With everything that had happened with Paul, I didn’t really have any close friends in Austin anymore. If I moved, I’d be leaving Foster behind. He’d only been my friend for a couple of weeks, but I didn’t like the idea of not being able to hang out with him anymore. Plus, Austin was much further away from Scarlett.
“I’d actually been thinking about UT Dallas,” I said.
“Oh yeah?” his eyes grew wide with excitement. “That’d be great! Then you could stay here and save money by not having to pay for a dorm room. Plus you could keep your old man company!”
“That’s what I was thinking,” I said.
This wasn’t true though. I know it’s awful, but I didn’t really think about my dad all that much. Our relationship had been on edge for a while now, with me holding a grudge against him for making me move here. I’d been kind of a jerk, I guess. I knew he was going through a lot - I mean, I’d lost my mom, but he’d lost his wife. They had been in love since they were my age. I couldn’t imagine how much that hurt.
“What made you change your mind about Austin?” Dad asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I kind of like it here.”
“So you made some friends?” he asked.
“Yeah, I did. You were working, but I actually had a friend come over the other day.”
“You did?” he asked. “Is this a guy friend or a girl friend?”
“Guy friend,” I said. “His name is Foster.”
“Ah, so no girl friends?”
“Not really,” I said.
“But you are interested in girls, right?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, it’s not a big deal if you aren’t. You can tell me, I’ll love you no matter what.”
“Yeah, Dad. I like girls.”
“Okay, okay. Just checking.”
“Actually,” I said. “There is this girl…”
As soon as I said it, I regretted it. I guess I subconsciously wanted to tell somebody about my feelings for Scarlett, but really? Right now? With Dad?
“Oh yeah?” Dad asked. “Who is she?”
“Well, her name is Scarlett.” Was it though? “She’s funny, and nice, and I like talking to her a lot.”
“She’s in the same grade as you?” Dad asked.
“No, she’s a year older,” I said.
“College girl?” he asked, a smirk on his face. “How did you meet her?”
“We play Apocalypse 2020 together.”
He tried not to show it, but I saw the excitement immediately drain from his expression.
“So is she just an online friend? How do you know she’s even a girl?” he asked. “What if it’s just some old guy who gets his kicks this way or something?”
“I’ve talked to her on the phone, Dad. She’s a girl.”
“Or a man with a girlish voice. You remember that one guy that used to work at the KB Toys at Barton Creek?”
“She’s a girl, Dad!” I said, a little too loud, then quickly lowered my voice again. “I promise, I know she’s a girl.”
“Alright bud,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender. “Sorry, I was just messing around. Anyways, I’m glad that you’re talking to people, even if it’s just over the internet.”
“We’re actually going to meet in person,” I said. “She doesn’t live very far from here.”
He stopped chewing and looked at me sideways. “Oh yeah?” he asked. I could tell he wanted to say more, but was holding back because he didn’t want to make me mad again.
“Yeah, she lives in Sherman.”
“That’s pretty close,” he said.
I didn’t reply. Instead, I waited for the inevitable lecture that always came during these dinners with him.
“Look Bran,” he began. “You’re almost an adult and I’m not going to treat you like a child. If you want to go meet this girl, that’s great. Do me a favor though, and take somebody with you? If not me, then another friend that you know - maybe this Foster guy? I just worry about you meeting with a stranger from the internet. You hear about these things all the time, where somebody goes to meet a person they thought was their friend, then they’re robbed or killed or never heard from again. I just worry, you know.”
“I know, Dad,” I said. “I’ll take somebody.”
As far as lectures go, it wasn’t his worse. Taking Foster might be a good idea anyways. It would make the situation less awkward. Less like a date.
We cleaned up the empty pizza boxes and paper plates, then I headed back to my room and started getting ready to log back into Apocalypse 2020. The group had agreed to take a one-hour dinner break before returning to the Palisades, and it had taken about thirty minutes to eat the pizza, so I had a little time left. Still, I wanted to get back as quickly as possible.
