in his pocket from the thugs he and Claire had dealt with.
He wanted Daivor to look at it before he did anything else. Making sure that whatever was left in the vial wasn¡¯t magical was paramount to Kaleb. If their SG was dealing with another magically enhanced threat, he wanted to know as quick as possible. Of course, that was after the copious amounts of paperwork he had to do.
He and Vivienne took their seats in the Command Center next to the others. They were all seated at a long white table filling out forms. Occasionally, they¡¯d share a muted conversation, but at the moment, everyone was focused on writing. Farrah and her team had gotten the papers as ready as they could, but the meat of the paperwork needed to be done by the reporting Super. Kaleb kept his head down and proceeded to fill out the forms in the order that they occurred. From the bar fight after his college lesson to the search and rescue assignment. Kaleb was writing about pulling a small alien from the debris of the building when he noticed one of the drone screens was still active.
Looking at their table, he spotted each of the members of the SG and was confused. Until he remembered Roy. He sat a little straighter in his chair and put his pen down. The screen was facing slightly away from him, but he could still see the image of a warehouse. He caught Farrah¡¯s eye as she patrolled her domain. When she gave him a confused look, he waved a hand at the still recording screen.
¡°Is Roy still out in the field?¡±
Farrah looked at the holo-screen and rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes. He followed your ¡®cops¡¯ to that warehouse and is now staking them out. They are apparently waiting for something.¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t a registered Super, such as his mentor, be there with him?¡±
¡°We are still within the bounds of what a sidekick can do by themselves, Professor. And you have paperwork to fill out.¡±
¡°Not while the boy is out on his own!¡± Kaleb argued.
¡°He¡¯s doing surveillance. He will be fine.¡± Farrah said calmly.
¡°Until he isn¡¯t. Then I have to race out there to save my sidekick.¡±
The rest of the table fell silent as they watched Kaleb argue with the rabbit-woman. He didn¡¯t know if any of them agreed with him. But Kaleb didn¡¯t care. He was worried about the boy. NPC or not, he liked Roy and didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to him. Farrah¡¯s face softened as she seemed to read his mood. Moving closer and maintaining eye contact, she said.
¡°He will be fine. If we need to do a hot extraction, I¡¯ll go. I can be there and back again before you could even leave your chair.¡±
Kaleb sighed and unclenched his hands. That placated his feelings somewhat, but he would still have preferred to go himself. But Farrah was the next best thing. He carefully picked up his pen again as his eyes wandered back over to Roy¡¯s screen. He began idly filling out another report as his mind kept going over everything that could go wrong with Roy¡¯s job. The others at the table began writing again too, but Claire spoke up in the silence.
¡°Did you discover who those cops were?¡±
Farrah shook her head. ¡°Nope. They aren¡¯t in any of the databases we have access to. I also sent their images to the police. No one knows who they are. Roy reported they parked their car in the warehouse and are currently waiting for something. He¡¯s maintaining his position until we spot who the two are working for and then he will pull back.¡±
Kaleb kept his hands moving as he listened. The two oddly similar cops had been the strangest part of Kaleb¡¯s evening. He was curious about their origins, but he had so much other stuff to do as well. He needed to repair their gear, resupply himself, and get that sample he¡¯d found analyzed. Thinking about the vial, Kaleb pulled it from his pocket and set it on the table. As he did, he asked.
¡°Anyone else see anything like this out there?¡±
The flecks of orange in the vial had collected at the bottom, creating a small pool of whatever concoction was in there. Two Gun was shaking his head as Claire looked down the rest of the table, curious. Abby reached for the vial and Kaleb almost lunged for it. But he stopped himself. She knew to be careful with it, right? Then he saw her shake the small glass vial, and he almost lost it. But Jar-lock gingerly took the vial from the young woman¡¯s hand and examined it.
¡°What is it?¡± asked the big mage.
Kaleb gave the man a withering look as he spread his hands. ¡°How am I supposed to know that?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
¡°You haven¡¯t examined it?¡±
Kaleb set his chair on its back legs as he spread his arms wider, confused. ¡°When the hell was I supposed to do that, Jar? We just got back, and contrary to popular belief, I can¡¯t identify potions with my eyes.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s own words made him stop talking as Jar-lock and Vivienne nodded understandingly. Kaleb slapped himself in the face. Down the table, Jar-lock whispered a few words under his breath. The vial in his hands glowed blue, but quickly dimmed to nothing. The big mage shook his head.
¡°It¡¯s not a magical potion. Seriously, professor, you have to remember your magical abilities.¡±
¡°In his defense, he was just punched into a wall and almost crushed to death.¡± Claire defended.
Kaleb reached out for the vial again as Jar-lock passed it down. ¡°Not to mention the angry Not-Cops showing up and demanding the damn thing.¡±
¡°Wait, Roy is following the people that tried to take this from you?¡± Abby asked, nodding at the vial.
¡°Yep. Showed up as soon as the fight ended. I assumed they were cops until they rushed off, when it became clear I wasn¡¯t handing it over. Also, Claire spotted something odd about them as well.¡±
¡°They were nearly identical. Could¡¯ve been twins or something, but it was uncanny. How much they looked alike.¡±
Farrah nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed that.¡±
She waved a hand at the back wall of the hangar, and a large screen appeared. Two males appeared on the screen. Both were tall with short black hair and wearing black suits. Both were also wearing dark sunglasses. Images and short videos of them leaving their cop car and walking toward the warehouse flickered across the screen as Farrah explained.
¡°At least to our drone cameras, the pair are perfectly identical. They never removed their glasses, so we can¡¯t confirm their eye color. But everything from their gait to their arm''s length is the same.¡±
¡°Twins could still account for that.¡±
¡°Oh please, Jar-lock. Are you seeing how those two move? It¡¯s eerie.¡± Abby said.
Kaleb could only agree as on-screen, both men walked across the street in perfect synchronicity. It was beyond creepy. Then the screen shifted to a first-person view and Kaleb got confused. It was a recording of someone crawling through a warehouse window and looking down on the warehouse floor from above. Both suited men moved to the center of the room and sat in two chairs that were waiting for them.
¡°Is that footage from Roy?¡± Two Gun asked.
¡°Yes, he installed a camera in the rigging of his armor and used it to get us a camera inside.¡±
Kaleb slapped his face again. ¡°Body cams! I¡¯m a damn idiot.¡±
¡°But we still like you anyway,¡± Abby snarked.
Kaleb ignored the snark and started to think about ways to pin cameras to everyone¡¯s gear. It wasn¡¯t a requirement, but with the local PD and HLO screwing with them constantly. Having more footage wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing. Meanwhile, Farrah switched Roy¡¯s footage to live, and the screen shifted to the two men still sitting in a half dark warehouse staring at one another. Kaleb didn¡¯t know how long they¡¯d been sitting there, but he was sure it was a few hours at least.
Kaleb stuck his head back down and hurriedly finished his paperwork. He felt a notification go off, but he ignored it as he pushed the papers across the table to Farrah. Standing, he was about to hurry off to his lab, when Jar-lock stopped him.
¡°Professor, we need to go over new leads for tonight.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his face in exasperation. ¡°We¡¯ve got the vial, Abby¡¯s contact turning on her, and the HLO interfering with the cops. I think we¡¯ve got enough on our plate, Jar.¡±
Jar-lock sat against the long white table as he nodded along with Kaleb¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, but you need to share with the rest of us. What is that vial? Why did Abby¡¯s contact turn on her, and are we sure it¡¯s the HLO dicking around with the cops? We all need the same information before we can attack the problem together.¡±
Kaleb tried to find an argument around Jar-lock¡¯s thinking, but he couldn¡¯t. The big bastard was right. They all needed to know the same thing so that their Super-Group could handle group issues. Grumbling to himself, Kaleb walked back to his seat and started at the beginning of the day. He briefly went over his college gains and the new people he had met. Then he lead into Abby¡¯s contact and the bar fight that ensued. Abby and Two Gun added their own points of view while the others listened. When they were done, Jar-lock and the others posed questions and possible leads.
¡°Is it possible Gort was lying?¡± Vivienne asked.
¡°Unlikely,¡± Jar-lock answered. ¡°I was contacted by one of my CIs as well. He came at me with a mage-killing knife.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t have been that good of a knife, then.¡± Two Gun smirked.
Jar-lock shrugged, grinning. ¡°Mage-Killers are a double-edged sword. They make the user feel invincible because once they stab a mage, it¡¯s harder for them to do magic. But what they forget is that we can still defend ourselves without magic. Once I had taken care of the knife, I questioned my CI. He said the same thing as Abby¡¯s Gort. The cops are buying off our contacts and ordering them to come at us.¡±
¡°Smart.¡± Kaleb said, angrily. ¡°If it goes to shit, they still pull a criminal off the streets and we take out our own information network.¡±
¡°But we still don¡¯t know if the HLO is doing it or if the cops are of their own violation.¡±
Kaleb scoffed, but remained quiet. He made his stance clear on who he thought was holding the cop¡¯s leash. He didn¡¯t want to get into it again. Not while there were other things to discuss. Like his and Claire¡¯s dust-up with the juiced aliens. Claire went in-depth about how strong the gangsters were, while Kaleb described the effects he had seen.
¡°I don¡¯t know if the increased muscle mass was a side-effect or the intent of the potion. But it was clear that the guy I fought had already taken some. Otherwise, the effects wouldn¡¯t have been so deadly.¡±
¡°Those punks I was punching did feel a little more packed together.¡± Clair said, flexing her fist.
Jar-lock scowled in thought before asking. ¡°So it¡¯s some kind of biological accelerant? Making people stronger overall?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I need to examine the sample I got. But I can only do so much here. Tomorrow I¡¯ll head over to the college lab and use the equipment there. But my best guess is it¡¯s some kind of power enhancer.¡±
Farrah shook her head. ¡°Swing and a miss, Doc.¡±
She tapped away at a nearby keyboard, bringing up his fight in the street with the gangsters. In the image, Kaleb was squared off against the roided-out alien while Claire was ducking and weaving around her own fight. Farrah tapped a few more keys and all three alien species were brought up.
¡°Each of those aliens is not known for their strength. In fact, two of them are classified as mundanes.¡±
Kaleb pulled the vial up to his face again and stared at the orange liquid inside. ¡°So this somehow gave them super strength?¡±
¡°Enough to throw down with me,¡± Claire added.
¡°Professor, you have to get into your lab and figure out what that is,¡± Abby said excitedly.
Kaleb nodded as he stood from his seat. But Jar-lock, once again, coughed authoritatively.
¡°We haven¡¯t finished the debrief. We still have the other missions we all went on, along with any leads we may have.¡±
¡°Jar, come on, this has to be more important.¡± Kaleb whined.
¡°Protocol is important, Doc. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll have plenty of time to examine your specimen. But first, we need the full view of everything happening in our contracted area. Now, on to Abby and Two Gun¡¯s missions. I see that you got called to an ATM heist?¡±
Kaleb smacked his head against the table and closed his eyes. It seemed that his night had only just begun.
Chapter 174 – Deformulation and Magic Chairs
Kaleb slammed the door to his Workshop and laid his back against the door. He sighed as he rubbed his eyes and then his forehead. Jar-lock and Farrah had them discussing nonsense and procedure for the past two hours. Throughout that time, Kaleb had been thinking about the small vial in his pocket. He was sure that the talk had been productive, and they had discussed plenty of important topics. But he had been checked out for most of it. He had left the HLO to get away from the paperwork and procedure¡ also the rampant discrimination against the Mundane, and now he had to deal with it again. Of course, the beast called office work was easier to handle when you were running the business. But only in small doses.
¡°Fra-gmy-haps-fluffer-nattur¡¡± sputtered a small voice from Kaleb''s desk.
Moving his hand away from his eyes, Kaleb spotted Daivor asleep on his worktable. The little Builder Gnome was laying prone against the cold metal table, his hat askew and a small pile of drool collecting around his face. Kaleb winced at the sight and moved to pick up his small friend. But the gnome quickly sat up at his approach.
¡°Roy?!¡±
Kaleb paused before shaking his head. ¡°The kid ain¡¯t back yet. But Farrah has him on camera¡¯s and his body-cam is still active.¡±
Daivor fixed his hat as he cursed. ¡°Damn slow teenager. I want to know how well our new weapon deployment system worked. But, of course, he¡¯s off playing Hero.¡±
¡°You reworked his arm dispensers?¡±
¡°From the ground up. We also forged him some new armor and boots?¡±
¡°Boots?¡±
Daivor grinned evilly and wagged a finger up at Kaleb. ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯m not telling you a thing about those. They¡¯re the boy¡¯s invention and he¡¯s, understandably, proud of them.¡±
¡°You too, it seems.¡±
Kaleb took a seat at his worktable and reached into his pockets for the vial again. As he did, he looked around from the microscope he had ordered. The workshop was empty now. The Brutes and the Teens were all back home except for a small skeleton crew the Hangar had for security. Terrance and Marie were back with their families in Blue Bluff, and Kaleb¡¯s workshop was left as a mess. He snorted as he gazed across both of their workstations. At least Terrance had tried to clean his small area. Marie was less fastidious.
¡°We need to tell the kids they can¡¯t leave until they¡¯ve cleaned up their areas.¡± He mentioned to Daivor as he placed the vial on his worktable.
The gnome froze as he spotted the glass tube with trace amounts of liquid in it. The orange fluid inside had pooled at the bottom, and Daivor immediately rushed over to get a better look. Kaleb found his scope and pulled it over as the gnome leaned down to examine the vial. He rubbed his beard as Kaleb got set up.
¡°It¡¯s non-magical.¡±
¡°Yeah, Jar-lock tried to Identify it earlier. It¡¯s some kind of drug that enhances strength for a short period.¡±
¡°That all it does?¡±
¡°To my knowledge. Also, I know that two doses of the stuff can kill you.¡±
¡°Potent.¡±
Kaleb nodded and got a sample slide ready to examine the liquid in the vial. But Daivor reached up and stopped him. Kaleb turned to regard the small gnome, who was looking up at him in confusion.
¡°What the hell are you going to do with the microscope?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to see if there is anything biological in the solution. It¡¯s not much, but with my current equipment, it¡¯s what I can do.¡±
¡°And if there¡¯s nothing there, you¡¯ll have wasted a portion of the liquid.¡±
Kaleb sat back in his chair and waved a hand at Daivor. ¡°Then what do you suggest?¡±
¡°We need to break down the solution into its component parts.¡±
¡°I know that! But we don¡¯t have the equipment for Deformulation and I can¡¯t access the Mass-spec until tomorrow.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Cause it¡¯s at the school.¡±
¡°So break in.¡±
Kaleb gave the gnome a withering look and then sighed. ¡°Farrah¡¯s still on the drones and she¡¯d spot me leaving. Then she¡¯d tell the others, and they¡¯d all pitch a fit about doing ¡®something illegal¡¯ or whatever.¡±
¡°Bah!¡± Daivor growled. ¡°Ignoramuses always getting in the way of proper science.¡±
¡°Here, here!¡± Kaleb shouted back, raising an arm in solidarity.
But he was only half-joking. The others had already logged out for the night. Which meant he was going to be alone for a while. If anything, he¡¯d could probably sneak over to the college and use their equipment with them being none-the-wiser. But it would also create problems if he broke into his new place of work. They probably had cameras or late-night security or something. If he was spotted or caught, he could kiss his new chemistry job goodbye and he¡¯d probably be slapped with all sorts of fines. Not to mention if the HLO got wind of things.
Kaleb sighed and sat back in his chair. He glared at the vial as Daivor watched him. The small gnome had produced his pipe as blowing stacks of smoke into the air that dissipated before they hit the ceiling. Wondering if he should just can the science for now and head off to bed, a sudden thought struck Kaleb, and he jumped to his feet. Gripping the table with his hands, he stared into Daivor¡¯s eyes.
¡°Is there a spell or something for Deformulation?¡±
The gnome shook his head and looked ready to say something. But then he stopped and tilted his head to the side as if listening to something. When he came back to himself, the little gnome was chewing on the end of his pipe in thought.
¡°I want to say no. But I think you might be on to something.¡±
¡°So a spell doesn¡¯t exist, but magic could probably be used to complete the process, right? I mean, all we are doing is breaking down a liquid into its base parts and identifying them by the size and weight of molecules. There has to be a magic for that, right?¡±
Daivor continued chewing on the end of his pipe. Eventually, he jammed the small pipe in his pocket and threw an arm toward Kaleb. A silver whip lashed out at Kaleb¡¯s shoulder and the gnome was flung onto him. The gnome got himself comfortable before kicking Kaleb in the shoulder and pointing at his workshop door.
