“That’s a big one, ain’t it?” Bruce laughed as the creature’s blimp-sized tentacled head came into full view.
“Yeah, heh,” I muttered nervously as whatever we’d unleashed continued to rise, its golden eyes staring right at me, “you don’t think it’s pissed off, do you?”
“You kidding?” Jane scoffed, “We just released him.”
“Or woke him up…” Sam trailed off fearfully.
“In which case he’s definitely going to be pissed,” Bruce added with yet another laugh, “either way, this is gonna be interesting.”
I didn’t fully appreciate the amount of humor Bruce was finding in the whole situation, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t good to have someone at least trying to alleviate the undeniable fear that had settled over the rest of us.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, the creature stopped.
The water settled around it and while its eyes continued to pierce my very soul, a calm stillness replaced the psychologically damaging fear.
“I am the Old One,” the creature whispered in my ear as he had before, “and you are the one they call Buck.”
“I am.” I replied as calmly as I could before realizing I had literally nothing else to say.
“Good,” the Old One chuckled, “now, where do your enemies lie?”
It took me a moment to respond, mostly because, based on their reaction the last time I replied to the eldritch giant, I was the only one who could hear the Old One, but I got there eventually, “The city,” I said, pointing for further clarification, “just across the bay.”
“Very well.” the Old One replied before slowly turning to face the city, sending another large wave onto our little island.
For a moment everything was still, save the waves the Old One had sent to the mainland, then, without warning, something started to happen.
It was subtle at first, the way the mist climbed out of the ocean and into the city, to the point that if I hadn’t been looking at what was causing it I’d have assumed it was just some kind of natural phenomena, but then heavy clouds began to swirl above the city.
Green and purple lightning cracked the sky while the mist grew thicker and seeped through the buildings like chlorine gas.
Initially, I’d assumed the power had essentially made it so that electrical systems and whatnot were going to be disrupted, that is until I started noticing things in the water.
Once again, they were hard to notice, but once you saw them they were impossible to miss.
Hundreds of shadows, thousands, and I didn’t even try to guess how many were below them as they slithered through the water at breakneck speeds towards the city.
And then the screams began.
“That…” I murmured while gunfire rang across the bay alongside unearthly shrieks and growls, “That was unexpected.”
“‘Unexpected’ is all you can come up with?” Bruce lightheartedly jabbed, “Try awesome. Or wicked.”
“What about ‘totally tubular’?” Dave mocked.
“Be a smartass all you want, that shit is cool.” Bruce chuckled, “Far as I’m concerned, they’re getting what’s been coming to them.”
“Yeah, I guess…” I trailed off as I struggled to look away from the genuinely horrific sight unfolding across the bay, and I couldn’t even really see any of it.
“Well,” Sam said, clearing her throat, “something tells me this could go on for a while, so I’m going to go ahead and log off.”
“Really?” Bruce asked, “Don’t want to see how this plays out?”
“I’m with Sam,” Jane chimed in, “I think we’d just be watching this for a good long while and then waiting for the screams to die down.”
“Exactly,” Sam agreed, “and I don’t know about you, but you couldn’t pay me enough to launch any kind of invasion right now. Provided someone puts a reminder on the forums, I’m sure we’ll be notified when the… this dials back, and then we can crush the halos.”
“Fair enough,” I replied before Bruce could say anything else, my eyes still transfixed on the flashing in the mist, “I’ll jump off and join you in a few minutes.”
“You sure?” Jane asked, “Just because we’re getting off doesn’t mean that you have to.”
“Doesn’t it?” I joked, failing to force a jovial tone, “But yeah, for real, I think it’d be a good idea to hop off. Plus, I have work today.”
Jane smiled at that and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, “Alright, see you in a bit.”
“Yeah, you too.” I replied as lovingly as I could, doing my best to look at the two of them and the mist at the same time.