“Hey,” Dad said, peeking his head into my room. “Thanks for having dinner with me.”
“No problem,” I said. “Thanks for the pizza.”
He looked over at the sketchbook that I had left on the desk. It was open to an illustration that I had been working on earlier depicting the entire group of Atomic Massacre with their backs to each other in sort of an action ensemble pose. I was having a hard time getting Caustic’s muscles to look right, but otherwise, I thought it was turning out pretty good.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“That’s my sketchbook,” I said. “You can look through it if you want.”
He did, stopping every page or two to ask what the pictures were of. I told him about the group and the game and my friends online. We spent another half-hour talking about my artwork.
“These are really good,” he said. “I didn’t know you had gotten so skilled. I can’t remember the last time you showed me any of your drawings.”
I could. Last year, Mom was lying in bed at the hospital, looking so thin that she seemed to not even exist beneath her blanket. Dad was sitting in the chair next to her bed, having had no sleep the night before. I had drawn a picture of Mom as Samus from Metroid standing on an alien planet. Her helmet was removed, held in the crook of her elbow. In the picture, she had long flowing hair, although Mom had actually lost her hair in the first run of chemo the year before. I held the picture in front of her and even though her eyes were barely open, I saw the hint of a smile come across her lips.
“She can’t see it,” Dad had said. “She doesn’t even know you’re there.”
Just the memory of those words made the skin on my face grow red with anger.
Now, back in my bedroom, Dad said “Your Mom would have really liked these. Keep it up and maybe you could draw for a comic book or video game someday.”
“Thanks Dad,” I said, fighting the urge to yell at him.
“Alright, I’ll get out of your hair so you can play your game,” he put my sketchbook back on the desk and then started to walk out of the room. “Your homework is all done, right?” he asked.
“Yes Dad,” I said.
“Good deal. Alright kid, see you tomorrow.”
He left and walked down the hallway back towards the kitchen. I got up and shut the door behind him, then turned to my computer. It had not been the worst dinner, but it seemed that no conversation with him could leave me in a good mood.
I logged into Apocalypse 2020. Whatever anger and frustration I was feeling, I would soon take out on Lucas’ face.
Level 11
Atomic Massacre vs. Laserdix
1
“I’m going to rip his head off and use it for a hood ornament,” Boothe said as he drove the Vandura back towards the Palisades Nest.
Scarlett shook her head. “No, because I’m going to flay the skin from his bones, tan it, sew it together and wear it like a cloak.”
“Wow!” Caustic said. “That’s seriously messed up.”
“We could just talk to Abigail,” Braddock said. “We can show her the note and the alarm device and maybe they’ll kick him out of the Eagles.”
Boothe and Scarlett both stared at the robot like he had jus
t sprouted strawberries from his nose.
“No,” they said together.
“We kill him,” Scarlett said.
“Or at least beat him up,” Boothe added.
“Badly,” Scarlett continued.
“You two are so violent,” Braddock said. “Everything is always killing and maiming and beating with you.”
“And I guess those pistols on your hips are just for target practice?” Scarlett asked.
“One must always be ready to defend oneself,” Braddock said. “But one need not seek out trouble.”
“He started it,” Scarlett said.
Ten minutes later, Boothe pulled the Vandura into the underground parking lot at the Palisades and they walked up the stairs to the second-floor hallway where Abigail Fincher’s office was. She was not there however - instead she was across the hallway in the conference room with another cell. They looked familiar, but Boothe couldn’t remember why. They were led by a huge man with a giant rocket launcher on his back. The other four members were a mixture of robots and mutants. One was a tall slender woman with four arms and aqua-colored skin. Then there was a mutant with two heads and a third large face emerging from his chest, a feminine looking robot with a large drill on one arm, and a mutant who had tree-bark for skin and vines growing from her head.