¡°Mush! We need more information.¡±
Kaleb got up from his chair and walked to the door. ¡°Where are we going?¡±
¡°Jar-lock moved his library downstairs, right?¡±
Kaleb grinned as he flung open his door and strode across the hangar floor. A few of the night guards and workers watched him and waved as he went. Kaleb returned the gesture and tried to remember some of the faces. It was mostly the insomniac lizards and the nocturnal Hunters who remained as night staff. But with only Kaleb logged into the game, any calls were diverted to police. If an emergency came through, he¡¯d have to go. But that hadn¡¯t happened yet.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Kaleb descended the stairs to the below ground floors and rushed down the hall. The second and third floors had been cleared of debris, but they hadn¡¯t gotten around to using all the space yet. Kaleb ducked his head into various rooms as he walked. But the first floor was mostly player housing. When the others had a long weekend or some time off, they¡¯d sleep down here. Two Gun and Claire¡¯s room was nicely decked out while Abby and Jar-lock¡¯s were fairly sparse. Just a bed, a nightstand, a backroom for showers. Vivienne, Mass, and D34d-I didn¡¯t have rooms yet. Or at least none that they stayed in regularly.
Kaleb reached the end of the hallway and found the steps to the second floor. He descended those and ended up in an identical dark hallway. This one only had a few doors built into the walls. The first on his left was Jar-lock¡¯s new library. He grinned to himself as he pushed open the wooden door and step inside¡ then immediately stopped.
¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± Kaleb said in exasperation.
¡°The man has his priorities.¡± Daivor said.
Kaleb closed the library door behind him and glanced around. Above ground, the mage had barely four bookcases full of books and scrolls. But down here Jar-lock had, apparently, cast multiple spells on his new library. The ceiling was over twenty feet high above him and rows of books ran end to end on either side of him. Ahead of them was a small alcove around a fireplace. A comfy chair and a lone table sat before the fire, casting shadows upon the wooden bookshelves.
¡°THIS is what he spends his time on?¡± Kaleb questioned.
¡°I¡¯m sure he says the same to himself whenever he walks into your workshop.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes and moved toward the alcove. It was small, but seemed to be the central point of Jar-lock¡¯s library. All around it, tall shelves full of books and scrolls towered over him. He briefly wondered where the big mage had found all these books, but he set that aside for now. They needed to find what they were looking for.
¡°What are we looking for, exactly?¡±
¡°Books on degradation and decay. Maybe Necromancy or Nature based magic.¡± Daivor explained.
¡°Nature?¡±
¡°Breaking down organic matter is essential to nature. Recycling is a natural process in the forest and keeps various organisms alive.¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Then I say we go with that. I don¡¯t want to be messing around with Necromancy.¡±
He gave a little shudder at the thought of zombies and then jumped as a wispy voice echoed in his ear.
¡°Quite an astute choice, sir. One of your nascent skill level would find the practice¡ difficult.¡±
Kaleb came down in a boxing stance as Daivor produced a wand. They both turned to look at the speaker and found a light-blue ephemeral humanoid floating in front of them. It was in the shape of a human male wearing a butler¡¯s uniform. The free-floating apparition nodded at the pair of them and waved a gloved hand at the stacks of books.
¡°Master Jar has accumulated numerous tomes on the subject of Nature Magic. You can find them in rows D-17 to D-24 or would you prefer to peruse them in the chair? I can fetch them for you.¡±
Kaleb blinked as he almost stuck a hand out to see if the butler was real. Daivor smacked him on the side of the head and nodded politely at the ghostly servant.
¡°That would be helpful, thanks. We are looking for spells about breaking things down into their base components. So anything on that would be helpful.¡±
¡°Very good, sir. A moment, please.¡±
With that, the butler disappeared completely. Leaving a very confused Kaleb to stare into space.
¡°It¡¯s an unseen servant tied to the library. Jar-lock has apparently been very busy behind the scenes.¡±
¡°No kidding.¡± Kaleb said as he moved to the chair. ¡°We¡¯ve got to step up our game, Daivor. The freaking magic-flinger is outshining us.¡±
Daivor scoffed but said nothing as Kaleb sat down. The small gnome jumped to the side table near the chair as Kaleb got comfortable. As soon as he did, a blue notification box popped in front of his eyes, and Kaleb wanted to swear.
-
-
-
-
-
|
Notice
|
|
You are currently seated on an Enhancement Nexus. This Nexus is calibrated specifically for [Knowledge Absorption.]
All pertinent Magical knowledge learned while seated at the Nexus will be retained easier.
|
|
Learning and retaining magical spells is easier while seated at your Nexus.
|
¡°Jar-lock, you broken bastard.¡± Kaleb whispered as he read the window and closed it. ¡°He¡¯s turned this damn chair into a Nexus Point to learn spells easier.¡±
¡°Smart.¡± said Daivor as he whipped himself over to the chair and closed his eyes. ¡°Oh yeah! This baby is humming. We need a couple of these in the workshop.¡±
¡°A couple? Why not just one and we can calibrate them to what we need on the fly?¡±
¡°Ha! Nexuses don¡¯t work like that. Once they are calibrated, it takes a great deal of power and time to switch them to something else. This one seems to be set for magical knowledge. But what if we had stools in the workshop for learning different skills? Robotics, Engineering, coding? Anything we wanted, really!¡±
Kaleb grinned at the excited gnome, but something tickled the back of his mind. ¡°Would having that many Nexuses near each other be dangerous?¡±
¡°Extremely. We¡¯d be lucky if we didn¡¯t blow ourselves up. Even a lone Nexus is highly unstable. Why do you think Jar-lock built his down here?¡±
¡°Yeah, we¡¯re not doing that.¡±
¡°Why not?!¡±
¡°Daivor, we already blow up our damn lab semi-regularly. Do you really want to add magic to that little mix?¡±
¡°Bah! Only fools kill themselves in their own lab explosions.¡±
¡°I would prefer fewer explosions all together.¡±
Daivor looked like he wanted to say more, but the butler ghost chose that moment to turn up again. Along with him were several floating books that the butler placed on the side table.
¡°Will that be all, gentleman?¡±
¡°Yes, thank you very much¡ uh¡¡± Kaleb stopped awkwardly.
¡°I am Jeeves, sir. Your humble servant. And should you require anything else, you only need to ask.¡±
Kaleb nodded and Jeeves, the ghost butler, vanished into thin air again. Kaleb shivered at the sight and then grabbed for a book. The heavy tome looked old and weathered, but well cared for nonetheless. Its title was Decaying within The Natural World. Kaleb cracked the spine and turned to the first page as Daivor leaned against his shoulder. Kaleb started to read the first few lines of the book before something strange happened.
Kaleb blinked and felt his hands close the book a second later. He was in the middle of setting the book aside when he stopped himself and looked around. It felt like mere moments had passed, but in the darkness of the library, he couldn¡¯t really tell. All he knew was that the book didn¡¯t hold the answers he needed. Daivor tapped his arm impatiently.
¡°The next one, Doc.¡±
¡°What the fuck was that?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°That whole weird time dilation thing. I just opened the book and now I¡¯m here.¡±
¡°Time Dilation? Boss, there was no dilation. You just skimmed the book and realized it wasn¡¯t helpful. Now we can move on to the next one.¡±
Kaleb felt the rough fabric of the chair¡¯s upholstery against his real hand. The red cloth felt rough to the touch and Kaleb briefly wondered how old the damn magic chair was. But he set that aside and cautiously reached out for the next book. Again, he opened the book, read the first line, and then found himself shutting the book again. He didn¡¯t retain anything he had read, but he knew instinctually that the book held nothing for him.
Setting the book down, Kaleb rubbed his eyes and muttered to himself. ¡°Oh yeah, Jar has some explaining to do about this damn chair.¡±
Daivor ignored him as he pointed toward the next book on the pile. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Wizard built a helpful chair. Now take advantage of it and find what we are looking for.¡±
Kaleb chuckled. ¡°Sure thing, boss.¡±
Chapter 175 - Professor, Interrupted
Kaleb staggered to the main level of the hangar at dawn. He¡¯d spent practically all night in Jar-Lock¡¯s magic chair, trying to find the right combination of spells. Daivor was right. There were hundreds of spells for degradation and decay. But nothing quite what Kaleb was looking for. Matter was either transformed or destroyed outright with magic. Breaking down elements to their constituent parts was a little trickier. Which simply solidified Kaleb¡¯s feelings on magic versus technology. However, he found mention of something that might help him. Unfortunately, it was in the school of Alchemy. Something Jar¡¯s library had very few books on.
By the time he¡¯d discovered the potential solution, it was deep into the night. So he¡¯d taken Daivor back to the workshop and then returned to his room to crash. Now he was side-stepping bright-eyed NPCs as they went about their work. He could find the hangar¡¯s coffee maker in the dark, so he blearily made his way to where it was and poured himself a cup. The days where the others were still logged out were weird. The game still turned and Kaleb got to watch all the teens and Brutes go about their lives like real people. They made friends, talked about work or school, and sometimes they would even have arguments.
He chuckled to himself as he sipped at his coffee and planned out his day. He had two options: go to the college and use the Mass-spectrometer again, or find a new lead with alchemy. Of course, the state he left the college in last time would probably make using the high-end equipment difficult. In fact, Kaleb had a hard time remembering if the machine survived the demon''s possession. Plus, Alchemy was chemistry adjacent. He and Daivor theorized that the two skills would have some overlap.
Kaleb drained the last of his coffee and refilled his mug. Checking the clock, he found it was ten minutes to eight. He had just enough time to drive out to the bookstore and find something on Alchemy. Grinning to himself, he rushed over to his workshop only for a flurry of activity at the Command Center to draw his eyes. Farrah¡¯s AI clone was working away already along with a few of the teens and Brutes. She turned to Kaleb and waved a hand at the largest screen.
¡°We¡¯ve got a fire out near Hollow Hook. Assistance has been requested and the police are sand-bagging their response.¡±
Kaleb froze. ¡°But I¡¯m the only one here.¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that, professor. But criminals don¡¯t take breaks and the cops are still playing their little games. If you don¡¯t drive out there, we all look bad. Yes, most of our roster is on a rotating cycle, but we need to continue to do what we can.¡±
Kaleb growled and threw back his hot coffee. The bitter liquid scorched the back of his throat, but he ignored it as he rushed to his workshop. He shouted at Farrah¡¯s AI driven clone to contact him on the road. Cursing to himself, Kaleb burst into his workshop, startling both Marie and Terrance. They were back at their stations busying themselves with small tasks. Kaleb grinned as a thought came to him.
¡°Terrance, I need you to head out and grab every book you can on Alchemy. Marie, you can handle the shop.¡±
¡°And what are you going to be doing?¡± Marie asked tersely.
Kaleb waggled his Cybar in the air as he pulled on a fresh lab coat. ¡°Hero business. There¡¯s a fire in the Hook.¡±
Both teens nodded at his answer, and Kaleb saw Terrance turn to look for his own keys. As he did, Kaleb saw past the tall boy to the back of the workshop. Roy was sprawled out on a cot at the back of the shop. His armor and weapons were still strapped to his body. Kaleb smiled warmly at the sight and shook his head. Apparently the boy¡¯s first foray into Side-kicking had ended well.
Marie turned to look at what Kaleb was smiling at and snorted. ¡°He was here when we came in. He must''ve stumbled in before the sun was up and passed out. I don¡¯t look forward to how he¡¯s going to complain about sleeping in his armor.¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°It happens. Make sure he stays undisturbed.¡±
Marie shrugged, and Terrance nodded as Kaleb left the workshop. He assumed Daivor was still asleep, but they¡¯d go over the Alchemy stuff later. Kaleb had some solo hero-ing to do. Quickly rushing to his car and throwing open the door, Kaleb pushed his comm unit into his ear. Immediately, Farrah¡¯s voice gave him an address and Kaleb drove out of the airfield as fast as he could. As a mostly grounded Super Group, they didn¡¯t exactly have a license to speed everywhere. But if he or anyone else was caught speeding to their destination, the cops were supposed to be understanding. Kaleb hoped he¡¯d never have to try that out in practice, though. Not with how the cops were being.
He arrived at the house fire in Hollow Hook quickly enough. However, once he did, the fire department seemed surprised that he had been called. Apparently, the fire was caused by a bunch of stupid kids being stupid and not some diabolical gang or Villain plot. Kaleb bit his lip against his own annoyance and still offered his help. His next hour was filled with the drudgeries of putting out a proper fire and giving a stern warning to a bunch of mouthy teens. The little bastards seemed more disappointed that Kaleb wasn¡¯t a ¡®real hero¡¯ and completely disregarded him. Rather than pistol whip the little shits, Kaleb passed them off to their parents and smiled evilly as punishments were doled out.
Afterward, Kaleb called it in to Farrah, and she gave him the next hot spot. His day was again filled with saving cats and helping little old ladies repair their air conditioners. There were a few bright spots. A gang stomping into an outdoor cafeteria, or a wild gunman threatening people in the streets. But ultimately Kaleb¡¯s morning passed pretty calmly.
¡°Two Gun and Claire have just woken up. They¡¯re willing to take over, Professor.¡±
Kaleb checked his clock and blinked. It was still noon in the game. That meant the husband and wife duo must have gotten off work early. The old cowboy¡¯s laugh echoed in Kaleb¡¯s ear as he and his wife jumped on comms.
¡°Ha! I figured you¡¯d be drowning in work by now.¡±
¡°Not really. It¡¯s been a quiet morning overall. But the cops are still playing slow. Also, I think they are calling us into jobs that we don¡¯t need to be at. Had a fire this morning, and the department looked surprised I¡¯d been tapped.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s just mean,¡± Claire sniffed indignantly.
¡°Agreed.¡±
¡°Come on in, Prof. The wife and I will handle things in the area. We were hoping to do some gaming today.¡±
Kaleb stepped on his gas and drove back to the hangar. He waved at Two Gun and Claire as their car passed him on the way in. He parked, refilled his coffee mug, and sat down to fill out the paperwork as everything around him fell away. The bustle of people, the clacking of keyboard keys, the quiet drone of people at work. For a moment Kaleb was back in his real-world office, doing the same thing. The mundanity of the day had finally smacked him in the head. He was a Super Hero, damn it! Work wasn¡¯t supposed to be this boring! He had literally spent his day being a handyman for the elderly.
Kaleb smacked his forehead against the table and sent a loud bang reverberating everywhere. Eyes and heads turned in his direction. He took in a breath and slowly released it as he tried to think of a solution.
¡°Solution¡ Solution? That¡¯s it! The formula! I bet Terrance has the books. I am sure that little vial will lead us to our next big case. Heroes aren¡¯t supposed to be repair men! They are out there fighting crime and saving lives!¡±
He quickly brought his head back up and started writing. He filled in the paperwork and then threw it at the nearest hunter. The teen caught it and started filing, and Kaleb stomped back to his workshop. Brutes and teens cleared his path as Kaleb felt himself grin maliciously. Soon he would have all the knowledge he needed to hunt down this next lead.
Bursting into his workshop again, Kaleb wasn¡¯t surprised that he went unnoticed. Terrance and Marie were deep in their own work, making weapons or whatever personal projects they had. Meanwhile, Daivor and Roy had their heads together and seemed to be discussing things animatedly over the noise of the shop. Kaleb got Terrance¡¯s attention and mimed a question about the books. The tall teenager nodded over at Kaleb¡¯s workstation. Giving the boy a thumbs up, Kaleb hurried over and cracked the first book he could find.
It was an introduction to Alchemy by someone whose name Kaleb didn¡¯t want to try to pronounce. But it was written fairly well, and he immediately dove into it, hoping he¡¯d find the answers he was looking for.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
¡°Blah blah¡ Great world of wonder¡ blah blah¡ laws¡ blah blah¡ equivalent exchange¡ This is all rather dry.¡± Kaleb thought as his hand skimmed down the page.
Alchemy appeared to be an exact science, much like chemistry, and he could feel his understanding of the mechanics of it growing already. Kaleb read through the first chapter and then sat back to absorb what he had learned. Which, truly, wasn¡¯t much. The chapter was mostly concerned with identifying and catalogue various substances for use in potions and salves. He was about to tackle the second when he found Roy waiting patiently by his bench, Daivor perched on his shoulder. Kaleb grinned.
¡°I hear your first solo-outing went well.¡±
Roy nodded animatedly. ¡°It did. Even though it was merely recon, it let me test so many new ideas. Also, we think we figured out who was pushing that drug you found.¡±
Kaleb snapped to his feet and grasped the boy by his shoulders. ¡°Seriously?!¡±
¡°Whoa, boss. Ease up.¡± Daivor admonished.
¡°No, it¡¯s okay. You know how the Doc gets. Yeah, those two goons we tracked to the warehouse waited there almost all night until a van came and picked them up.¡±
¡°An unmarked van?¡±
¡°Yep. But it was weird. The van showed up and both our guys went super still. Like statues. Then two guys covered in body armor moved them into the van like luggage.¡±
Kaleb nodded slowly. ¡°So then you followed the Van?¡±
Roy smiled as Daivor shook his head. ¡°He didn¡¯t have to. Show him, kid.¡±
Kaleb stared curiously as Roy reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a silver disk. The thing was no bigger than a quarter. But as Roy dropped it in Kaleb¡¯s hand, he could feel the weight of the thing. He gently weighed it in his hand and, as he did, he could feel some kind of liquid inside the disc. He inspected the small device until Roy explained, clearly happy.