I think the girls went and found a nice spot to log off after that, but I couldn’t be entirely sure as my attention was, you guessed it, still locked onto the Lovecraftian bloodbath unfolding before me.
“So,” Bruce said, breaking the silence, “the lady contacted me, wanted the specifics of our deal.”
It took me a moment to figure out what he meant, you know, with all the… everything that was going on, though I did get there eventually, “Oh, yeah, shit, I was going to talk to you about that. Would you mind?”
“Totally up to you, mate,” Bruce replied with a smile, “just make sure you don’t let yourself get screwed.”
“Heh, I’ll do my best.” I chuckled.
“I’m serious, man, these tech-types can be ruthless,” Bruce said, his tone failing to convey his seriousness, “last thing you want is to look back at this in five years and wonder what could have been.”
I nearly made a joke, but caught myself just short of actually doing it, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure I don’t get fucked over. You’re sure you’re cool with this though? You know, if I end up selling some shares or something?”
“Sell some, sell ‘em all for all I care.” Bruce chuckled, “All that matters to me is that the guy who helped kick this whole thing off gets his fair share.”
I’m not sure why, but I was surprised by his integrity.
Well, not so much his integrity, more his loyalty.
I’m positive he knew I didn’t know his name up until the conversation he’d had with Sam, yet he was fervent in his pursuit to make sure I knew I deserved to get paid.
I don’t know, it was weird having someone I barely knew give that much of a shit about me.
“Thanks for the advice, man,” I let out with a long sigh as the screams and gunfire died down slightly and the mist climbed deeper into the city, “I guess I’ll see you later then.”
“You know it,” Bruce replied with a big ole smile, “hope it all goes well for you, mate.”
“Same to you.” I said before turning around and walking off, hoping to find a nice, obvious area for me to spawn back in.
Honestly, after five minutes of wandering around confusedly, I kind of wished I’d gone with the girls.
33
It took longer than I’m willing to admit to finally find a place to sit down and log out, but let me tell you, opening my eyes in the real world far away from giant tentacle gods and eldritch nightmare beasts made the long search well worth it.
“I’m guessing you had that talk with Bruce?” Jane asked as I took the login device off and set it down on the nearest bedside table.
“I did,” I replied happily, “he’s cool with me doing whatever I want with my points.”
“That’s a relief.” Jane chuckled before noticing I was looking around for Sam, “She’s just gone to the bathroom. Want a coffee?”
“You know what? I would love a coffee.” I said with a broad grin as I slowly sat up, “Any idea what time it is?”
“Bit after seven,” Jane replied after forcing herself out of the bed, “normally, I’d still be asleep, but Sam sprung up like a bat out of Hell.”
“Short of a home invasion or something, I don’t think I could ever muster that kind of energy in the morning.” I half-joked, “Actually, quick question, have you found that you’ve been sleeping better?”
“Since playing Echo?” Jane asked while I struggled to follow her out of the room, “Yeah, a bit. It’s like when I’m sleeping I’m actually sleeping for once. Must burn through all the caffeine or something.”
“Yeah, aha,” I chuckled, “glad it’s not just me then.”
The conversation died for a little while after that, mostly because the mere sight of coffee was enough for our brains to do what addicted brains do and become singularly focused.
We both seemed to enjoy the silence though, like each other’s company was all the social input we needed to feel satisfied, something that I was less than well-versed in.
“So, we did it.” Jane sighed, breaking the silence, “You think Rachael and that are okay?”
“I’m sure they’re fine,” I replied, kicking myself for not remembering to find Rachael when we’d hit the club, “I mean, push comes to shove, they’ll have all gone down into the blast cellar.”
“The one that more or less opens directly into the sewers?” Jane chuckled concernedly, “You saw the equipment they had, it wasn’t exactly a stocked armory like we have on the island.”
“True, but those Gathlain chicks could probably seal the hole up with a bunch of vines or something,” I suggested taking a pleasant sip of my coffee, “failing that, you saw the gun Frostiey made, have to imagine she’s not the only one packing magical heat.”