This weird team walked out of the conference room as Boothe approached, and the large man who was their leader nodded towards Boothe with a smile of acknowledgement.
“Do you guys know him?” Boothe asked the rest of his group after the other team walked away.
“That’s Hugo,” Braddock said. “The leader of Chaotic Decay.”
“I recognize that name,” Scarlett said. “We met them in the elevator at The Nest a while back.”
“Oh yeah!” Boothe said, the memory finally clicking. They hadn’t said much, but Hugo had been friendly at least.
“Chaotic Decay just broke into the top four cells,” Braddock said. “Since Miami Digital was eliminated.”
“Top three actually,” Abigail said, appearing in the doorway of the conference room. “I sent them to destroy the Gaylord Hotel in Grapevine - their success nudged them ahead of Laserdix in the standings.”
“Oh poor Lucas,” Scarlett said. “He’s going to be so sad.”
Abigail motioned for them to follow her into the conference room, where she took her position behind the podium.
“Speaking of successful missions,” she said. “I assume that the chop shop you were assigned to is destroyed.”
“Yes ma’am,” Boothe said. “The whole area is now rubble.”
“Well done. We have had some of the armory from New Wichita moved to this location. I have a ticket here for each of you to get an item of your choosing.”
“Sweet,” Caustic said.
“Stay close to base,” Abigail said, passing a ticket out to each of them. “We may need you again soon. Laserdix and Orange Horizon have both also succeeded on their missions to destroy their appointed targets. Orion will not take this attack lying down. This all may come to a head very soon.”
“We’ll be here,” Boothe said.
MISSION COMPLETE: Chop Shop
REWARD: 1 Armory Ticket
Boothe gains 3000XP
LEVEL UP!
Boothe reaches Level 11!
Ability point gained. Skill point gained.
Assign available points.
Together they walked up the stairs to the third-floor armory. The same vending machine robot that had been at the Eagle’s Nest in New Wichita was here as well. The sign above the slot on its chest said Insert Ticket Here.
Boothe took his time looking through the items to decide which he wanted. There were weapon upgrades, specialty weapons, upgrades for his drone, and some armor as well. Everybody else made their choices while Boothe sorted through the options in his head.
Scarlett picked a cloak that projected a field of particles displacing the light around her, practically granting her temporary invisibility. Braddock chose a set of new revolvers with a high firing speed. Caustic chose an upgrade for his grenade launcher that nearly doubled the range of his shots. Mariko took a new scope for her rifle that allowed for greater precision, granting her a bonus to critical hits.
Finally, Boothe chose what was labeled as an Energy Helmet. It looked like a motorcycle helmet, with a small fin on the top like a plastic mohawk. It had been far too long since he’d had a significant armor upgrade.
ITEM OBTAINED
Energy Helmet - Head Slot
Durability 100% - Value $1000
Armor +1
Shield 5 - Recharge Rate 1/min
In addition to the armor granted, upon activation, this helmet creates an energy shield that will protect the wearer from ballistics damage. It absorbs damage until the shield is depleted, and will recharge its shield over time.
“Nice helmet nerd,” a voice came from behind Boothe.
He knew who it was immediately. Lucas. He almost pulled his pistol and put a bullet in the guy’s face. His fingers itched to do it, but he held back. What would happen if he attacked Lucas here? Would he be eliminated from the Eagles? Would he endanger his entire team? He couldn’t risk it. He had to control his anger.
“Did you get my present?” Lucas asked, then burst into laughter.
Scarlett’s eyes narrowed to a point so fine they seemed like they would drill holes through him and her fingers slid across the handle of her axe.
Behind Lucas stood his group of teammates. All male. All human. They looked like some post-apocalyptic boy band. There was the big guy with dark hair and a goatee. He wore sunglasses constantly and carried a huge minigun. There was one dressed like a ninja – wearing all black and carrying two swords strapped across his back. Next to him stood a shirtless guy with grenades strapped all along his bare chest and a tall green mohawk that made him look not much different than one of Orion’s bandits. Lastly, there was a thin man dressed in scaled armor similar to what Scarlett wore, and carrying a shotgun; a drone floated over his shoulder, almost identical to Marty.