¡°It¡¯s a tracking disc. When I toss it, it sticks to whatever it hits and releases a gas that can be tracked by our drone¡¯s infrared cameras.¡±
Kaleb blinked as the idea of a tracking device hadn¡¯t occurred to him. He wanted to slap himself as Roy and Daivor looked pleased with themselves. Kaleb had to hand it to the kid. He was improving faster than he had expected. When he said as much to Roy, the young man went red in the face and passed off the accomplishment to Daivor. But the Builder Gnome was having none of it.
¡°It was your idea, kid. I just helped with some design aspects. All the grunt work and metalworking were all you. So be proud. Between this and your other toys, you¡¯re well on your way to being an accomplished inventor.¡±
¡°Other toys?¡± Kaleb asked, intrigued.
Roy grinned and took a step back. As he did, Kaleb noticed Marie secure her papers and documents on her workbench. Daivor swung over to Kaleb¡¯s workbench and put his thumbs through his suspenders. Looking like the proudest papa Kaleb had ever seen. Roy tapped the front of his shoes together and a low hum emitted from his feet. The noise was accompanied by a soft blue glow that Kaleb recognized as a repulsor. Roy floated into the air, sending bits of dust and paper everywhere from the force of his elevation. Kaleb dropped to the floor and looked under Roy¡¯s shoes. Attached to the heels of both of the boy¡¯s sneakers were two metal apparatuses that housed several tiny repulsors.
With no other recourse, Kaleb sat up and applauded as Roy''s face became cherry red. He somehow cut the power to the repulsors and fell roughly to the workshop floor. Kaleb shook his head as he stared up at the young man who had once attacked a giant robot with a bat. He couldn¡¯t have been prouder¡ or more disappointed in himself, really. Jet boots should¡¯ve been on his own personal list. He really wanted to smack himself. But Roy¡¯s story wasn¡¯t over and after his head-slam in the in the command center, he didn¡¯t want to start a trend.
AS he got to his feet, Kaleb asked. ¡°So, where did the van go?¡±
¡°Really? You''re not going to ask him about the boots?¡± Daivor complained.
¡°Oh, I will be examining those as he talks. Hand them over, Roy. This is a command from your mentor¡ hero¡ um¡ guy.¡±
Both Daivor and Roy rolled their eyes at him, but the young man took his shoes off and detached the strange bracket that held the repulsors in place. Kaleb received the thing and then quickly placed it on his workbench. The entire apparatus was hot, not horribly so, but it was enough to sting slightly. Roy finished his story as Kaleb went over the boy¡¯s gadget.
¡°The van was taken to a place just outside downtown Austin and then torched. But the drones kept up with the occupants all the way back to their home base.¡±
¡°HLO HQ?¡± Kaleb asked scathingly.
¡°Nope. TekNik Electronics and Sundries.¡±
Kaleb blinked, having not expected that at all. Roy looked pleased with himself as Daivor lit his pipe with a finger.
¡°I guess we know what the sundries are, huh, boss?¡±
Kaleb was about to ask something when he spotted a problem with one of Roy¡¯s repulsors.
¡°Hey, you notched the power cycles down on this one.¡±
¡°Yeah, the kick is too much to handle for me if I go any higher. Which is why I won¡¯t be outright flying with them anytime soon.¡±
Kaleb quickly checked the three other repulsors and found the same thing. Which meant that the dream of flight was currently out of reach unless they strengthened the boy¡¯s legs. That thought brought Kaleb back around to his alchemy books still strewn across his worktable. He sighed as he sat Roy¡¯s gadget to the side. All of a sudden, his day was full again. The soul-sucking nature of this morning¡¯s tedium had been replaced. Now he was refreshed and renewed. He had new gadgets to explore and a new lead to follow.
Catching Roy¡¯s curious stare, Kaleb grinned. ¡°So what did Farrah say about the TekNik lead?¡±
Roy shrugged. ¡°She said not to touch it until we get more proof. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s planning, but it sounded like she had some ideas.¡±
¡°Good. Well, she can handle that while you can help me with something else.¡±
¡°What¡¯s that, Doc?¡±
¡°We¡¯re adding another station to the workshop!¡± Kaleb crowed in triumph, garnering looks from both Terrance and Marie.
He spun in his chair and picked up the books Terrance had picked up. ¡°We need a chemistry lab and, given the similarities between the two, I suspect we can also throw in a little alchemy.¡±
Marie snorted and went back to her own designs at his words. But Terrance seemed mildly interested. Roy and Daivor, of course, both looked as excited as Kaleb felt. The three of them grinned at each other for a few seconds until Roy grabbed his leg gadget off the desk.
¡°What¡¯s the first step, Doc?¡±
¡°Shopping. We need to pick up some stuff for the alchemy as well as chemistry supplies. Most of it can be ordered. But we are going to be out, anyway.¡±
¡°What for?¡± Daivor asked, puffing on his pipe.
¡°We need our own equipment for a chemistry lab.¡±
¡°Boss, we don¡¯t have the funds for most of that stuff, remember?¡±
¡°Yes, I know. But the others aren¡¯t here today. Which means we have access to another source of equipment.¡±
¡°Under-Town.¡± Roy and Daivor said together.
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Exactly. It¡¯ll be dangerous. But I figure a quick jaunt down to that K-Tech Dump site and we¡¯ll be swimming in high-grade stuff.¡±
¡°Broken high-grade stuff.¡± Roy pointed out.
¡°Yeah, but fixing it won¡¯t be a problem for the five of us.¡±
¡°Leave me out of it.¡± Marie shouted over the noise of the shop. ¡°It ain¡¯t metal or weapons. I don¡¯t care. A Forgemaster needs to zero in on her chosen craft, not spread herself too thin.¡±
Kaleb scowled, but nodded in understanding. Turning to Terrance, he found the tall boy waffling.
¡°I don¡¯t know, man. That sounds pretty dangerous. I like staying in the shop. Less chance of getting stabbed or gored.¡±
¡°Fair enough.¡± Kaleb said sadly. ¡°But you¡¯ll help when we bring the stuff back?¡±
¡°Sure thing, Prof.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his hands together greedily and smiled to himself. This morning was long forgotten and the fires of fun gaming had reignited themselves. Now he just needed to find what he wanted and get himself set up. There was just one other small thing that he needed to ask Roy about.
¡°Roy, there¡¯s one more thing.¡±
The boy looked up from attaching his gadget to his lower leg and shoe. Kaleb approached solemnly and carefully placed a hand on the boy¡¯s slim shoulder. He could see Roy¡¯s worried eyes trying to discern something in his face and Kaleb barely kept it together as he said.
¡°You''re driving the dumb truck this time.¡±
Daivor snickered as Roy batted Kaleb¡¯s hand off his shoulder. Kaleb and Daivor shared a chuckle as Roy grumbled to himself. Then the three of them put their heads together and planned their next jaunt into the underground junk site. Kaleb hoped everything would be much calmer this time. But if they weren¡¯t he was fine with that too. He needed some more excitement today, cause tomorrow it was back to the early morning tedium.
Chapter 176 - A Fortified Dump
After leaving a quick message with AI Farrah, Kaleb and Roy hopped into the dump truck and rushed off to Under-Town. Unfortunately, they only knew about the one exit tunnel big enough for their truck. But supposedly it was now run by a friend, or at least not an enemy. Kaleb remained cautious as they drove down the dark tunnel with only the dump truck¡¯s lights to guide them. When the Artificial lightning of Under-Town came into view, he had Roy slow down.
He examined the hole in the tunnel wall leading into Under-Town. A caravan of trucks was going in and outside by side as gangsters patrolled the exit. Judging by their skin-tone they weren¡¯t the Quinica anymore though. Which made Kaleb hopeful even as Roy voiced concern.
¡°You sure about this, Doc?¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Yeah, we should be fine. We¡¯re all friends down here.¡±
He put his hand over the small bag of credits chits they had brought. He knew they would have to pay for the use of the tunnel. There was no getting around that. The gangs of Under-Town protected their supply routes viciously. Even Shaggy¡¯s group of players. In fact, Kaleb assumed the werewolf and his band of merry villains were going to charge him up the nose. But it would be worth it if they could get to the K-Tech dump site.
Roy pulled the truck into the lane, pulling into Under-Town, and waited. All around them, thugs in mishmashed armor were giving the stink eye to various people. More tough guys trying to intimidate other tough guys. Kaleb ignored them as they walked by a few walked by their truck. They waited in line for a few minutes until they reached the front and a Perinadon waved for Roy to roll down his window.
¡°State your business and affiliation.¡± The large alien Rhino-man said curtly.
Kaleb froze for a moment at how bored the NPC sounded, but eventually, he smirked. ¡°Trash-diving and Contract Hero.¡±
The alien¡¯s beady eye zipped up to Kaleb¡¯s face. Probably to see if he was joking. When he saw that he wasn¡¯t the big, bipedal rhino waved a hand.
¡°Could I get you to step out of the truck¡ Now!¡±
¡°Could I get you to go get Shaggy?¡±
The rhino¡¯s placid face became angry, and he looked like he was about to hit Roy¡¯s door. But a voice spoke up from behind the rhino-alien. It wasn¡¯t Shaggy though.
¡°Professor?¡±
Thudding footsteps proceeded another Rhino-Alien approaching the truck. Kaleb could see they were drawing more eyes, but the new rhino didn¡¯t care. He cackled as he peered through the window at them, and it took Kaleb a second to recall the name.
¡°Ren?¡±
¡°Hot damn! What brings you here?¡±
¡°Dumpster diving, chief. Vlad was bragging how you lot were going to kick the Quinica out any day now last time we spoke.¡±
¡°I wish we had. I¡¯d feel a lot safer.¡± Ren scoffed.
¡°Do what?¡±
The big Perinadon player waved off his subordinate and crossed his arms. ¡°They¡¯ve vanished. Just up and disappeared on us. Right in the middle of our Gang War too. The boys were pissed.¡±
Kaleb grinned and looked around as Ren¡¯s words had sent a quiet chuckle through those that heard him. ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve moved in just fine, though.¡±
¡°For now. You looking to venture out toward K-Tech¡¯s dump site again?¡±
¡°Yeah. I need some things and was wondering if they could oblige.¡±
¡°Not very Hero of you.¡±
¡°I work with what I got.¡±
Ren nodded understandingly and then dipped his nose apologetically. ¡°Look, I know you and Shaggy are friends, but¡¡±
Kaleb raised an eyebrow and he saw Roy tense in his seat. ¡°Problem.¡±
¡°The price is going to be the same as everybody else, Professor. This ain¡¯t a charity.¡±
¡°Yeah, I figured,¡± Kaleb said, reaching down to the bag of credits.
Roy let out a breath as Ren stuck a giant hand through the window for the money. The rhino-alien opened the bag and peered inside. He nodded to himself and reached in a massive thumb and forefinger. Pulling out a few chits, Ren passed the bag back quickly.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t be flashing that much cash, Prof. Not down here.¡±
¡°That was what the Quinica were charging. Far as I remember.¡±
A look of surprise crossed Ren¡¯s face before he swore. ¡°Shit! That explains why business is booming on this side of the cave. Oh well, we¡¯re still making good money.¡±
¡°I bet. Anyone else headed out to the dump site?¡±
Ren nodded and waved a hand at a trio of white vans. ¡°Just follow them. We¡¯ve got a deal with the K-Tech guards this time. But only for this next shift. You¡¯re lucky you arrived when you did.¡±
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me. Mr. Lucky.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Ren snorted. ¡°Yeah, whatever. Just make sure you''re out of there at the sound of the whistle. The next shift of the guards doesn¡¯t play nice. Also, The Legion will pay for any excess tech you find.¡±
Kaleb cocked his head at the name of their organization. He didn¡¯t think he had heard it before. Ren noticed and waved his hand dismissively.
¡°Just the name of the gang. Move along, Professor. The lines got to keep moving.¡±
Kaleb nodded as Roy put the truck into drive. Ren waved at them as they turned the dump truck back into the tunnel. The three white vans were already moving, and Roy had to give it some gas to keep up. They followed in silence for a few beats until Roy spoke up.
¡°I¡¯m not sure about working with those guys, Doc. They¡¯re criminals.¡±
¡°And we¡¯re robbing a dump site full of discarded tech.¡±
¡°But it¡¯s for a good cause.¡±
¡°That means that dealing with The Legion is also for a good cause, right?¡±
Roy huffed and thought about it for a few seconds.
¡°They¡¯re criminals.¡± He said again.
Kaleb nodded. ¡°And if we catch them in the act of doing something, we¡¯ll arrest them. But unless you want to try to take out Under-Town with just the two of us, our hands are tied.¡±
¡°We took down the Faceless.¡±
¡°I think it¡¯s more accurate to say that we were there when the Phreaks and Faceless decimated each other. And we barely got out of that alive, remember? In fact, I was shit-canned from the HLO and you were told not to come near me.¡±
Roy fell into silence again as they drove on. Kaleb understood the boy¡¯s confusion. He had a strong sense of justice and morality. Which was fine in a Hero, but Kaleb understood they had to work in the grey if they wanted to get things done. Especially if the HLO was currently hogging the hero business. He¡¯d do whatever he could to make fighting crime in their district easier. Including robbing a giant tech conglomerate, he was sure was evil, anyway.
K-Tech¡¯s close ties to the HLO had always made Kaleb nervous. Seeing the way their guards could be bought off by Under-Town just made him more sure. He remembered the old quest he got from Roy about investigating the company. Once things were a bit more stable in the district, maybe he¡¯d dig into that. Taking the HLO and the biggest company in Texas down at the same time would be pretty sweet.
Kaleb was imagining all the pencil-pushers and scientist of K-Tech and the HLO bemoaning the loss of their jobs when Roy tapped him. Snapping out of his daydream, Kaleb looked up to see the lead white van of the convoy ahead of them disappear behind a large gate. It took him a hot second to realize what he was seeing, but when he did, Kaleb gawped in alarm.
The old K-Tech dump site was guarded by a one-guard shack and a wooden gate-arm. Now a twelve-foot steel gate. It was a monster of an entrance. Complete with laser grid cover, and multiple interlocking plates. As he watched, Kaleb spotted the second van move up to one of the six guards in front of the gate and stop. The driver of the van said something to the guard and the giant gate was opened again. As the steel maw opened, Kaleb could see the same old dump site he had raided before. But the van was through and the gate closed before he could really contemplate the piles of junk beyond the gate.
¡°That¡¯s new.¡± Kaleb whispered.
¡°What do I do?¡±
¡°Nothing. These guys were paid off by Ren and his friends. We might have to slip them some credits, but that¡¯s how it goes.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t we just pay Ren?¡±
¡°That was to use their tunnel. Now we have to pay to get in.¡±
Kaleb finished speaking just as Roy pulled their garbage truck up to the guards. One of the K-tech guards leapt up to the driver''s side door and held onto the side. He peered in at Kaleb and Roy before whistling loudly.
¡°Whoo-Weee! Y¡¯all got a biggun¡¯ right here! Don¡¯t ¡®cha?¡±
Kaleb could only see the bottom of the man¡¯s chin from under his sleek black helmet. But that left enough room for the guard¡¯s grin to be showcased loud and clear.
¡°Now what do ya¡¯ll suppose you boys are goin¡¯ ta be doin¡¯ in this here mighty beast?¡±
Roy started to sputter out a response. But Kaleb simply raised the bag of credit chits, making them clack together loudly. The guard¡¯s grin grew wider and Kaleb sighed to himself. He casually tossed the bag at the guard, who caught it deftly and peered inside. The guard whistled through his teeth again and shook his head dramatically.
¡°Y¡¯know, for this much, I don¡¯t rightly think what y¡¯all are doing will have anything to do with me. Move along.¡±
The guard leapt from the side of the truck and the large gate opened again. Roy and Kaleb kept their mouths shut as Roy pulled them into the dump site. Kaleb spotted their guard moving over to his compatriots and splitting the credits Kaleb had given him. He was sure he overpaid, but hopefully that meant the guards would be a little more tight-lipped.
¡°Was that smart?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°I do not know, Roy. But we brought that money to spend it. Now it¡¯s gone and we¡¯re where we want to be.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s hope it was worth it.¡±
Kaleb nodded as Roy pulled in behind the white vans. The young man was about to stop the truck, but Kaleb stopped him.
¡°Not here.¡± Kaleb said as the van¡¯s occupants filed out.
Several people in plastic-looking hazmat suits crawled out of the van and started looking around. They looked like old-time space explorers trying to catalogue a distant planet. They cast their helmeted heads over Roy and Kaleb¡¯s truck before looking elsewhere. Kaleb didn¡¯t know what it was, or who they were, but he know he didn¡¯t want to be near them while digging through the junk. Roy seemed to agree as he quickly pulled out and drove further in to the dump site.
¡°Who the hell were they?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t know. But get us far enough away where they won¡¯t be a problem.¡±
¡°Gotcha.¡±
They drove in silence for a few more minutes. Zigzagging their way around the towers of trash. Large pipes and tubes funneled K-Tech¡¯s castoff into the air above them. Large automated drones then caught the falling trash and dumped onto the nearest pile of junk. Bit of metal and random junk occasionally fell from the sky, but nothing large enough to do damage. Roy turned them down a row of cascading junk-filled hills and peered ahead.
¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Roy almost whispered.