“Point taken,” Jane replied, “I guess I’m just worried about us turning into the Hallowed Kings, you know?”
“I don’t think what we did was quite on the same level as scorching and ripping apart the city,” I said before deciding to let my ‘it’s all good’ mask slip a little, “but I get what you’re saying.”
“Thank God,” Jane sighed, “I know we shared some concerns back at the egg, but there was a part of me that didn’t know if I was just spinning myself down the drain, you know?”
“I felt the exact same way.” I huffed with what little of a smile I could muster between long sips from my still mostly boiling coffee, “Is it just me, or is Sam taking a little while?”
“She is, isn’t she?” Jane replied, her brow furrowing with mild concern, before setting down her cup and walking around the bench, “I’ll go and knock on the door.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I said with a dozy nod, the caffeine in the coffee struggling to do its job.
“Hey, honey?” Jane called through the bathroom door, “You okay in there?”
“Ya-huh!” Sam practically sang back, “I’m just getting ready!”
“Ready for… Whoa, why are you so dressed up?” Jane asked as Sam opened the door and strode down the hallway and rounded the corner to me.
“I’m not that dressed up,” Sam replied adjusting her blouse and jeans while simultaneously shaking her hair out a bit, “I just want this all to go well. You ready, Buck?”
I stared blankly at her for a time, my coffee still in hand while my elbows struggled to keep me vertical, “Yes, Sam, I am ready.” I finally said with a little smirk, “But, so I know we’re on the same page, ready for..?”
“We’re meeting my boss in forty minutes,” Sam proclaimed matter-of-factly, “and it’s a thirty minute drive, so…”
“Can’t I at least finish my coffee?” I jokingly pleaded, “Or, you know, put on some pants?”
“Just go brush your teeth and get some clothes on,” Sam replied with a smile, “I’ll get a travel mug for you.”
“Fine…” I sighed, leaving my cup on the bench as I made my way for the door, “but I’ll have you know I’m not up before eight unless I absolutely have to be, so you’re assuming full responsibility if I make an ass of myself.”
“Ha-ha,” Sam called after me, “we’ll grab you an energy drink or something on the way. Oh, and we’ll need to take your car. Now hurry up!”
“I’m going, I’m going…” I muttered before slipping out of the apartment and making my way over to my place.
Not going to lie, I was seriously considering taking a sledgehammer to the wall that divided our apartments, but I managed to quickly squash that desire when I remembered that loadbearing walls were a thing.
Also that it was a teensy tiny bit not legal.
34
“Are you ever gonna drink that?” Sam asked as she turned us onto a winding, tree-covered road.
“Hmm?” I replied, my brain struggling to make the switch from my phone to the real world, before spotting the travel mug in the cup holder, “Oh, coffee, yes.”
“Is it still good?” Sam laughed after I’d taken a big swig and pulled a sour expression.
“I’m sure it would’ve been twenty minutes ago.” I muttered, licking my teeth in a desperate attempt to get rid of the taste, “Is there anything I should know about this woman before I go in?”
“Only that she’ll probably try to screw you over early on,” Sam replied, “she likes to test the waters. Oh, and her name’s Melanie, that might be important.”
“Potentially, yes,” I huffed amusedly, “any chance she’s going to try and rip me limb-from-limb though?”
“She’s not really a yeller, not that you’d give her a reason,” Sam explained, “she prefers to sow the sort of discomfort that hangs around for a lifetime.”
“Oh joy.” I chuckled, taking a moment to look at the trees, “Where’s this Miss Rich live anyway? This feels way more Backwoods Murderer Boulevard than Billionaire Avenue.”
“This is her driveway,” Sam replied with a smile, “in case it wasn’t obvious already, she’s loaded.”
“How loaded?” I asked, trying my best not to sound overeager, “Ballpark I mean. Like, couple million?”