Then of course, Lucas himself – dressed in a flashy yellow jumpsuit, like Bruce Lee in that one movie, with a rifle on his back and twin pistols strapped to his belt. Boothe couldn’t figure out if he was supposed to be a sniper or a gunslinger. Either way, he couldn’t wait to wipe that stupid smirk off his face.
“Yeah we got your present,” Boothe said. “If you want to kill us, why don’t you just do it yourself? You’re too much of a coward to face us in a real fight.”
“Please!” Lucas said, stepping forward. “We’d wipe the floor with you. You’re only at the top of the standings because you got that mission in New Wichita first! You’re not better than us.”
The large man with the minigun nodded in agreement, while the mohawk wearing guy said, “Yeah scrub, you ain’t nothin.”
“Let’s fight then,” Boothe said. “Your team against ours.”
Arena Challenge!
You have issued a challenge.
5 vs 5 Arena battle.
Atomic Massacre vs. Laserdix
“Okay then,” Lucas said. “But let’s put some stakes on this. Loser steps back and lets the winner have first shot at Orion.”
“And you’ll stop trying to kill us,” Boothe added.
“Deal,” Lucas agreed.
Boothe turned to the rest of the group, who had been silent through the confrontation.
“What do you guys think?”
“I’m in, of course,” Scarlett said. “We’ll slaughter them.”
Braddock shook his head. “We’re already ahead of them. We will likely be the ones to fight Orion anyways. Why should we risk that to fight them in the arena? What do we gain?”
“He tried to kill us man,” Caustic said. “We can’t just let him do that. I’m in.”
“Me too,” Mariko said.
“It’s up to you Braddock,” Boothe said. “Everybody has to agree to this. If you say no, we won�
��t do it.”
Braddock sighed. He eyed the opposing team, who all stood smirking, then turned to his own team who looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.
“Well, they are just a bunch of humans,” Braddock said. “Alright then. Let’s teach them a lesson.”
“Yeah!” Caustic exclaimed pumping his fist.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
Now transporting teams to Arena 1.
One moment Boothe was standing in the hallway of the Palisades, and the next he was surrounded by black walls lined with neon stripes of blue and yellow and violet. The ceilings had cameras mounted all over, swiveling and sliding along tracks to follow Boothe’s movements.
He stood alone at a dead end, feeling like a rat in a maze. None of his team, or the other team, were in sight.
“Guys?” Boothe asked into his headset.
“We’re here,” Scarlett replied.
“It looks like we’re all starting at different points on the battle map,” Braddock said. “We should try to meet up and stick together if we can. I suggest attempting to find the middle of the map, wherever that is. If you see a teammate, stay with them.”
“Got it,” Caustic said.
A deep voice came from somewhere above. At first, Boothe thought that it might have been Victor - the head of the Eagles in New Wichita. Why would he be announcing an arena battle though?
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you the first five versus five arena battle, broadcast server-wide for your enjoyment. This will be a battle to the death, but don’t worry folks, it’s all virtual. It’s just a game. In the arena, all players will do what they can to defeat the other team and survive as long as they can. Anything goes!”
“People are watching us?” Caustic asked.
“Sounds like it,” Boothe said.
The voice continued. “On the count of three the battle will begin. ARE. YOU. READY?”
This was a bad idea.
“ONE!”
Boothe raced through his character menu, trying to decide where to allocate points. Aim and Stealth would likely be helpful in this battle, but he had to think about the bigger picture as well. His part in the group had thus far been driving and hacking. He quickly decided to put the points into Intelligence and Hacking, increasing his specialization in that area.
Apocalypse 2020: A Wasteland LitRPG Page 27