Kaleb looked around, thinking that the boy had seen something. But other than the large steel wall that surrounded the junkyard, he saw nothing else in the distance. He returned his gaze to Roy as his sidekick finally stopped the truck.
¡°What¡¯s up, Roy?¡±
¡°We¡¯re trapped like rats down here.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he finally understood. Last time the flimsy gate and the lackluster security had made their jaunt to the junkyard a fairly simple one. Now Roy was worried about the heightened level of protection the junkyard was seeing. He could understand that. But that just meant they needed to get in and out fast. He told as much to his young sidekick, but he also raised his Cybar pistol.
¡°And if we have to, then we shoot our way out of here. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time.¡±
Roy nodded as he finally cut off the truck¡¯s engine. He still looked worried and he rubbed the spot on his right forearm where Kaleb knew his weapons were. Roy still wore the two housings that dispensed his stun batons and lethal spikes. Although Daivor had said that the boy had upgraded them. Kaleb hoped they wouldn¡¯t get to see them in action. But he was reminded of the boy¡¯s other upgrades.
¡°Hey, remember to grab some more repulsors while we are here.¡±
Roy¡¯s face finally lost its worried look as he snorted. ¡°Want some for yourself, huh?¡±
Kaleb merely winked at the boy as they both got out of the truck. They were in a giant pile of garbage run by the biggest corp in Texas. Locked in by a solid steel wall that wrapped all around them. With only one way out. What could go wrong?
Chapter 177 - How Are Junkyards Dangerous
Trash skittered down the hillside as Kaleb¡¯s feet shuffled upward. The ground was uneven, and he had to continually push and pull bits of junk out of his way. Warm air from above blew the sent of decaying electronics to his nostrils and he winced at its sharp sting. Finally, he crested the top of the mountain of garbage and placed his foot atop the apex. In the distance, he could see loader-bots disgorging their trash as far as the eye could see. He exhaled as his lab coat billowed behind him.
¡°What in the hell are you doing?¡± Roy shouted from his spot below.
Kaleb put his hands on his waist as he turned to reply. ¡°I¡¯m surveying the area!¡±
¡°I think your foot¡¯s in a portable toilet!¡±
Kaleb started as he looked at his leading foot and winced in disgust. The square pan was clean, and it looked unused. But he quickly removed his foot, causing the mountain of junk to shift beneath him. Getting his feet under him, Kaleb reached down and grabbed the small electronic-looking toilet. It was little more than a bedpan, but he could see a type of emitter inside it. He tossed it down to Roy.
¡°Why do we want that?!¡± the teen shouted in alarm.
¡°I think it has a matter disintegrator on it! Or at least a broken one.¡±
¡°Who the hell would sit on that?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. What did you find?¡±
Roy shrugged as he brushed off his hands. ¡°A bunch of metals, some small electronic PDAs, a couple data slates, and some chip readers.¡±
Kaleb nodded and started his way back down. ¡°So, should we move on?¡±
¡°Doc! It¡¯s been two hours. Don¡¯t you think we should leave?¡±
¡°Come on, Roy. We still got time. Besides, we haven¡¯t found the good stuff yet.¡±
Roy rolled his eyes as Kaleb took the last bit of the junk mountain at a slide. He stopped himself before running into his young sidekick. He patted the kid on the arm and looked around again. A short distance away, their dump truck stood ready for their newest payload of junk. They weren¡¯t moving quiet as fast as before and the thing wasn¡¯t anywhere near full. But Kaleb was elated at some of the stuff they had found. Each new broken item was a new challenge to be unraveled and conquered.
Kaleb nearly skipped to the truck as Roy waddled behind him. They were both ladened with items from the surrounding piles. It seemed this area of the junkyard had been home supply stuff and outdoor equipment. As he and Roy tossed the stuff into the back of the truck, Kaleb studied each item closely. They¡¯d take inventory back at the Hangar, but he wanted an idea at the very least. That¡¯s when he spotted an oddity in Roy¡¯s hands.
¡°What the hell is that?¡±
Kaleb pointed at a large round chair that Roy was heaving into the truck. It had a floppy back and foldable leg bit, but the place where you sat was big and round. It also had melted metal fused to the seat bit. Like someone had tried to make a heated seat and failed spectacularly. Roy answered by tilting the big chair up even more, so Kaleb could see the bottom of the seat.
¡°Why would they strap a giant repulsor to a lawn chair?!¡± Kaleb asked in surprise.
¡°Don¡¯t know, Doc. Maybe someone wanted a floating chair. It¡¯s clearly a prototype, though.¡±
¡°No kidding. It looks like they overclocked the cycles and cooked the fucking thing.¡±
¡°Yep. But I figure if we can chip the metal off the repulsor we could find a use for a two-foot wide source of propulsion.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his hands together as ideas already cascaded through his brain. They could make an area-denial weapon that shoved people away from the hangar. Or maybe an automated heavy turret that floated above the hangar. His mind was racing as they finished up and moved to the truck¡¯s cab. Roy had driven to this pile, so Kaleb was going to choose the next.
¡°I think I saw a pile of medical supplies a little to the east.¡±
¡°Doc, you said that two piles ago. I don¡¯t think K-Tech dumps experimental medical supplies or weapons.¡±
¡°We found armor last time, as well as some auto-injectors. I refuse to believe they don¡¯t just use this place as one big dumping ground. Big corporation like that, they are bound to be lazy.¡±
Roy sighed and rolled his eyes, but buckled his seat-belt. Taking that as agreement, Kaleb started the truck up and drove off. Careful to keep the truck at a slow and steady pace. Junk avalanches were common and twice now they had to find alternate paths to their destinations. And it got worse the larger the junk mountains were. Kaleb¡¯s winding path took him to a T-junction bracketed by enormous piles of trash. He was about to turn right when Roy tapped his shoulder and pointed down the left turn, further to the west.
¡°The piles that way are shorter.¡±
Kaleb looked around and saw that Roy was right. Off to the west, hidden by the larger mountains of junk, was a field of relatively flat ground. It was still littered with junk and other bits of metal. But it was clearly a newer portion of the junkyard.
¡°Maybe they are expanding westward to make the junkyard bigger?¡± Kaleb supposed.
¡°Doc, that means the stuff over there is the latest and greatest junk.¡±
Sharing a grin, Kaleb turned the truck toward the west and stepped on the gas. As they entered the new area, Kaleb immediately kept his eyes peeled for anything of note. Big bits of junk weren¡¯t common, but they made for good points of interest. The relative newness of the area made navigating it a whole lot easier. Which meant they found something of note, fairly quickly. It was a long cylindrical tube, about the size of a human. Roy chuckled as Kaleb pulled the truck close and quickly got out of the car.
¡°Hol~y shit, Doc! Is that a medical tank?¡±
Kaleb was too busy crunching his way through the field of junk to answer, but he was sure Roy was right. K-Tech had thrown out a seemingly new diagnostic tank. It was banged up from the fall, though. Its protective glass was cracked, the interface panel was broken, and its interior padding was everywhere. But it was a complete pod.
¡°WHOOOO!¡± Kaleb shouted into the air as he gripped the thing by its back handle. ¡°Roy, hurry! Let¡¯s get this into the truck!¡±
Roy laughed as he quickly joined Kaleb. ¡°Doc, I don¡¯t think the tank is going anywhere.¡±
¡°I know that! I just don¡¯t want anyone else to see this. It¡¯s a hell of a find.¡±
Kaleb chuckled to himself as they both pulled the thing from its nest of garbage. It was hard work that only got harder once they left the field of trash and hit solid ground. The dirt didn¡¯t make for an easy trip, especially when they hit the odd pothole. But eventually they heaved the person-sized pod into the back of the dump truck and sighed in relief. It would take some reworking to fit people like Claire or Mass, but just having the thing would be a boon for the Super-Group.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°That¡¯s an awesome find, Doc. If we can get it working again and maybe find an Auto-Doc, we¡¯d could create a medical area for the home base.¡±
Kaleb nodded happily as he panted, leaning against the dump truck. ¡°I know. I mean, an Auto-Doc is a long shot but it could be out here somewhere, right? All we have to do is look.¡±
Roy nodded as he waved his hand to the south. ¡°I¡¯ll check this way and you go that way?¡±
¡°Sounds great.¡± Kaleb caught his breath and excitedly raced off to the north.
The fields of trash were easier to move in than the mountains, and soon Kaleb found himself a good distance away from the truck. He could still see it in the distance. But he was so busy digging through the trash that he didn¡¯t realize how far he¡¯d gone. His pockets were full to bursting with test tubes, auto-injectors, and even a broken electric Bunsen burner. He was halfway back to the truck when he saw Roy off in the distance, waving a hand.
Picking up the pace, it took Kaleb a bit until he could make out what the boy was saying. But once he did, he kicked up the speed again. Nearly tripping himself. Running full tilt through the fields of trash, Kaleb almost laughed as a feeling of elation filling him. Once he almost crashed into Roy, the boy shared his look of happiness and gestured for Kaleb to follow.
¡°You sure it¡¯s a weapons pile?¡± Kaleb asked as they ran.
¡°Either that or a robotics one.¡±
¡°Wait! Let¡¯s get the truck then!¡±
¡°Right.¡±
They both slid to a stop and turned around before leaping into the truck. Roy was already moving as Kaleb wrenched himself inside and slammed the door. He had a thousand questions for Roy, but he saved them as they whizzed through the fields of trash to the south. As they moved closer, Kaleb could see that the fields were getting a little more full. The fields were starting to turn into rollings hills until Roy stopped the truck and waved off at a short stack of junk.
Already, Kaleb could see bits of robots and other stacks of weapons just laying against the hill. They both disembarked from the truck and rushed over to the pile. Kaleb¡¯s pockets were still full, but he wanted an idea of what the hill was made of.
¡°See, Doc. It¡¯s all weapons, robots, and broken bits of armor.¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Kaleb clenched a fist and immediately grabbed the leg of the nearest robot.
The robotic leg came loose from the pile and Kaleb quickly ran to the truck, shouting over his shoulder.
¡°Grab everything you can. We¡¯ll go over it later.¡±
Roy laughed from behind him. ¡°Doc! The shit ain¡¯t going to run away. You need to calm down.¡±
¡°Boy, the sooner we get this home, the sooner we can start working on it!¡±
Kaleb¡¯s words seemed to spur something in the teen, and soon they were racing each other. They completed several trips back and forth to the back of the truck at a full run. But when Kaleb started to flag and get tired, Roy got an even better idea. They both hopped into the cab and backed the truck right into the hill of junk. It just meets the top of the hill, making it the perfect height for them. They were gleefully loading the back of the truck with melted armor and broken weapons when a klaxon echoed through the dumpsite.
¡°Shit! It can¡¯t be shift change already!¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s not a shift change horn, is it?¡± Kaleb asked.
Roy only shrugged as they pulled themselves from the junk pile. An automated hiss drew their eyes upward and Kaleb swore. A gigantic flying drone was hovering above them. But unlike the bucket drones carrying huge piles of junk, this one was carrying a flat, round disc.
¡°Get in the truck!¡± Kaleb shouted.
Roy didn¡¯t ask questions and ignited his repulsor boots. He practically flew to the driver''s side as Kaleb ran around the side and pulled himself into the passenger seat. Roy was turning the key when a loud, ominous hum filled the air. An eye-twisting since of vertigo hit Kaleb, and he suddenly found himself floating in the cab. Roy slammed on the gas but nothing happened as their truck, along with the pile of garbage, was picked up by the giant magnet-wielding drone.
Kaleb¡¯s arm slammed into the roof of the cab as Roy kept trying to move them. But it was useless. Already their tires had left the ground, and they were flying. Kaleb tried to wrestle his arm off the ceiling, but it wasn¡¯t happening.
¡°Doc!¡±
¡°I see the problem, Roy. But I¡¯m a little tied up here!¡±
¡°Where is it taking us?¡±
Kaleb was saved from answering as their front windshield was pointed down a different tunnel to the west of the junkyard. An ominous red glow filled the tunnel and suddenly Kaleb figured out why the fields of garbage weren¡¯t mountains.
¡°That was the incineration section of the fucking junkyard!¡±
¡°Really? Thanks, Doc. I feel so secure in knowing that now! What the fuck do we do?¡±
Kaleb¡¯s mind raced as he tried to find a way out. But he was pinned to the ceiling, and the access to detach his cybernetic joint was facing the roof. That meant it was up to Roy. He quickly cataloged the teen¡¯s weapons and equipment, but nothing came to mind. The boy¡¯s repulsor boots could probably save the kid, but Kaleb and the truck would be lost. Which, for Kaleb, wasn¡¯t an enormous loss, but the truck was the important thing.
¡°We got to decouple that magnet or destroy the drone!¡±
Roy stuck his head out of the window and looked up. ¡°I can¡¯t see it. The trash is in the way.¡±
Kaleb bit his lip worriedly. ¡°Can you use your boots to climb up the pile?¡±
Roy¡¯s eyes grew huge, and he looked out the window again. Kaleb could see the gears in the teen¡¯s head whirling until Roy finally pulled his head back in and nodded.
¡°I can do it. But how do I decouple the magnet without killing us? Or should I try to override the drone?¡±
¡°Can you override it?¡±
Roy¡¯s response was a shrug that made Kaleb want to scream. Down the tunnel a large, red-glowing maw swallowed trash from another floating magnet-drone. They were getting closer to the giant trash burner. Which sparked a thought in Kaleb¡¯s head. Reaching down to his Quad-gun, he pulled it out and flipped it to fire.
Tossing it to Roy, he said. ¡°Heat the magnet.¡±
Roy¡¯s eyes widened, and then he nodded excitedly. Quickly, the boy kicked his door open and leapt out. The blue glow from his repulsor boots left traces in the air as the boy jumped. Kaleb listened for the sounds of Roy falling to his death, but all he could hear was the ominous hum of the damn magnet. Hopefully, if Roy heated the magnet slow enough, they wouldn¡¯t drop straight out of the sky. But the magnet was huge, Kaleb doubted they could get it that hot that quick.
His first signs that Roy had made it were that bits of trash started falling past his window. Rifles, guns, and armor all went tumbling down into the tunnel below. Kaleb was sure that his eye-line was also getting lower. But he couldn¡¯t confirm it until he used the giant metal furnace maw as a reference point. They were getting lower, just slowly. Way too slowly. Already Kaleb could see a conveyor belt of trash heading into the giant maw. It was getting closer.
Then the whole truck lurched dangerously and Kaleb¡¯s arm fell into his body. But he didn¡¯t have time to celebrate, as he was now falling in a damn dump truck. He braced himself for impact as the sound of falling junk echoed off the truck. But no impact came. Instead, the hum picked up in sound and Kaleb was forced back up to the roof again. But this time, the drone and magnet were turning around.
Kaleb punched the roof in triumph as he figured Roy got control of the drone. ¡°YES! Attaboy, Roy!¡±
The ride was much more choppy, but soon Kaleb and the dump truck were lowered to the ground amid a veritable rainfall of falling junk. The landing was rough and Kaleb¡¯s arm was still attached to the roof, but at least they were down. Kaleb regained control of his arm as the magnet hum vanished. He was climbing out of the passenger side door as Roy double jumped his way down.
The repulsors wouldn¡¯t sustain his weight through the air for long. So the boy had taken to igniting them forcefully in one-second intervals. It made for a jerky, rough flight. But the boy made it to the ground. Kaleb was about to congratulate the kid on a job well down when the drone came back to life and hurried off, thankfully without their truck.
¡°Hey! We could have used that, Roy!¡±
Roy gave Kaleb an incredulous look before he shook his head and laughed. ¡°Doc, I could barely get the damn thing to land. I don¡¯t want to even try to make it stay.¡±
Kaleb grumbled, but nodded in understanding as he turned around. Already the magnet was returning to the junkyard to pick up more trash. Roy tossed him his quad-gun back as Kaleb asked.
¡°So did the heating work.¡±
¡°For a bit, but it was too slow. That magnet was massive. So instead, I hacked the drone and made it think it had reached its destination.¡±
Kaleb smiled as he turned to look back at the dump truck. They still had their haul, and they were both alive. Which made it a good day. He turned to tell as much to Roy when the red glow of the tunnel furnace gave him another idea. His face must have looked off, because Roy groaned knowingly.
¡°Doc, whatever it is, please no. We just survived by the skin of our teeth. Let¡¯s take the win and go home.¡±
¡°I hear you. I know that was traumatic. But do you know what a junk furnace this size needs in order to exist down here?¡±
Roy looked both confused and annoyed as he shrugged his shoulders.
¡°Emission scrubbers. Otherwise, this whole damn tunnel network would be full of fumes. Brand new, hardly been used, industrial-sized emission scrubber, Roy. How can we pass that up?¡±
¡°You have a problem, Doc.¡±
¡°I freely and happily admit that. So are we robbing K-Tech or not?¡±
Roy¡¯s answer was to simply smile in the red glow of the tunnel. Kaleb returned the smile as they both turned down the tunnel and hurried off toward the furnace.