“She spells ‘million’ with a ‘b’,” Sam replied with a smirk, “four of them.”
“B-b-b-billion?” I joked.
“You’re not funny.” Sam said as flatly as she could with the massive grin on her face.
“Maybe not, but I make you laugh, and that’s all that matters.” I replied with an odd air of pride.
“Mmhm.” Sam murmured as we rounded a final corner and the full scope of Melanie’s estate came into view, “Oh, and for the love of God, don’t ask her how many rooms she has. She won’t think it’s funny or cute.”
“I wasn’t going to,” I lied, “but for real, is she rocking some Cheaper by the Dozen-type situation or..?”
“Nope,” Sam replied after driving around the sizeable fountain in front of the mansion, “she just likes having a lot of space. That’s another thing, don’t bring up how much happier she’d be if she had kids.”
“Why would I bring that up?” I asked, genuinely perplexed, “Seriously, why would I say that? I’m not her mother.”
“People say stupid shit sometimes.” Sam said with a shrug as she turned off the car and gestured for me to follow her out onto the white driveway, “leave the coffee, and your phone.”
I held eye-contact with her for a while after that, making sure she was serious, “Is this one of those situations where I knock on the door and find out the house is filled with big game hunters and I have to play some really fucked up hide-and-seek?”
“Just leave the phone, would you?” Sam sighed before walking around the car and towards the stairs that led to the mansion’s front doors, “I thought you ignored it most of the time anyway.”
“Yeah, well, last time I left it I nearly missed out on being rich.” I chuckled, “Besides, I think you’re starting to rub off on me.”
“I think the 21st century is rubbing off on you,” Sam lightheartedly mocked as she rang the doorbell, “now, you ready for this?”
“Almost certainly not, but I’ll give it my best shot anyway.” I replied with a smile before quickly dialing it back as the door unlocked and opened.
“Good morning,” a surprisingly young-looking woman in yoga gear said welcomingly, “thanks for making the trip out, especially for something like this.”
“It’s really no trouble,” Sam replied as we were waved into the mas
sive home, “I find it’s always good to start your day off with something productive, helps set the flow. Anyway, this is Jareth. Jareth, Melanie.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said, extending my hand to Melanie as I did, “and can I just say that you have a lovely home.”
“Thank you very much,” Melanie chuckled, accepting the handshake and taking a moment to smile at our surroundings, “you’d be surprised by how much of the space you end up filling.”
“Of course,” I chuckled as my brain started feeding me bits and pieces of information on what Melanie liked that I’d picked up on the ride over, “painting, music, it’s good to be able to spread out a bit and keep things compartmentalized.”
For a few seconds after that, Melanie simply looked at me, making me panic and think that I’d somehow managed to botch it up and overstepped with my research.
But then she smiled.
“I like you,” Melanie said as she led us to the back of her gigantic house, “but I’m sure there’ll be time to get to know each other later. For now let’s focus on why I’ve asked you to come here today.”
“Straight to business, I appreciate that.” I chuckled, ignoring the quick glances Sam was shooting in my direction, “I’ve been led to believe that you’re interested in buying my stock in the exciting new game, Ripper.”
“No.” Melanie replied after taking a seat at the small wooden table just outside her glass backdoors, “Well, yes, by extension. I am interested in buying you out, but it’s the company that you have stock in. I would also be acquiring your board seat.”
Doing my best not to appear completely stunned by the new information, I cleared my throat and nodded, “And what would be the terms of this buyout?”
“Five million dollars,” Melanie said, “you sign a few papers, I’ll cut you a check, and you’ll be able to go about your business as a newfound millionaire.”
I smiled at that and rubbed the five o’clock shadow I’d forgotten to shave, “That’s an interesting deal.”
“You’re happy with it then?” Melanie asked, her tone cool, calm, and collected while her ears burned brightly with anticipation.
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