Chapter 178 - Hard Conversations and Air Quality
Kaleb could feel Roy¡¯s eyes on him the entire trip back down the tunnel. But neither of them said anything for fear of disrupting the astounding amount of dust that covered them both. It seemed that the K-Tech furnace, while being completely automated, had gone without general maintenance for a good long while. Not to mention all the crud the pair got on themselves when they detached the scrubbers. Kaleb felt it was an overall win, but Roy clearly felt different.
Thankfully, the boy said nothing until they were topside again and he could crack a window. Kaleb did the same as a blast of wind kicked up the soot and dust in the cabin.
¡°Hack¡ That was stupid, doc. Cough,¡±
Kaleb waved a hand through the air as he sputtered back an argument. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t. We knew the scrubbers were going to be crusted with all sorts of gunk and trash. When we get home, we¡¯ll clean them out.¡±
¡°Not that. Did you need to take four of them?! That damn giant furnace was already limping along. Without some of the key parts, the damn thing will probably explode or something.¡±
¡°It won¡¯t explode¡ maybe. Look, if K-Tech knows anything about what it¡¯s doing, they¡¯ll have fail-safes in place for shit like this. If not, then the furnace starts kicking out harmful fumes and the tunnels getting a little stinkier. Either way, it looks bad for K-Tech, not us.¡±
¡°Okay. But Four, Professor?! Four? Those things are as big as my torso! What could they be used for?¡±
¡°Science!¡±
¡°Gonna need a more specific answer, Doc.¡±
¡°Oh, like you have a plan for that giant repulsor you snagged.¡±
¡°That has practical applications and can be used in several decent projects.¡±
¡°Name three!¡± Kaleb took to opening his door and flapping it as he drove slowly down the street.
They were still kicking up a lot of dust, but it was getting better. Roy saw what he was doing and followed suit as he fell into thought. In truth, Kaleb did not know what to do with the scrubbers. They were designed to clean toxic fumes kicked out from the furnace and spit out clean air. He could come up with far more inventions for the repulsor than he could the scrubbers. But the high-end equipment being right there for the taking was just too good.
¡°Non-lethal area of denial weapon, platform support, and¡¡± Roy petered off as he tried to search for a third thing.
Kaleb grinned. ¡°See, its applications are just as limited as my scrubbers. Ha Ha!¡±
¡°Spare parts for our more standard size repulsors.¡±
¡°Oh please, my scrubbers could also be used as spare parts for stuff.¡±
¡°Fine, then you list three things you could use those scrubbers for, Doc?¡±
Kaleb blinked, caught off guard. But he quickly rallied. ¡°Okay¡ Um, exhaust scrubber for the workshop.¡±
¡°Okay.¡± Roy said, holding up one soot stained finger. ¡°We could use one of those scrubbers to do that. But fine.¡±
Kaleb stopped opening and closing his door as the dust in the cab finally settled. He and Roy were still soot-covered, but at least they weren¡¯t chewing dirt anymore. He used the moment to wrack his brain for at least a second option. Roy was already going to give him shit for having a hard time, but he had to think of something. It was either that or admit that the scrubbers had been a really stupid idea. Kaleb turned to see Roy grinning at him. The boy was about to start gloating when a thought hit him.
¡°Ah! Ah-ha! I got it! Those are industrial-sized scrubbers back there. That means they use a small electric current at intervals to clean their filtration nets. We could amplify that effect and use it as a defense system.¡±
Roy snorted. ¡°Pfft. You mean like an electric fence?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°The kind you created for my dad¡¯s store with some wire and a power source from your garage.¡±
¡°Hey! The goal wasn¡¯t to find something we hadn¡¯t done before. Just to name three things we could build with them.¡±
¡°And you listed two.¡±
¡°So did you!¡±
¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m the apprentice, Doc. You¡¯re the teacher. Gimme a third invention.¡±
Kaleb huffed in annoyance as he tapped his hands on the truck¡¯s steering wheel. Eventually, he shrugged his shoulders and spat out the first thing his mind could think of.
¡°Air purifiers for the entire hangar.¡±
¡°Seriously, Doc? As air purifiers?¡±
¡°Hey, clean air has been proven to increase sleep quality and work productivity.¡±
¡°Uh-huh, sure. You¡¯re going to install those scrubbers as air purifiers?¡±
¡°I¡¯m just saying it could work and it would be beneficial. Besides, we also got half a dumpster full of stuff that we can experiment with, right? So the scrubbers can wait.¡±
¡°I smell like an ashtray!¡±
¡°We¡¯ve got showers at the hangar. Besides, that¡¯s better than smelling like blood, right?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have any spare clothes, though. I need to bring some in the next chance I get.¡±
¡°You can borrow some of mine.¡±
¡°Doc? What are you talking about? You¡¯ve worn the same white T-shirt and jeans ever since I met you.¡±
¡°Dude! What? I got an entire closet full of clothes¡ they¡¯re all white T-shirts and jeans, but they should fit your scrawny ass just fine.¡±
¡°Wait, so you¡¯re saying you actually change clothes every day?¡±
¡°YES! Dude, how gross do you think I am?¡±
¡°How was I supposed to know? If it¡¯s not covered by the lab coat and armor, it looks the same. White shirt, faded blues jeans, and black boots. Change it up a bit, Doc!¡±
Kaleb winced, as he hadn¡¯t ever really cared about what he was wearing. Claire, Two Gun, and the others of the Super Group were always changing their clothes when they logged in. Claire and Abby moved in entire wardrobes into their rooms. But Kaleb had always preferred the t-shirt and jeans that came with his original house. They had served him well and looked good with his white lab coat. Eventually, he simply glared over at his young assistant as Roy looked sheepish.
¡°Ah, whatever. We can get you some clothes, kid. Afterward, we can figure out what we grabbed.¡±
Roy nodded slowly and went back to trying to wipe the soot from his body. Their cab was still smoking slightly as they drove away from the city and deeper into the countryside. As they crossed the Colorado, Kaleb briefly thought about stopping. Instead, he stepped on the gas and hurried along toward the isolated airport. The sun was getting low and Kaleb imagined more calls were coming in about gangs and other such incidents. But so far, Farrah had been quiet over their radios.
Halfway home, Roy stretched his legs up and put them on the truck¡¯s dashboard. The metal shine of repulsor housing on the boy¡¯s calf made Kaleb think of something.
¡°Hey, why weren¡¯t you stuck with your legs to the ceiling?¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Roy looked confused. ¡°What?¡±
Kaleb waved at the boy¡¯s leg and the metal housing that held the repulsor to his shoes. ¡°Those are metal, right? I¡¯ve held them, examined them. They shouldn¡¯t have worked.¡±
¡°Ha! We can thank Daivor for that one. The first problem he brought up when I mentioned jet boots was electromagnetic pulses and magnetism.¡±
¡°So you shielded the repulsor itself. Which would take care of EMPs. But what about magnetism?¡±
Roy reached down and tapped the thin-looking housing on his leg. It made a metallic thunk noise and Kaleb tried to figure out what the kid was saying. When his brain didn¡¯t catch up, Roy chuckled.
¡°It¡¯s titanium, Doc. It was a pain in the ass to make and we burned up a lot of it, but it worked.¡±
¡°Shit. I didn¡¯t know the new furnace could ge that hot.¡±
¡°It can¡¯t.¡± Roy said, looking shy. ¡°I had to go to Marie¡¯s family shop and use their forge.¡±
¡°Aw man! What the hell?!¡±
¡°Sorry, Doc. But our workshop just isn¡¯t up to snuff yet. We need better equipment. What we¡¯ve got is good for garage science. But¡¡±
¡°Garage science!? Then why do Terrance and Marie stick around all the time?¡±
¡°Because her dad¡¯s shop is always so crowded. Besides, they rarely work with metal. The Hunters are big on using what the kill to make their new equipment. So mostly it¡¯s leather-working and stuff like that.¡±
Kaleb huffed, mildly insulted. ¡°That¡¯s outrageous. We just upgraded!¡±
¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re not a professional workshop yet. We need better materials and less dumpster-diving.¡±
¡°Says the kid that just went dumpster-diving with me!¡±
¡°I like dumpster-diving, Doc. It¡¯s how we started. Besides, look how far you¡¯ve come. I¡¯m just saying that Marie¡¯s dad has a more professional shop.¡±
¡°Betrayal. This is a betrayal.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s not, Doc. You''re being over-dramatic.¡±
¡°OVER-DRAMATIC?!¡± Kaleb shouted over-dramatically.
Roy stifled a laugh as Kaleb continued to recount the number of way the boy had betrayed him. Inside, Kaleb was only half-joking. He had been meaning to go to the Hunter¡¯s Forge in order to see their set-up first hand. But things had gotten away from him, as always. Sure, it stung a little that his own workshop wasn¡¯t yet up to a decent standard. But he was hoping to rectify that with some things they had acquired. He continued to jokingly berate his young ward all the way to the airport.
The Brute Clan lizard waved them on through easily enough, and Kaleb sent his traitorous young friend inside to open the doors. The others should¡¯ve still been out and about, and he doubted anyone else had logged in just yet. It was still within the second day, so unless they all took time off from work, they shouldn¡¯t have been in yet. Which is why Kaleb was surprised to spot Vivienne and Abby clutching their ears as the noisy hangar doors slowly opened. The NPCs went about their business as normal, though. Although Kaleb thought he could see Farrah in the back of the room shooting him an evil look. Which meant the real Farrah was back.
Shrugging his shoulders, Kaleb moved the dumpster into position and then dumped their horde next to his workshop. Next, he returned the truck to its proper place and prepared to receive a severe dressing-down from his player friends. He was barely through the side door before Abby charged at him, looking pissed.
Kaleb immediately held up a hand. ¡°How was I supposed to know you were here?¡±
Abby pointed a finger in his face, but remained silent. She looked back at Vivienne for help. But the Elven woman simply shrugged her shoulders. Kaleb grinned as he quickly escaped into D34d-I¡¯s office and walked to the Hangar¡¯s terminal. Or he would¡¯ve if he didn¡¯t stop at what he saw. D34d-I was seated at his desk, pen in hand, looking over a stack of paperwork.
¡°Jesus! Why are so many of you here today? Usually, I have every other day to myself in here!¡±
*Quack*
¡°An international half-day was declared as one of our ships toward the outer galaxy made a discovery.¡±
¡°Another habitable planet?¡±
*Quack*
¡°So they say.¡±
¡°Hot damn! That is good news.¡±
¡°They still need to do environmental surveys and such, but it is exciting.¡± Vivienne said as she stepped inside the office with Abby.
The shorter woman still looked pissed, but she nodded along. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll start offering seats on the next ship off-world again. I¡¯m happy where I am, but my parents are interested.¡±
¡°What about Jar-lock?¡± Kaleb asked.
¡°He¡¯s stationed on the U.N.S Righteous. It¡¯s currently moving position so he can¡¯t connect right now.¡±
¡°It¡¯s moving? So does that mean?¡±
¡°Oh, no. His ship wasn¡¯t the discoverer, but they are moving to assist if anything goes wrong.¡±
¡°Damn, that means Jar is going to be too busy for a while, huh?¡±
Abby shrugged. ¡°Just till they figure out that nothing dangerous is in the sector. Then it¡¯ll be back to drifting in boredom.¡±
Kaleb gave a mirthful snort and moved to the terminal. He wanted to see if anything they¡¯d collected was good for making new rooms or upgrading. Even if the item broken, the system would tell him what he could do with some of the stuff. Such as the Diagnostic tank, it was broken and needed repair. But the system informed him it could be thrown into a med-bay to enhance the healing process.
¡°Holy shit, Professor! You found a Med Tank?!¡± Vivienne shouted in alarm, looking over his shoulder.
¡°WHERE did you find a medical tank?¡± Abby asked.
¡°Under-Town.¡± Kaleb said simply as he heard D34d-I get up from his seat and walk over. ¡°It needs to be repaired, and its stock of chemicals resupplied. But once it is, we can make a Med Bay.¡±
*Quack*
¡°Most of the medicines required for the tank are available on the market. If you can get the thing repaired, I can buy the various solutions.¡±
Kaleb slapped his hands together and rubbed them. ¡°Perfect. I can get that done.¡±
He swiped back to the first screen and checked the rest of the bits of junk he found. Roy¡¯s giant repulsor could be modified for a cheap gravity chamber. Making training that much more efficient. Abby slapped the screen and waved her hand imperiously.
¡°NO! No, none of that! Gravity chambers are hell on your bones. Even in the game. I bet that thing will strengthen us but give us brittle bones or something.¡±
¡°Alright, alright. I gotta find a use for the damn thing, though.¡±
¡°Why¡¯d you even grab it?¡±
¡°Roy did. It was part of a failed hover-chair prototype. It was supposed to float, see?¡±
Kaleb pointed at the screen, which displayed a real-time image of the repulsor. Its top was covered in melted metal as it lay in the pile of junk. Vivienne and D34d-I hissed and quacked at the sight. But Abby narrowed her eyes at Kaleb.
¡°Whose prototype?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°You said that was a failed prototype. Whose prototype was it?¡±
¡°K-Tech¡¯s¡± Kaleb said unapologetically.
*Quack*
¡°I didn¡¯t hear that.¡± D34d-I said, already heading back to his chair.
¡°Damn it, professor. Don¡¯t rob the biggest company in Austin! Please! If they catch you, it¡¯s all our assess.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s all legitimate¡ by Under-Town standards.¡±
Abby rolled her eyes. ¡°You mean the city run by criminals?¡±
¡°Yes, Abby. The criminals who live below our feet and who the government is sure to know about. But they do nothing. Cause they know that a central area for crime is better than having it spread all throughout the city. It¡¯s an open secret that everyone knows about, but no one mentions. So as long as we stay quiet, we are in the clear.¡±
¡°Professor, we are about to be audited next week. If they find anything that ties you to Under-Town, we¡¯re fucked!¡±
¡°Actually,¡± Farrah¡¯s voice said from the office¡¯s doorway. ¡°We just received word today that the auditor is coming from Alderman Madden¡¯s office.¡±
Kaleb did a fist-pump of victory and tried not to smile too smugly at Abby. He didn¡¯t think he was successful with the scowl she gave him. But he tried.
¡°Don¡¯t celebrate just yet. This could be good and bad.¡±
¡°How is this bad?¡±
¡°We still haven¡¯t given Madden an answer, Professor. This could be a more heavy-handed way for the Alderman to show off his power. We¡¯ll need to be careful.¡±
¡°HA!¡± Abby yelled in triumph.
¡°But not as careful as before. At least this auditor will be slightly on our side.¡±
¡°Farrah, quit flip-flopping. Are we screwed or not?¡±
¡°I think that depends on how we respond to Mr. Madden¡¯s offer. We¡¯ll need to discuss it again later. For now, I¡¯ve got reports coming in from our area and we need responders.¡±
Kaleb waved at Vivienne and Abby. ¡°Take these two. I need to do inventory on all the stuff we just brought in.¡±
Both women made annoyed noises at Kaleb, but he simply shrugged his shoulders. He was back to swiping through the terminal screen. ¡°Hey, did you not want to play the game you just logged in to play? Besides, it¡¯s not like I will not be working.¡±
¡°And what, pray-tell, will you be working on?¡±
Kaleb did another fist-pump as a blue image appeared on-screen in front of him. Turning back to the three women staring at him, Kaleb swung the holo-screen toward them.
¡°How do you ladies feel about Air Quality in the hangar?¡±
Chapter 179 - The Hoard and The Grind
Kaleb adjusted the air scrubber again. Holding it with his robot hand as his other one eased the bracket in place. Once everything was arranged correctly, he screwed the thing in place and swung back a bit to see if it held. The uncomfortable harness he and Daivor had built out of loose straps, duct tape, and prayer swayed ominously. But Kaleb wasn¡¯t worried. The thing had held just fine during the last three installations. He jostled the scrubber slightly to see if anything moved and adjusted the clamps and bracket accordingly.
Below him, he heard the side door to the hangar open and looked down. Abby, Claire, and Vivienne were coming in from their latest patrol. Farrah¡¯s little command center had been a hive of activity for most of the evening. Nothing major, but with the cops still half-assing things, they were kept on their toes. However, Farrah was already gathering evidence of the cop¡¯s wrong-doings. She planned on giving it to the auditor when they came by.
Kaleb coughed loudly to get the women¡¯s attention as he swung from his harness in mid-air. ¡°How¡¯s the night life treating ya?!¡±
Abby and Claire snapped into low fighting stances, and Vivienne summoned her wand to her hand. The three looked around until they spotted Kaleb¡¯s winch and pulley-system that held him suspended in the corner of the hangar. Even from this distance, Kaleb could see Abby¡¯s quirked eyebrow of confusion.
¡°You are seriously installing those things? I thought that air quality shit was a joke.¡±
Kaleb rolled his own eyes as the women put their weapons away. ¡°A five percent bump in efficiency is not a joke, Abs. Not to mention all of us sleeping better. That¡¯s bound to have its own benefits.¡±
¡°Not all of us sleep in-game, Professor.¡± Claire stated cooly.
¡°Besides, how is it going to work with the Hangar doors opening and closing?¡±
Kaleb went back to his work as he shouted down at his friends. ¡°We¡¯ll have to keep them closed most of the time. Which we already do anyway. So it shouldn¡¯t be an issue. And the bonus can even reach a few floors down if we leave the basement door open. It¡¯s a win-win.¡±
Kaleb double-checked that the scrubber was secure before he switched it on. A low hum emanated from the device and its electronic internals lit up a light blue. Honestly, the longest part of the whole endeavor had been scrubbing the scrubbers clean. They were absolutely filthy on the outside. But once that was done, and they were in place, they virtually blended into the hangar walls. Kaleb nodded to himself in satisfaction as he gave a sharp whistle.
Two Brute lizards that were helping move some supplies around the hangar immediately moved to his winch to lower him back to the ground. His whistle always made Roy and Daivor come out of the workshop. The boy took a deep breath and looked around as the gnome on his shoulder did the same. Kaleb grinned at them as his harness was quickly brought down.
¡°That¡¯s great work, Doc. How soon will we see benefits?¡±
¡°We were seeing benefits after the first two were installed!¡± Farrah called from her position at the command center. ¡°Already my people are filling paperwork quicker and even seem happier.¡±
Kaleb gave Abby an ¡®I told you so¡¯ look, but the short woman wasn¡¯t convinced.
¡°Oh, what does she know? She¡¯s an NPC. I¡¯m still saying we should¡¯ve weaponized the scrubbers somehow.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes again and waved her off as he got out of his harness. The three women moved toward the command center to fill out their paperwork. Kaleb thanked the two Brute lizards and joined them, wanting to see the effects of the air scrubbers first hand. Vivienne turned to ask her own question as one of Farrah¡¯s interns handed them their forms.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you have the system install them? Wouldn¡¯t that have been quicker?¡±
¡°Yes, but like all crafting in this game, it¡¯s better if the player does it. The bonus was three percent if the system installed the scrubbers. This way, we get the full five.¡±
¡°It also gave you an excuse to dodge tonight¡¯s patrols.¡± Abby grumped as she took her seat.
Kaleb simply stuck his tongue out at her and waited. Soon they¡¯d see the benefits. The scrubbers promised an increase in stamina, health, and just general work efficacy while inside the hangar. Which meant they could train longer, sleep better, and work faster than before. At five percent, that change was going to be noticeable and helpful. He leaned against the other table as the three women started writing. Roy arrived and passed Kaleb a cup of coffee while Daivor swung onto his shoulder.
¡°The air already smells better, boss.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not quite like the forest of Fae. But it¡¯s much better than before.¡±
Kaleb filed that note away for later. ¡°And how goes the inventory?¡±
Roy scoffed. ¡°Slow, but we¡¯ve already pulled the dangerous stuff out and had it set aside.¡±
¡°How dangerous.¡±
¡°A power cell on a prototype rifle was cracked and leaking. We got a patch on it and secured the weapon for now.¡±
¡°A power cell shouldn¡¯t¡ leak.¡± Kaleb said, confused.
¡°It was some kind of acid-spewer, doc. The cell not only powered the weapon but doubled as its ammo supply.¡±
Kaleb blinked, still confused, as Roy and Daivor grinned. ¡°Wait. Were they attempting some kind of perpetual energy supply?¡±
¡°Better.¡±
¡°Worse.¡±
Daivor and Roy glanced at each other as they spoke at the same time. The gnome pulled his pipe out of his shirt and lit it as he waited for Roy to explain his side.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
¡°They tried to pull in ambient mana from the air and use it to power an acid-spewing rifle. Essentially trying to create Magi-Tech. And that always goes poorly.¡±
¡°Which is why I think it¡¯s a good thing. If those geniuses at K-Tech are fucking around with mana, then it¡¯s going to bite them in the ass eventually.¡±
¡°So this power cell draws in ambient mana, converts it into acid, and then uses the conversion to power each shot?¡± Kaleb asked as he rubbed his chin.
He almost rushed to his workshop to examine the thing. But he still wanted to see if the air scrubbers were, indeed, having an effect. When he glanced at the table of women, though, he was surprised to see Abby and Claire already done. Both women were staring at each others paperwork in equal surprise. Abby looked up to see Kaleb watching them and scowled.
¡°Yes, it was quicker. It¡¯s like my brain remembered details better and my hand worked on its own. It was freaky.¡±
¡°It¡¯s absolutely fabulous, is what it is. Now I can spend some time in the gym before Two Gun and I log-off tonight.¡±
¡°Where is the old man, anyway?¡± Kaleb asked as Vivienne also finished her own paperwork.
¡°I sent him to investigate a TekNik store on Blue Bluff road,¡± Farrah answered, still watching her bank of screens.
¡°They have a store in our neighborhood?¡±
¡°Just a general electronic store. Nothing major.¡±
¡°Selling all your household electronics at over-inflated prices.¡±
¡°Speaking of which, what exactly is my husband investigating, Farrah?¡± Claire asked, staring daggers at the bunny-woman¡¯s back.
¡°Remember those cops that could¡¯ve been twins?¡± Kaleb asked. ¡°Well, Roy followed them to a warehouse where, it turns out, he discovered they were actually robots.¡±
¡°TekNik brand automatons, actually. With synthetic skin suits.¡± Farrah corrected as she tapped at a keyboard.
¡°How do you know that?¡±
Farrah said nothing, but waved a hand at her screen. In it, a drone was flying low and peeking into a storefront. Three large robots filled the store¡¯s front window. They went from the more robotic looking on the left to one covered in human-looking skin. Inside the dark store, Kaleb could see Two Gun sneaking around. He raised an eyebrow at Farrah.
¡°Should you be recording Two Gun¡¯s unlawful entry into a place of business?¡±
¡°We have the rights to investigate as we see fit in our contracted area, Professor. That allows us a certain amount of leeway.¡±
¡°Has he found anything? Nothing yet. How about you? Weren¡¯t you studying that formula you picked up?¡±
Kaleb coughed awkwardly and adjusted his lab coat. He might have gotten a little off track, but upgrading his workshop would help overall. All four women turned to look at him, and Kaleb felt his skin grow hot.
¡°I was getting to it! Okay?! I mean, I wanted to upgrade my lab a little before I used up the only sample we have.¡±
¡°Uhh, about that, boss.¡± Daivor said from his shoulder, sounding sheepish.
¡°We, uhhh, found the handheld MassSpec while we were doing the inventory. It was stuffed in a box at the back of the workshop. It¡¯ll need some work, but that may do what we need.¡±
Kaleb smacked his forehead as the small black device came to his mind. He had even suggested using it to analyze the demon goo. But Jar-lock had been worried about the cops following them. So instead they went to the college, and he got roped into teaching a weekly chemistry class. Since then, he had blanked the thing from his mind, completely forgetting about it. Kaleb rubbed his eyes in frustration before glancing at everyone. Roy and Daivor looked slightly ashamed as all four women were grinning at him. He pointed a finger at them.
¡°Upgrading my lab is still a good idea.¡±
With those words, he rushed back toward his workshop and quickly closed the door. Roy and Daivor slid in just behind him and hurried to the pile of junk at the back. Marie and Terrance were there still sorting through all the junk. The larger pieces were outside the workshop leaning against its southern wall. But the weapons, armor, and broken bits of metal were all piled inside. Marie already had a horde of metal beside her, smiling like a kid on Christmas. While Terrance was more circumspect in his pickings.
Kaleb grinned at them before he stepped to his workbench. Most upgrades to the room could be done from the office terminal. But he was sure he could do something with the workbench¡¯s interface. He brought up the inventory menu and started digging through crafting recipes. Behind him, Kaleb heard Roy helping the others in separating out the bits of their ill-gotten gains. Meanwhile, Daivor hurried over to see what he was doing, and they carefully looked at their options.
Kaleb sighed as he spotted different workbenches were grayed-out since he had a Workshop and not a Lab or a Mechanic¡¯s Bay. Which meant a trip to the office was unavoidable. He closed out the menus and turned just as Roy approached with a small black device. It had a square head at the top and a slim round handle at the bottom. The handle and sides were filled with toggles and switches, while its face was a large read-out screen. He grinned and grabbed the MassSpec, meaning to place it on his workbench for later. But then a thought struck him.
Returning to his workbench, he scanned the handheld device and started looking through its inner workings.
¡°What¡¯chu thinking, Boss?¡± Daivor said.
Kaleb swung the holo-screen toward the gnome and brought up another program in the terminal. He started drawing up designs as both Roy and Daivor stuck their heads in. The gnome skimmed the information first and shrugged.
¡°So? It¡¯s a Mass-Spectrometer. It¡¯s sorts and measures ions then spits out the data on them. We then take that data and parse out which substances make up the solution.¡±
Kaleb smiled. ¡°Yeah, but doesn¡¯t it seem a bit pedestrian to you?¡±
¡°Yeah, but it was clearly junk. Otherwise, why would someone at K-Tech toss it?¡±
¡°Well, it has no power supply, and its database of substances is somewhat lacking.¡±
¡°Sure, but it can still serve our purposes.¡±
¡°What if we want it to do more than that?¡±
¡°Professor?¡±
Kaleb finished his design and swung the new image to Roy and Daivor. The boy was still reading the analyzes of the device, but Daivor immediately looked over Kaleb¡¯s work. The gnome¡¯s eyes grew larger and larger as he checked the larger device. Kaleb was already ordering the workbench to pull the parts from their inventory when Daivor sputtered a question.
¡°Did you take the alchemy research we did and apply it to¡ this¡ device?¡±
¡°Partially. But the components are still mechanical. Just with some magic bits tacked on.¡±
¡°Like you!¡± Roy said happily.
Kaleb scowled but didn¡¯t argue. The boy wasn¡¯t wrong. Instead, he searched their inventory for more alien metals they could use as a power source. They were going to have to use one of Kersait¡¯s batteries that they had used before. Thankfully, they had their fair share of alien alloys to work with. Roy, seeing what he was doing, hastened to help gather what was needed. Daivor simply puffed on his pipe as he eyed Kaleb¡¯s design again.
¡°This is going to take a heap of data storage. You know that, right?¡±
¡°Yes, along with an encrypted D-Net channel.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not going to be fast enough. We¡¯re going to have to pay for R-Wave emitters.¡±
Kaleb froze and then swung his designs back around to himself. Sure enough, the data transfer rates for a D-Net connection were far too slow. He was going to have to go R-Wave. He rubbed his face as he could feel his credits flying away from his digital wallet. As a last ditch effort to avoid bankruptcy, he made some adjustments to his design. Daivor climbed up to his shoulder and watched him work and humphed in thought.
¡°It could work. But you know, you could just build an emitter yourself.¡±
¡°One big enough for what I need?¡± Kaleb questioned.
¡°We have the metal for the dish. Just from Roy¡¯s giant repulsor alone. Melt the metal covering that thing and we¡¯d have a start.¡±
Kaleb¡¯s mind whirled again. ¡°I¡¯ll have to move the winch and pulley system outside. The dish is going to have to go on the roof.¡±
Daivor rubbed his small hand together. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a long night, Professor.¡±
¡°Yes, but hopefully by the end of it, I¡¯ll have a personal scanner that can read data from a remote knowledge base. Then I won¡¯t have to worry about coming back to base to scan shit. I could do it in the field.¡±
The gnome peered around the room. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a lot of work.¡±
Kaleb grinned. ¡°That¡¯s the fun part.¡±
Chapter 180 - Magi-Tech
¡°Duck!¡± Kaleb shouted mere seconds before his workbench exploded again.
Daivor threw himself off the table as Kaleb flung himself backwards onto the floor. The short but bright reaction quickly died out and left another large scorch mark on the top of Kaleb¡¯s work table. The various alloys and metals he was working with scattered everywhere, and the table¡¯s holo-emitter shuddered ominously. Waiting a beat before getting back up, Kaleb listened and looked around for any other problems the explosion had caused. But it seemed they were in the clear.
¡°That¡¯s a no for the purple-blue alloy of unknown origin.¡±
¡°You can just say Non-Terrestrial metals, boss.¡±
Kaleb waved some leftover smoke out of the air as he re-obtained his seat. ¡°I prefer the color-coded naming system I have now. Besides, we don¡¯t even know the proper names for these things.¡±
He picked up a small two by three-inch tablet of metal that was an inch and a half thick. He examined the break in the middle from his experiments and sighed. They had picked up more batches of K-Tech¡¯s prototype metals again. Kaleb wasn¡¯t sure what the company was trying to accomplish with the alloys, but it supplied him with interesting stuff. Most of which reacted poorly with various energies.
¡°So Purple-Blue reacts poorly with high amounts of electricity. Noted.¡± Daivor deadpanned as he swung himself back up to the workbench.
¡°Apparently. How many kilowatts were we at before it blew?¡±
¡°Barely seven hundred, boss. I think we are going to have to nix Purple-Blue for any technological upgrades. Maybe it could be used in armor? We haven¡¯t tested the toughness.¡±
Kaleb prodded the center of the broken metal with his robotic finger. A flaky layer of dust fell away, and the metal cracked further under his fingers¡¯ light pressure. Sighing again, Kaleb tossed the metal into a nearby bin and turned to the next ingot. He doubted the metal was good for anything, but waste not, want not.
¡°Next entry,¡± Kaleb started. ¡°We have an ingot a foot in size and two and a half inches wide. Appears to be a rose-silver mixture of Non-terrestrial metal. Daivor?¡±
¡°Confirmed. It is Non-terrestrial. I take it you want to label this one Rose-Silver?¡±
¡°No reason not to go with what¡¯s working.¡±
Kaleb placed the ingot flat on his workbench and got to his feet. Daivor backed up to the edge of the table and took notes as Kaleb flexed his fingers.
¡°Magical capacity testing, attempt number one. Clear?¡±
¡°I¡¯m clear.¡±
Kaleb closed his eyes and looked inwardly at his pool of magic. With a breath, he allowed his power to flow up from his core and into his fingertips. With caution, he attempted to place a small drop of his magic into the metal. He felt his magic leave his hand and dip into the metal as he opened his eyes. Red-Silver continued to look inert, but Kaleb could feel his magic settle into the ingot. Quickly, he pulled his hand away and took a step back, checking his MP.
MP: 305/310
¡°Five mana spent. No visible reactions.¡±
¡°Noted. Did this one repel or try to vacuum up your power like some of the others?¡± Daivor asked.
¡°Neither. The mana settled into it and stayed there.¡± Kaleb answered as he switched to his Mana Vision. ¡°In fact¡¡±
Kaleb stared down at the ingot, his eyes alight with Mana. He could see the ebb and flow of his magic as it rested within the metal. It wasn¡¯t the first ingot to do this, but most of the others had quickly dispersed the mana as soon as the connection was cut. He waved Daivor closer as he kept an eye on the swirling mass of magic now residing in the Rose-Silver ingot.
¡°It¡¯s not dissipating.¡±
Daivor¡¯s eyes quickly lit up green, and he joined Kaleb in examining the metal. They both sat in silence as they waited to see if anything happened. Seconds ticked by as the noise from the Hangar¡¯s nocturnal crew drifted over the walls of the workshop. The others had all logged off or gone home and, once again; it was just Kaleb and Daivor testing things in his shop. Just a lizard and his gnome.
¡°It¡¯s diffusing now. But slowly.¡±
Kaleb stared harder as his eyes watered a bit. He was almost sure the mass of Mana was slowly growing smaller as he watched. But he couldn¡¯t be sure. Soon Kaleb was forced to blink and rub his eyes as holding the vision was getting to be too much. But Daivor kept on watching and then raised a finger when the Mana was completely gone. Kaleb marked the time on a nearby datapad and then looked up to the gnome.
¡°1:04 am.¡± Kaleb stated.
¡°You started infusing around 12:58 and probably finished at that same minute. So call it six minutes of magical retention?¡±
¡°Five before it started to go?¡±
¡°Thereabouts. I think we can call Red-Silver as having sufficient Mana-holding capabilities. It¡¯ll need further testing, though. Do you wanna test if it can hold a charge as well or move on to the next Ingot?¡±
Kaleb stretched his back before looking at the pile of prototype ingots that still needed testing. Placing Red-Silver in a bin marked ¡®Mana-capable,¡¯ he shook his head.
¡°I think we need to move about a bit. We¡¯ve been documenting these ingots for the past couple of hours. How about we grab some coffee and start actually making stuff?¡±
Daivor gave him a pitying look. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s one in the morning. Do you really want to start a new project half-asleep?¡±
Kaleb glanced around the workshop. Marie¡¯s workbench was alive with movement as he¡¯d set it to scan their meager library of books and data-files into a larger server. To his left, beyond Terrance¡¯s workbench, the large forge was roaring away, melting junk metal into ingots and disposing of the slag. Terrance¡¯s bench was currently sitting idle, a fact that was slowly driving a bit of Kaleb¡¯s brain mad. There was so much junk to process and catalogue. The tall boy¡¯s bench could¡¯ve been doing some of it.
Kaleb shook the errant thoughts from his head and looked down at Daivor. ¡°Come on. I just need some caffeine in me and I can start work on something. My fingers need to be moving, and my workbench needs to repair itself from all the explosions. Why don¡¯t we work on the scanner portion of my new field scanner?¡±
The gnome huffed in annoyance before looking at the bin of Mana-capable ingots. ¡°I don¡¯t know, doc. You want to jump straight into combining magic and technology? I mean, in order to get the scanner to work how you want it too, you¡¯ll need a general understanding of Alchemy. At least the dissolution spells.¡±
¡°Which we have down in Jar-lock¡¯s library. I don¡¯t need the identification or the prospectus spells. Because that can be handled by the device or our growing database. All I need is a spell to break down components to their separate parts. Combine that with the scanner and BAM! The first part is done.¡±
¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that easy.¡±
¡°Probably not. But let me try. Afterward, I can go back to almost blowing us up.¡±
The gnome stroked his beard and glared up at Kaleb for a full minute before finally relenting with a nod. Kaleb grinned and hurriedly left his workshop for a cup of coffee. On his way back, he waved at some of the NPCs manning their terminals. They paid him little mind and went about their business as he entered his workshop again. Mostly, the night crew was scouting and collecting information that was gone over in the mornings. They weren¡¯t exactly sociable people, but they did their jobs just fine. As far as Kaleb could see.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Chugging his coffee, Kaleb sat back at his workbench and saw Daivor looking over the hand scanner. He prodded at its plastic case and flipped it over to get a better look at its power supply. Kaleb sat down and set his coffee to the side as he summoned his tools to his workbench.
¡°Everything has to go. You need the analyses chamber and the micro-computer. Maybe. Everything else can be scrapped.¡±
Kaleb nodded as he got to work. The goal was to take the device apart and add it to the K-Tech brand wrist computer he had¡ procured from a K-Tech patrol. The computer would scan what he pointed it at and give him a read-out of what he was looking at. A good idea in practice, but the handheld device wasn¡¯t designed to do that. Instead, it scanned what was put into it and spat out an ion count. Which is where the Alchemy came in. Within the school of Alchemy, there were spells designed to reduce materials down to their base parts.
All he had to do was get the spell to activate as soon as his scanner came on and then deactivate when it turned off. Everything apart from that would be mechanical. He would need a portion of a Mana-capable metal around the scanning portion of his wrist computer to hold the spell. Of course, he would have to build a scanner into the slim computer. But that could come later. For now, he just needed to prepare the pieces.
Kaleb looked down at what his hands had wrought. Breaking out of his thoughtfulness. Daivor was moving bits and pieces to the edge of the table as Kaleb glanced at the two small bits of tech. The analyses chamber was circular in design. Made to hold small vials for the scanner to read. It then fed that data into the micro-computer. Kaleb picked up the tiny bit of square PCB that made up the device¡¯s brain. It appeared to be in perfect condition and ready to install into his new wrist computer.
¡°But first¡¡± Kaleb smiled to himself and moved to grab a Mana-capable ingot.
But Daivor was already bringing one up to the table. It was a grey ingot that shined with an eerie green-yellow color as it passed under the light. Kaleb grimaced.
¡°Green-Yellow? Why not one of the blue ones?¡±
¡°This one can hold the spell just as well. You don¡¯t need it to hold mana forever. You can feed mana into it when you scan something.¡±
¡°But the whole point of using the Mana-capable metal was to save on my Mana expenditure. That way I won¡¯t ever run out.¡±
¡°Use a lot of Mana while you¡¯re out crime fighting, do you?¡± Daivor asked as he gave Kaleb a pointed look.
¡°I could¡ you know¡ sometimes¡ Alright! Fine! I don¡¯t use that much Mana while crime-fighting.¡±
¡°So you have enough to power this thing a few times. Get to forging the piece we need and I¡¯ll find the micro-table. You¡¯re going to be forging runes at an ultra-small scale. I hope your hand is ready for it.¡±
Kaleb reflexes flexed his fingers and winced. Yeah, that part would not be fun. But he was still riding the high of creativity. So for now, he went about his business. He needed to measure the edge of his wrist computer so he knew how big to forge the metal. But once he had everything in place, he paused the Forge¡¯s current job and started his own. It took many hours of melting and lathe work to get the thing the way he wanted it. But by then, Daivor had already prepared for the next steps.
¡°We¡¯ve got several digital scanners from some of the robots you and Roy picked up. Pick one that¡¯ll fit and crack open that wrist computer.¡±
Kaleb detached the wrist computer from his arm and carefully put its Moldi-Screen face up on his workbench. The device¡¯s flexible nature was going to suffer somewhat with the upgrades. But that was worth it, in Kaleb¡¯s opinion. Besides, after wearing it for so long, it already conformed to his arm well enough.
Cracking the case open was a dangerous and time-consuming job, but once done, Kaleb found it pretty easy to install a robot¡¯s visor scanner to the side of his computer. It was horizontal and slim enough to not make the computer bulge too much. Wiring the thing to the computer¡¯s motherboard brought up another issue, though.
¡°This thing is going to overheat.¡± Kaleb groaned as he looked down at the pieces before him.
Daivor didn¡¯t even look up from the pile of parts he was submerged in as he gave the answer. ¡°Magic!¡±
Kaleb slapped his forehead and got out a black marker. But then a thought occurred to him. Putting the marker down, he went and got his small soldering iron. With great care and a giant magnifying glass, Kaleb etched the magical runes into the PCB itself. He was extra careful not to go too deep into the conformal coating, and once he was done, Kaleb was more than satisfied with his work. The wrist computer¡¯s floppy, thin motherboard was now the proud owner of several Heat Dispersion runes. He had even thrown in a few Concentration Runes to help speed up the system. When he showed his work to Daivor, the gnome puffed out a large plume of smoke and widened his eyes.
¡°Did you need three of them?¡±
Kaleb shrugged. ¡°Does the transfer of magic generate heat that is dangerous to electronics?¡±
This time, the gnome shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re diving deep into muddy waters on this one, boss. Magi-tech is a fringe science at the best of times and magical horror stories at its worse. We need to take every precaution.¡±
Kaleb nodded as Daivor glanced back and forth between the runes and the pile of equipment still left to be installed. With a shudder, the Builder Gnome waved for Kaleb to grab his soldering iron again.
¡°Maybe you should add a few more protection runes and maybe an Anti-Fae ward.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Gremlins are a pain in the ass, kid.¡±
Kaleb went to ask more questions, but Daivor simply shook his head and pointed at the PCB. Kaleb rolled his eyes and got to work. They added several protection Runes as well as a few for general toughness for the board. By the end, the slim PCB was a horrible menagerie of tiny electronic components and Kaleb¡¯s magical scrawling. He was just about done with Rune writing when Daivor brought over his forged bit of Mana-capable metal. The builder gnome grinned up at him, face large through the magnifying glass, and waved at the slim rectangle of metal.
¡°Time for this one. Now remember, Alchemic Runes are a little trickier. They are smaller and, some would say, easier, but they still require a steady hand.¡±
Kaleb drained the last of his coffee and rolled his eyes as he gripped his soldering iron again. But Daivor shook his head sagely.
¡°These are going to have to be written with your magic. Straight-up.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Daivor waved the slim bit of metal around in Kaleb¡¯s face. ¡°This stuff holds magic easier than other metals, right? Well, what you need to do is imprint the Runes you want with your mind. Force your will down into the metal until it takes physical form.¡±
¡°That seems more violent than just writing the crap down, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Just close your eyes, ya damn punk!¡±
Kaleb did as instructed and set his soldering iron down. After he did, he felt Daivor take one of his hands and place it on the metal. Kaleb brought his other hand up and felt the slim rectangle under his fingers. The metal hummed in his hands, although Kaleb didn¡¯t know if that was the metal or just his multiple coffees. He felt Daivor¡¯s small hand place itself on top of his own and slowly move it across the metal.
¡°Now, focus your magic down into the metal. Picture the runes you want and imagine them getting deeper and deeper ingrained within the metal. Have you got it?¡±
¡°Yes. It¡¯s like inscribing the Runes normally. Visualization¡¡±
¡°And intention. Right. Except now you are forcing your intention onto the metal itself.¡±
Kaleb did as instructed and focused his magic onto the metal repeatedly in his mind. He kept the elementary Alchemic Runes at the front of his mind as he worked. In his mind he could see the words slow indenting on the metal as he continually poured his magic over them. The metal absorbed his magic like a sponge and seemingly spread it out across his fingertips. It was when Kaleb developed a headache that he finally opened his eyes and looked down. The greenish yellow bit of metal was aglow with magic as the Alchemic Runes appeared across its surface. Daivor moved the magnifying glass around so Kaleb could check his work. He had done over half of the rune work with his meager amount of mana. He could tell where the imprint wasn¡¯t quite as deep and he would need to reinforce it. But for now, he needed a break.
Sitting back in his chair, Kaleb rubbed a hand through his eyes and checked the time.
¡°It¡¯s already 3 in the morning!? When the hell did that happen?!¡±
Daivor rolled his eyes and simply puffed at his pipe a few times before he asked his own question. ¡°Will we be sleeping tonight or should I go kiss my nice warm bed goodbye?¡±
Kaleb stretched and stood as he answered. ¡°Let me just finish this. Is Roy¡¯s cot still set up?¡±
¡°Yes. But you know, you have a bed as well, right?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t judge me, Daivor. I know you''re just as excited about this as I am.¡±
¡°I am. But a sleep deprived mind makes mistakes. Leave it, Professor. We can tackle the rest in the morning.¡±
Kaleb stared down at the bit of metal in his hands, then at the pile of components and parts he still needed to work on. The sight made his eyes hurt, and he finally sighed to himself. He gave his familiar a nod and started for Roy¡¯s cot. He heard the gnome grumble something about more comfortable beds, but he ignored it as he took his lab coat off and put his head down. The lights of the hangar seemed to dim as Kaleb eye¡¯s closed. His last thoughts about how his latest plan for magic and technology was going to pan out. Would he succeed or would he wind up blowing his entire workshop into a crater? Either way, he was excited.
Chapter 181 - Hangar Invasion
BRRRRR
BRRRRR
Kaleb adjusted his footing and swung around the giant dish on the hangar¡¯s roof. Moving his power drill into position, he tightened the last bolt and carefully slid back. The base plate for the dish was fully secured to the roof now, and he grinned as he wiped his forehead with his arm. Then the damn dish moved and Kaleb almost tumbled backwards.
¡°What the shit!?¡±
¡°Sorry!¡± A scream came from over the side of the hangar¡¯s roof. ¡°Farrah¡¯s code is still set to follow our drones. I¡¯ll fix it!¡±
Kaleb glanced over his shoulder toward the roof¡¯s edge. ¡°Damn it, Roy! You almost gave me a heart attack!¡±
¡°Drink less coffee!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t see what that has to do with anything.¡± Kaleb mumbled to himself before he gathered his tools and made his way to the edge.
His harness and pulley system were there, and he quickly donned his harness. Once secured, he signaled for the Brute Clan lizards to lower him back down. The journey wasn¡¯t long, but the morning sun beat down hard on him. Even in the early hours, the heat was already cranking up. Once on the ground, he quickly thanked the lizards and moved toward the hangar¡¯s side entrance. Roy joined him, his head still staring down at the data the giant dish was sending them. He raised the tablet for Kaleb to get a look at.
¡°It¡¯s just sending diagnostic data for the drones right now. We need it to send and receive data from the data server we¡¯re building, right?¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I have Terrance and Marie pulling all the hard drives they can find from the junk we grabbed. We¡¯ll use them to set up the server.¡±
¡°Will that work?¡±
¡°Yep. Especially when we add what I found this morning.¡± Kaleb smiled and hurried to his workshop.
Already the hangar was full of the early morning staff doing their shift change. Roy, Terrance, and Marie had been some of the first few in. Kaleb could tell they were excited about their own projects as much as he was about his. But he had to put his foot down a little. They wanted the workspace, then they had to work for it. Early morning to noon, they helped him. After, they could work on their own projects. It was thanks to the two hunters that Kaleb managed to get the new dish forged and in position so quick. Sure, installing the computer system was a bit patchy. But it was holding.
Kaleb entered his workshop and grabbed his white lab coat off the rack. The sun outside was way too hot for the long coat. Underneath, he was wearing a pair of beige slacks and a red t-shirt. Just to mess with Roy. Although that immediately backfired when the little shit loudly announced that Kaleb had ¡®finally changed clothes.¡¯ It was a good get, but Kaleb would have his revenge.
At the back of the workshop, Terrance and Marie were pulling hard drives under Daivor¡¯s watchful eye. The gnome was on top of Marie¡¯s shoulder and calling out useful bits and pieces. As Kaleb approached, both of his assistants turned to him.
¡°Boss, I think we¡¯ve pulled all we are going to get,¡± Marie said tiredly.
She brushed her hands off as Terrance, and Daivor nodded. Kaleb scowled at the small pile of hard drives they had pulled. Then he looked up at the pile of junk. He spotted several robot torsos still intact and waved his robotic arm at them.
¡°What about those?¡±
Daivor slapped his head, making his pointy hat almost fall off. ¡°Of course, robotic brains are probably way better than standard hard drives.¡±
¡°Wait. Is that why you pulled the Titan-Class droid from MY pile of junk?¡± Marie asked.
Kaleb waved the young girl down. ¡°Yes, but only to strip the thing for parts. You just want the metal, right?¡±
When Marie nodded, Kaleb continued. ¡°That droid is a command series. Its brain has to be better at sifting and sorting data than a standard hard drive.¡±
¡°Did you want me to pull it, Doc?¡± Terrance asked.
¡°No. I need you and Roy to go to the store and buy some server racks. Or anything, really. Just something to store all these brains and hard drives we¡¯re pulling.¡±
Both boys nodded and quickly left. Kaleb then turned back to Marie. ¡°And if you could, Miss Kinley, I¡¯d like you and Daivor to start removing those brains from the robots.¡±
The young hunter pursed her lips and looked down at her newly cleaned hands. Kaleb rolled his eyes and waved to her workbench.
¡°You can keep the metal off the bots you strip.¡±
Marie¡¯s annoyed look quickly turned into a smile, and Kaleb was sure he¡¯d been played. But raw metal was fairly easy to come by. So he figured it was a win-win. As Marie hurriedly lifted a robotic torso out of the junk pile, Daivor swung over to Kaleb.
¡°What about you, Boss? You going to finish your magical inscriptions?¡±
¡°Yep. This morning got away from me a bit, but I need to hurry and finish that up. Also, I¡¯ll need to get the server room built out along with a way to keep things cool in there.¡±
¡°One of the blue Elentian crystals, maybe?¡±
¡°Yeah, combined with a fan or something. It would need a decent power supply. But I¡¯m sure we¡¯ve got plenty around here somewhere.¡±
¡°Agreed. Don¡¯t burn yourself, boss. I¡¯ll be helping the young Miss Kinley.¡±
Kaleb gave the gnome a nod and moved over to his own workbench. All of his equipment was still where he had left it the night before. So he immediately jumped into work again. He found the slim bit of metal he had forged and closed his eyes as he pushed his magic into it. Focusing on the Alchemic runes, he slowly embedded the magic necessary to break down and read molecules. He drained his mana twice before he was fully finished, and he had to duck out of the lab for some coffee after the second time. When he came back in to finish, Kaleb was sure he spotted a flash of green over by the junk pile. But when he turned to look, whatever it was had vanished.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
Shrugging to himself, Kaleb moved back to his workbench and finished his work. Once done, he admired the slim bit of metal. Runes marked the entire surface and he could feel them hum with power. Now all he needed to do was install it on his wrist computer and then he could get around to reworking the thermal imager into a scanner. He carefully attached the bit of metal to the outside of his scanner¡¯s housing and reached for some epoxy. That¡¯s when his hand almost bumped into a small green creature.
The thing had a pointed nose and long spindly fingers and toes. But it was less than three inches tall and its body was wispy, almost ghost-like. Its large black eyes were staring straight at Kaleb¡¯s scanner and Kaleb could see the things finger¡¯s twitching. Each of its four fingers was capped by a long, black nail that looked extremely sharp to Kaleb. He waved his hand over the thing¡¯s head, drawing its attention. When it made eye contact with Kaleb, its bulbous eye grew wide and it started to disappear.
¡°NO YOU DON¡¯T! HAI-YAH!¡±
Daivor suddenly swung into Kaleb¡¯s view and stabbed at the disappearing creature with a small sword. The blade glowed blue and went straight through the wispy little creature. The small thing gave an unearthly cry before it solidified and started bleeding on Kaleb¡¯s workbench. Daivor yanked his sword out of the creature and flicked the blood off it. The small green creature fell to the tabletop and turned into a rainbow colored mist.
¡°Where did you get a sword?¡± Kaleb asked dumbly as he tried to process everything that had just happened.
Daivor grunted and spun his sword expertly. As he did, the small silver blade shrunk and turned into a brown pipe. Daivor took a long drag on his pipe-sword and sighed.
¡°Fucking gremlins, boss.¡± the gnome almost growled.
Kaleb rubbed his eyes. ¡°I suppose this isn¡¯t a one and done kind of thing. Is it?¡±
¡°No, boss. Gremlins are like roaches or rats. If you see one, there can be hundreds. We need to stop all building and deal with this.¡±
¡°Stop all building?¡± Kaleb asked, confused.
That¡¯s when Marie gave a cry of alarm and the pen-cutter she was using went out of control. The thin red laser used for cutting metal sparked and pulsed as Marie dropped it. But the device kept outputting the hot red laser. Daivor quickly swung over and broke the pen-cutter with his foot. Marie made a disgruntled noise at the loss of her equipment, but Kaleb quickly understood the problem.
¡°They make machines go haywire.¡±
¡°Not just machines, boss. Every bit of tech they can get their grubby little hands on. They¡¯ll break test tubes, chew through wires, ruins streams of code just for fun. We NEED to get rid of them. NOW!¡±
Kaleb nodded. ¡°Hit the alarm. I¡¯ll spread the word.¡±
¡°Lock the building down as best you can, boss. The little shits can slip through the cracks, but Jar-lock¡¯s wards should keep the bulk of them in.¡±
¡°Do we want them inside?!¡± Marie asked.
Daivor took another long puff of his pipe. ¡°Hell yes! Otherwise, how would we kill them all?!¡±
The little gnome transformed his pipe into a sword again and started searching the lab, as a high-pitched warning alarm started echoing in the lab. The gnome had used his Alarm ability, and it rang through the entire hangar. Marie moved to help the gnome as Kaleb left. He rushed to the front of the hangar and waved for everyone¡¯s attention. Already the NPCs were looking around for the source of the noise. Both the Hunters and the Brute clan had their weapons in their hands and looked ready for trouble. Kaleb grinned. He didn¡¯t think they were ready for this type of problem, but it would be a hell of a test of their abilities.
¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± Kaleb called to the crowd.
Thankfully, Farrah had raised her little command center slightly off the floor. It made him easy to spot.
¡°We¡¯ve been invaded. The perpetrators are two-inches tall, with green skin and large black eyes. They are magical creatures known as gremlins. The mess with or break all forms of technology. So we need to turn off everything except for what is absolutely necessary. I want us down to a minimum number of staff and drone crews until we purge them completely. This place is going into lockdown until we are sure we¡¯ve dealt with all of them. Is that clear?¡±
¡°Total shut down just for some gremlins? Is that really warranted? How much damage can they do?¡± A hunter asked from her spot at a computer.
Kaleb could see she was running drone feeds through her computer and looked to be taking detailed notes on what she saw. Before Kaleb could answer her, the poor girl¡¯s computer exploded violently, sending bits of screen and sparks into the girl¡¯s face. The surrounding hunters quickly helped the young woman, and she seemed more shell-shocked than anything once Kaleb got to her. He tried not to grin as he unplugged her computer.
¡°That answer your question?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°Good. Are you alright, do you need healing or anything?¡±
The young woman scoffed as she brushed debris from her face. ¡°That was nothing, Doc. We go through worse in training. Now, how do we find the little buggers?¡±
Kaleb opened his mouth to answer, and then quickly shut it. He had no idea. He stared blankly at those assembled around him until Daivor shouted over the alarm.
¡°They can disappear at will. But they can¡¯t hold it long. It¡¯s like holding your breath. Eventually, they have to come up for air. Once they do, you can slaughter the little bastards.¡±
The whole hangar turned toward the small gnome. The gnome had changed his clothes and now, on top of his normal attire, he wore metal armor that covered him from chest to boots. He didn¡¯t wear a helmet though, his red pointy hat was drooping slightly as he marched forward. He had his sword slung over his shoulder and his eyes were scanning the floor. Daivor spotted something and immediately jumped at it, his sword coming down swiftly.
¡°AIEEEEEEEEE!¡±
A high-pitched keening screech filled the hangar, and a gremlin appeared. Its chest was cleft in two by Daivor¡¯s sword, and it quickly keeled over onto the floor. Daivor took a second to spit on the disappearing remains of the goblin before he addressed the crowd again.
¡°If you have any magical capabilities, then you may be able to sense or even see them. If you can, then call them out. My sword can pierce them even if they are invisible. Now! Hunt! Them! Down!¡±
Daivor raised his sword in the air and waited for a chorus of cheers. Nothing came as every head in the room turned back to Kaleb. The young huntress with the exploded computer looked up at Kaleb, confused.
¡°What did he say?¡±
Kaleb stifled a laugh as he repeated everything Daivor had said. He often forgot that not everyone could understand gnomish. The little gnome warrior trotted away, clearly embarrassed, as Kaleb¡¯s repetition of his words brought a belated cheer for the assembled NPCs. The hunters and brute clan lizards spread throughout the hangar, searching for the little bastards. As they did, Kaleb brought up a screen that had popped when Daivor had killed the second gremlin. He grinned as his Familiar had finally leveled again.
-
-
-
-
Another screeched filled the air as Kaleb closed the window. He¡¯d consult Daivor about how he¡¯d like to improve later. For now, there were gremlins to hunt.
Chapter 182 - Gremlin Hunt
Kaleb originally thought that having over fifty NPCs searching top to bottom in the enormous hangar would quickly get results. He was rapidly becoming disillusioned with such thoughts. Even the added help of Abby and the others did not speed up finding the little bastards. Every now and again and shout would go out, followed by a cheer or groan of annoyance.
They had killed a few of the damn things. But gremlins were apparently masters of hiding. They were on their third sweep of the hangar when Kaleb finally went looking for Daivor. The gnome had been hunting the tiny creatures with a fervor Kaleb had never seen. In fact, Kaleb was sure Daivor had killed the most gremlins out of everyone. It was during his search that Kaleb bumped into an annoyed looking Abby, Claire, and Vivienne. Immediately, he put his hands up.
¡°I know. I¡¯m looking for Daivor. Maybe there¡¯s a quicker way to do this.¡±
Abby sighed. ¡°Sorry. But we¡¯ve been logged in for an hour now and all we¡¯ve done is hunt gremlins.¡±
¡°We have several outstanding alerts already, too. We need to get to actual work, or our popularity rating is going to take a hit.¡± Claire added.
¡°Maybe you three and Two Gun could¡¡± Kaleb started to say before Two Gun¡¯s rough voice whooped loudly.
¡°HA! Gotcha, ya little varmint! That¡¯s 8 to 6 now, gnome! I¡¯m gonna catch up to you soon!¡±
Claire rolled her eyes, and Kaleb amended his statement.
¡°I mean, maybe you ladies could slip out the side door real quick?¡±
All three women gave him grateful looks that soured as Daivor¡¯s gruff voice interrupted their discussion. The gnome was sitting on the high wall of Kaleb¡¯s workshop, cleaning his sword.
¡°They¡¯d have to do it quick. And they won¡¯t be let back in until we¡¯ve dealt with this.¡±
Abby and Claire shot the gnome dirty looks as Vivienne glanced at Kaleb.
¡°What did he say?¡±
¡°It¡¯ll have to be quick and you probably won¡¯t be let back in.¡±
Abby scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just log out from the street. Anything is better than being cooped up in her for hours.¡±
¡°I am in desperate need to punch something, darlings. And I would prefer it were bad guys.¡±
Kaleb rubbed his eyes and nodded. ¡°Okay, why don¡¯t you three grab some NPCs and have them watch the door as you slip out? We¡¯ve got Wanda on a terminal manning things. Daivor! Is it okay to have the drone operators do their thing?!¡±
¡°No! But go ahead. Maybe some bait will draw the little buggers out.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Kaleb asked as he waved goodbye to his friends.
The ladies were quickly gathering NPCs for their escape, and some of them looked happy to be doing anything else. Morale was turning into a huge issue. Few of them appeared to enjoy mindless, repetitious tasks. Aside from himself, Daivor, and Two Gun, it seemed. The gnome swung on to his shoulder as he transformed his sword back into a pipe.
¡°Gremlins are attracted to technology. Any kind of tech. Computers, gadgets, tablets, or other things of that nature.¡±
¡°So why haven¡¯t we been using bait this whole time?¡±
¡°What?! And let the filthy buggers ge their mitts on some of our work?! Hell no! The damn things know only how to destroy and that¡¯s all they are good for. But if you want to speed things up, then you can be the one to repair what the little shits break.¡±
Daivor puffed angrily on his pipe and Kaleb glanced up at the red-face gnome. He seemed both annoyed and angry in equal measure. Clearly, the Builder Gnome had an issue with anything or anyone that was in the business of breaking things. Which made a weird sense to Kaleb. The two species seemed to be opposites. A small part of him wanted to see if he could maybe tame a gremlin. Just to mess with Daivor. But he brushed it off. That would be a dick move and only mildly funny.
¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. But somethings tells me I wouldn¡¯t like it.¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s just start up a few terminals and you can explain to me what kind of tech gremlins like. Maybe we can create some kind of super-bait that draws them in and we can nab them all at once.¡±
¡°And kill them, right?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll see how it goes.¡±
Kaleb smiled as Daivor took off his hat and slapped the side of his head with it. Clearly, the builder gnome had no sense of humor where gremlins were concerned. Kaleb quickly got a team of drone operators up and running and then placed guards around them. Two Gun was still eagerly searching throughout the hangar like he was on safari, so Kaleb made his way to his workshop and opened the door.
Inside, Marie was asleep on her workbench while Roy and Terrance were reading books. Roy had some fantasy novel open on his lap, while Terrance seemed to be nose-deep in a technical manual for a motorcycle. Kaleb scoffed loudly and as he looked around his quiet workshop. Having all the equipment in the room turned off was eerie. Both boys glanced up at him, but Marie merely snored softly.
¡°Y¡¯know, you three could be out there helping.¡±
Roy grimaced, but Terrance simply turned a page on his book. ¡°I¡¯m a pacifist.¡±
Kaleb blinked. ¡°Who builds weapons?!¡±
Terrance¡¯s face grew three shades of red before he coughed awkwardly. ¡°I mean¡ I could be a pacifist¡¡±
¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m a giant talking mouse. Get out of here, the both of you. We need more eyes searching for the damn things. The sooner we find them, the sooner we can get back to actual work.¡±
Kaleb moved to his workbench as both boys slowly got to their feet and grabbed their gear. Roy tapped his shoulder as he picked up his weapons.
¡°What about Marie? Why doesn¡¯t she have to go?¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Kaleb glanced at the smaller women as she snored peacefully. ¡°You want to wake her up?¡±
Both boys blanched and quickly fled from the room. Daivor scoffed from Kaleb¡¯s shoulder and activated his harness again. He swung over to Marie¡¯s bench as Kaleb looked down at his own. He needs to create something complex but small. It needed a lot of moving parts. Gremlins seemed to love mucking around with the internals of equipment.
¡°Maybe something that lit up as well? With a lot of buttons and switches?¡±
¡°Hm? Wha? I¡¯m armed!¡± Marie sputtered as she woke up.
Daivor took a step back on the worktable and glared up at the girl. Immediately upon seeing Daivor, the young woman changed her tune and quickly wiped drool from her mouth.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Gnome. I was just taking a quick nap. Has the gremlin issue been solved yet?¡±
Kaleb rolled his eyes. ¡°No. It¡¯s been three hours and we¡¯re still hunting them.¡±
¡°What?! Can¡¯t you, like, spray for them or something?¡±
¡°Is that what your dad does?¡±
¡°No. We don¡¯t have this problem in a standard forge.¡±
Kaleb fell into thought at that. Meanwhile, Daivor explained what was going on outside to the Marie and then sent her on her way. She didn¡¯t look happy about it, shooting Kaleb all sorts of dirty looks, but she went anyway. A pair of daggers in her hands. Daivor rubbed his eyes and took out his pipe again. He swung to Kaleb¡¯s table and took a long drag before looking up.
¡°I¡¯ve grown in power again.¡±
Kaleb quirked an eyebrow. ¡°You can tell?¡±
¡°Oh yeah. It¡¯s a hell of a rush. So, are you going to help me with my advancement or what?¡±
¡°I was planning on waiting till after the gremlins. Cause I¡¯m pretty sure I know how¡¯d you pick now.¡±
¡°What are the options?¡±
Kaleb blinked in confusion. ¡°You know about this stuff?¡±
¡°What stuff? I¡¯m a familiar, you¡¯re my master. So you can guide my advancements easier. Now tell me what you''re thinking?¡±
¡°Speed, Defense, or Computers.¡±
¡°Defense.¡±
¡°Now see, would you choose that if we weren¡¯t in the middle of a gremlin infestation?¡±
¡°No. I think I¡¯d go Computers in that case. But we are in the middle of an infestation, so I choose Defense. It¡¯ll help prevent this from happening again.¡±
Kaleb couldn¡¯t argue with that so he brought up the gnome¡¯s level up screen and tapped his choice. Daivor went completely still for a few seconds. Kaleb swore he could see a light blue glow emanating from the gnome before Daivor snapped at out his trance and rubbed his hands together.
¡°Oh-ho-ho yeah! This is going to be good. I got some ideas now. But I need repulsors.¡±
The gnome dashed off the side of the table, leaving Kaleb confused.
¡°Hey what about me? What do I do?¡±
¡°Keep doing what you''re doing. But make sure you embedded some magic into whatever you build. That¡¯s what brought the little buggers here. They love the taste of magic-infused metals!¡± Daivor called as he dove head-first into their shelves.
Kaleb shrugged and quickly drew up designs for what he was thinking about. To him, it looked like the mother of all fidget devices. But he was sure it would draw the little gremlins from their holes just as well. Once he fed the design into his workbench, he got to work. The bench summoned what he needed from their nearby stock and he quickly put it all together. Nearby, he could hear Daivor giggling to himself as he worked at Marie¡¯s workbench.
The two worked in relative silence for a short while until Kaleb finally finished his design. It was shoddy and slapped together, but it had all the required parts. The thing was a fist-sized metal cube. Toggles and switches were on one side, a small bulb on the other. Flashing screens and whirring cogs on the other two. Now all he needed to do was jam some Mana down into it. He glanced up to see how his friend was doing, but Daivor was gone. Marie¡¯s workbench was wiped clean and whatever the gnome had been working on had gone with him. Kaleb scowled.
¡°Could¡¯ve at least shown me what he was¡¡±
He trailed off as he spotted a light blue repulsor disc glowing ominously at the side of his bench. Except it wasn¡¯t given off any propulsion. Instead, it sat there inertly, glowing. He inspected the little device for a few seconds, trying to work out what it did before he reached out for it slowly. AS his hand got closer, a set of red runes around the base of the disc glowed. Kaleb backed his hand away, and the runes disappeared. He smiled as he thought he understood what the gnome had done.
¡°Ingenious, isn¡¯t it?¡± Daivor¡¯s voice asked from behind him.
Kaleb spun in his chair to see the tired-looking gnome grinning at him.
¡°Maybe. But how are they going to get close to the thing if they can see the runes light up? It looks to me like you made a mousetrap that signals to the mice that it¡¯s a trap.¡±
¡°Bah!¡± Daivor waved him off. ¡°You don¡¯t get it. Gremlins are curious creatures. Those runes will just draw them in further and once they touch the thing¡¡±
The gnome tossed a screw at the glowing blue disc. As soon as the screw touched the side of the disc, a large surge of electricity shot upward. The metal screw went sailing away as the modified repulsor burned itself out and started smoking. Daivor sighed as he swung himself up onto Kaleb¡¯s bench.
¡°Yeah. They¡¯re one-and-dones, but they¡¯ll fry us some gremlins, alright. I got the kids out placing them now.¡±
¡°Did you make enough?¡±
¡°No way. But with what you¡¯re building, we¡¯ll get the lot of them.¡±
¡°Here¡¯s hoping. I was just about to finish, actually.¡±
¡°Well, don¡¯t do it here. As soon as you light that sumbitch up, it¡¯s going to bring the horde down on us. I¡¯m sure of it. Go do it near the workout area or something.¡±
Kaleb glanced at his do-nothing machine and then back at Daivor. ¡°Seriously?¡±
¡°Yes! Now git. I¡¯ll tell the others.¡±
Kaleb shrugged to himself and got up. He double checked his weapons and armor before he swung the door to his workshop open. He hoped this little device would solve the problem. Daivor seemed sure, but Kaleb was having his doubts. It had been well over three hours and they hadn¡¯t seen many gremlins. But maybe the gnome was wrong, and they didn¡¯t have a whole swarm of the things. What if he turned it on and all they got were six gremlins? He supposed that was still a win. But it seemed like a mighty anti-climax after all the buildup Daivor had done.
Kaleb placed the small cube on the work-out mat and closed his eyes. Focusing, he started to push his mana into the device. All he needed was a short rune series that powered the lights and screens of the device. The runes would draw in ambient magic power and use it to light the bulb and flicker the screens. It wasn¡¯t his best work, but it would do for now. As he focused, Kaleb heard the footsteps of the rest of the hangar¡¯s workers as Daivor brought them closer. He really hoped Daivor was right as he pushed more of mana down into the small cube.
¡°Ho~ly shit¡¡± Kaleb heard Two Gun say as a rumbling sound echoed in his ears.
Initially, he thought it was his imagination. But the sound grew louder and the sounds of alarm coming from the NPCs made the cacophony even louder. Kaleb cracked his eye open as he continued to push his mana down. When he did, he spotted a swirling mass of green, like a green tornado, baring down on them all. He could see sharp teeth and claws swirling in the torrent as it made its way closer to him. Somewhere to his left, Daivor cackled loudly.